THE MODERN AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

The Modern American Presidency



The Modern American Presidency

The American democracy system has always been a unique system. The American system is drastically different from, for example, the English system or the Canadian system. In a parliamentary system, the prime minister's party does not have full control of the government. The seats are divided between all the parties, according the number of votes they earned. The winning party may have the majority, but usually not an overwhelming majority. The prime minister's powers are very limited, because he has to follow his party and the parliament. In the Canadian system, parliament can call for a re-election at anytime; prime ministers do not have the assurance of a four year term. In contrast, American Presidents have much more power than prime ministers. Once elected, the President is almost assured a four year term. The President can issue executive orders, veto legislations, sign treaties and also command the armed forces during war. This was not the case before the 1900's; Congress usually had control and power over the executive branch. Thomas Jefferson envisioned a weak executive branch that constantly seeks the advice of Congress. Jefferson also envisioned a party-based system to further weaken the President's power. "The central purpose of the Republican Party was to diffuse authority and empower the citizenry" (Landy & Milkis, 49). Most pre-modern Presidents followed Jefferson's vision. There were a few exceptions, such as Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who exercised extremely broad executive power. Modern Presidents have generally become a popular symbol and accumulated very broad executive power. (Turow 2004: 35-59)

George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Conn., the first child of future president George H. W. Bush. In 1948, the family moved to Odessa, Tex., where the senior Bush went to work in the oil business. George W. grew up mainly in Midland, Tex., and Houston, and later attended two of his father's alma maters, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale. (Walt 2003: 74-85)

After graduating from Yale with a history degree in 1968, Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard, where he served as a part-time fighter pilot until 1973. After receiving an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1975, he returned to Texas, where he established his own oil and gas business. In 1977 he met and married his wife, Laura Welch, a librarian. The couple has twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, born in 1981.

Following his defeat, Bush returned to the oil business. In 1985, however, oil prices fell sharply, and Bush's company verged on collapse until it was acquired by a Dallas firm. Bush then headed to Washington to become a paid adviser to his father's successful 1988 presidential campaign. After the election, Bush returned to Texas and assembled a group of investors to buy the Texas Rangers.

Bush again entered politics in 1993, running for the Texas governorship. Although he had a tough opponent in the immensely popular incumbent Ann Richards, he created a clear agenda focused on ...