Overcoming Limitations

As was the original intent of the Framers of the Constitution, the executive branch is not the most important branch of government in the U.S.A. The executive branch was designed to have enough power and independence to fulfill its responsibilities but not enough so that it could be abused. It was very important to establish an executive branch strong enough to balance the power of the legislature but not endanger democratic government. It was also decided a single leader would be more effective (and easier to oversee) than dual parties. I believe for the most part, they were successful. It is necessary that we have a single leader to represent our country not only within our nation but to the outside world as well. Executive powers include enforcing laws made by Congress, nominating people for federal offices, negotiating treaties with foreign nations, and conducting wars. However, the fact that the legislative branch creates the laws that govern our lives has the most important impact to the American citizens. Although the President shares in the legislative power through the veto which he has the power to perform, a bill can still become a law if two-thirds of both houses of Congress vote to override the veto. In the same way, although the President has the power to nominate executive officials and federal judges, the Senate has the right to approve or disapprove of the nominees selected. The power to make treaties with foreign nations is also shared, the President has the power to negotiate a treaty but it most be approved by a two–thirds senate vote. These are all examples of the limits of the President and the executive branch itself. In every example the legislative branch has the final say.
An exception to my stance that the legislative branch has the final say is evident in my first example of a Presidential accomplishment which all branches agreed upon. When George W. Bush signed the USA Patriot Act into law on October 26, 2001, it was a surprising and remarkable testament to cautious and unconventional times. Having just endured the tragedy of 9/11, the country and our leaders were treading lightly, afraid of another terrorist attack and desperate for measures to hopefully increase security for the American public. What resulted was a controversial act that tested the very civil liberties we have protected so strongly. Some, but not all, areas of controversy were indefinite detention of immigrants, law enforcement searches of homes and businesses without the owner’s permission or knowledge, and expanded FBI searches of telephone, email and financial records. Some of these provisions, when later challenged, were proved unconstitutional by Federal courts! Although President Bush enjoyed a Republican majority Congress at that time, it is still surprising that the Democrats, usually known more as idealists interested more in foreign affairs than National Security, were on board as well. This was a tremendous success for George Bush who made the comments at the time, “America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people." and "Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people."
Although Democratic President Bill Clinton did not intend to master a Republican Congress by the expanded use of his veto power, he was eventually forced to adapt his legislative relationship to achieve his political goals. Clinton vetoed thirty-five bills (excluding pocket and line-item vetoes) from 1995-2000. Republican leaders challenged eleven of the thirty-five vetoes in at least one of the chambers but managed to override the president only once. Further, Clinton relied on ‘veto threats’ on over 140 bills and was generally successful in stopping the Republicans’ agenda or achieving policy concessions from the majority leadership in most cases. President Clinton developed the ability to manipulate “partisan disagreement” by using the executive right to veto to minimize executive-legislative conflict. He used what executive power he was entitled to (the veto), to accomplish the greatest goals and was probably the most successful president historically to achieve his ‘hoped for’ legislative outcomes in this manner.

http://www.boycottliberalism.com/Bush-quotes.htm
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RS21203.pdf
www.lifeandliberty.gov/highlights.htm
usgovinfo.about.com/cs/thepresident/a/radio041704.htm
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/rconley/Clintonvetoespaper.pdf

Executive Branch

Through the separation of powers, the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch share equal powers. In the process of checks and balances, each power makes sure that the other does not have more power than necessary. As election time approaches, it seems as though the American Public only focuses on the Presidential Candidates. However, the power in which affects us, the people, the most is the legislative power.

The Executive Branch has a couple restrictions, which insure that the executive branch will keep its same balance of power. For example, the executive branch can veto a bill from Congress. However, two-thirds of Congress can override an executive branches’ veto. After this, there is nothing left for the executive branch to do. Furthermore, only Congress has the power to declare war. As much as it may seem as though the President is the one who initiates war, only Congress can declare war. Subsequently, the legislative branch has the power to impeach and convict a President from office for treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors. http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articleii.html#section4 As shown, even though it may seem as though the Executive Branch is the controller of our country, each branch is always checking to make sure that not one branch has more power than the other. http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2008/07/25/the-constitution-as-a-limit-on-executive-power/

