PRESIDENT ROLE AND POWER

President Role and Power

President Role and Power

Introduction

The phrase the president of the United States conjures grand and suggestive titles: leader of the free world or most powerful man in the United States. These labels belie the truth that the president's power is nuanced and derived from the Constitution, from congressional statute, and from aggrandizement by individual presidents.

Discussion

The presidency is a unique institution in the U.S. system of government. A paradox, the president is at once both powerful and dependent on other branches and public opinion for success. He or she speaks with a singular voice, yet his ...