One of the more popular known presidents was President John F. Kennedy. During President Kennedy’s term, he was faced with the Cuban missile crisis, in which the Soviet Union had built missiles and stored them in the neighboring island of Cuba. In October 1962, President Kennedy imposed a quarantine on all offensive weapons that were traveling to Cuba. The world was nervous that a nuclear war was about to break loose between the Soviet Union and America. However, through persuasion, nuclear blackmail, and compromise, Khrushchev and President Kennedy were able to come up with an agreement; the Soviet Union would remove their missiles from Cuba as a result, the United States removes their missiles from Turkey. President John F. Kennedy used a diplomatic approach to reach his goal of having “a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and coercion.” http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDcubanmissile.htm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jk35.html

Moreover, another known President was President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Johnson took over as President in 1963 after President Kennedy had been assassinated. While President Johnson was President, he was faced with the incidents of the Gulf of Tonkin. After this attack on our US ships, President Johnson felt as though it was immediately necessary that the United States go to war and fight the Vietnamese. As a result, attacks began on Vietnam, from the United States. The Vietnam War ended up lasting from 1964-1973. President Lyndon B. Johnson was re-elected in 1964. In this term he continued to bring more troops to Vietnam. The evidence of the Gulf of Tonkin is still unclear. Therefore, President Lyndon B. Johnson shows us how some Presidents use diplomatic approach while others, go straight to using military force.
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/timeline.htm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/lj36.html

Both Presidents were faced with difficult situations that put the American people in danger. However, President John F. Kennedy dealt with this situation through diplomacy, and President Lyndon B. Johnson used military force. Both dealt with the situation, yet in completely different ways.

The Power of the Legislative Branch

There are three branches in American government today. They are: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. The Executive branch "makes sure that the laws of the United States are obeyed" http://www.evgschool.org/three_branches_of_government.htm
The president is the head of this branch of government. "The judicial branch of government is made up of the court system. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution." http://www.evgschool.org/three_branches_of_government.htm
The Legislative branch writes the bills and makes laws. It can also pass laws, approve treaties, and go through the process of impeaching officials. All of these branches were created to have equal amounts of power and there is a system of checks and balances to watch the power of each branch. The Executive branch may seem like it is the most important of the branches, but it is not. In fact, it is the Legislative Branch that is the most important.
One of the presidents that demonstrated the importance of the Legislative branch was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. While the country suffered during the Great Depression, FDR was working on passing bills and acts to help restart the economy and get America back on its feet. It was called the New Deal. It started many programs to help struggling Americans and their families. All of these programs were approved and passed by the Legislative branch. Without the support of the Legislative branch, many of the programs probably would not have come to fruition.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/depwwii/newdeal/newdeal.html
Another example of a president who was affected by the power of the Legislative branch was President Bill Clinton. When Clinton was president both houses of Congress were Republican, while he himself was Democrat. This greatly affected his presidency and actions. When there was suspicion of impure activity going on in the white house, all sorts of investigation were allowed that probably wouldn’t be allowed if the houses were Democrat. When it was found out that there was infidelity in the white house, with an intern no less, Congress pushed for impeachment. The Legislative branch had the power to do this, even though it was not as serious a crime as other presidents had committed. For example, Nixon was almost impeached for the crime of treason. The Executive branch would not have the power to try and impeach the president for a less serious offense.
http://www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/e-gov/e-politicalarchive-Clintonimpeach.htm




Additional Sources:
http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_threebranches.htm

Executive branch's importance

Though at times it seems as though the president and the executive branch call all the shots in our government, this just isn't the case. The executive is not the most important branch for mainly this reason: That congress makes the laws, the executive branch enforces it. “The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of our government. He enforces the laws that the Legislative Branch (Congress) makes.” http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/3branches/1.htm. The executive branch cant force the people to do certain things, because they don't have the power to do what they want necessarily, whereas congress can make any law they see fit, and even force the executive to acknowledge it and enforce it (except of course if the law is unconstitutional).

Two presidents can show how congress was the most important branch of the time (or how they could have been) and these would be president Johnson and president Johnson (Lyndon B. Johnson and Andrew Johnson). “Of greater significance, on 7 August the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly passed the so-called Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which enabled Johnson to employ military force as he saw fit against the Vietnamese Communists.” http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq120-1.htm . The 88th congress had the ability to force the president to not be allowed to retaliate in a way he saw fit. The president needs congresses approval to use the military (in large cases at least) in order for him to be able attack another country. This congress had the potential to never allow the Vietnam war to happen (by not nay on the gulf of tonkin resolution), they just didn't see it coming. The lesson here is that congress is the only branch of government to declare war, or military action, not the executive branch, who still needed congress to allow the country to go to war.

Andrew Johnson shows a presidency under which the executive branch was severely limited by congress. The 40th congress constantly by-passed Johnson's veto power and basically didn't allow him to accomplish anything while the Legislative branch had the ability to employ reconstruction the way they wanted. In fact, this congress had over-rided a presidential veto on an important bill for the first time up to that point. They put restrictions upon the president and basically ran the country by themselves, they created the 14th amendment and the civil rights act of 1866, giving more rights to blacks. “In March 1867, the Radicals effected their own plan of Reconstruction, again placing southern states under military rule. They passed laws placing restrictions upon the President. When Johnson allegedly violated one of these, the Tenure of Office Act, by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the House voted eleven articles of impeachment against him. He was tried by the Senate in the spring of 1868 and acquitted by one vote.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/aj17.html


Edward J. Marolda, “Summary of the Tonkin Gulf Crisis of August 1964”, history.navy.mil, July 13th, 2005 <http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq120-1.htm > October 21th, 2008.

“Andrew Johnson”, thewhitehouse.gov, (date unavailable), <http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/aj17.html > October 21th, 2008.

“Three branches of government”, the Truman library (date unavailable), <http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/3branches/1.htm > October 21th, 2008

Executive Branch Not The Most Important Branch and History Changing Presidents

The executive branch is not the most important branch of the government in the USA. Even though there is the checks and balances system to ensure an equal amount of power among all three branches, the Legislative branch is by far the most important.

The Separation of Powers was created by the framers of the Constitution and was designed to do one primary thing: “to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist”. They wanted to avoid giving any branch of the new government too much power. The separation of powers provided a system of shared power known as Checks and Balances.

Three branches are created in the Constitution. The Legislative, composed of the House and Senate, is set up in Article 1. The Executive, composed of the President, Vice-President, and the Departments, is set up in Article 2. The Judicial, composed of the federal courts and the Supreme Court, is set up in Article 3. Each of these branches has certain powers, and each of these powers is limited, or checked, by another branch. For example, the President appoints judges and departmental secretaries. But these appointments must be approved by the Senate. The Congress can pass a law, but the President can veto it. The Supreme Court can rule a law to be unconstitutional, but the Congress, with the States, can amend the Constitution. By forcing the various branches to be accountable to the others, no one branch can hold enough power to become dominant.

The Executive branch is overlooked, and controlled, by the President. The President appoints the Cabinet members. His job is to also approve the laws that Congress makes. When the Senate and the House approve a bill, they send it to the President. If he agrees with the law, he signs it and the law goes into effect. If the President does not like a bill, he can refuse to sign it. However, the President cannot write bills but he can purpose a bill. Basically, the Executive branch has the power to veto a bill, to appoint judges and other officials, to make treaties and to ensure that all laws are carried out.

On the other hand, the Legislature branch can pass all federal laws, establish all lower federal courts, override a Presidential veto and can impeach the President. Yes, The Legislative branch has equal power to all of the other branches of government by the checks and balances system, but is rather more significant. It impacts the people more directly, with all the bills and laws that it creates. It is truly the part of government that is “for the people”.

Two presidencies with two different congressional terms are Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson. Abraham Lincoln, was elected as the 16th President and had a large impact on the country. Lincoln had the task of uniting the states once the North won the war, with his leadership during the Civil War. Furthermore, he helped keep the union together and eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the United States. "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." (http://www.karemar.com/blog/top-10-united-states-presidents-all-time) On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson, was elected as the third President of America and he was also very important. His decision to execute the Louisiana Purchase helped nearly doubled the United States size overnight. Jefferson “realized the need for consolidating power in the federal government when necessary”. "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever. . . the Almighty has no attribute that can take side with us in such a contest." (http://www.karemar.com/blog/top-10-united-states-presidents-all-time). These two presidents were very similar. They were both able to impact the country and change history firsthand. The one main difference was how they changed the lives of the Americans and the country. They both helped to create out country as we know it today. Kudos to them.

Other Sources:

http://www.library.thinkquest.org/J0110221/
http://www.leinsdorf.com/Presidents.htm
http://www.voteutah.org/learning/government/three_branches.html

Legislative Power over the Executive Branch

Many people may be inclined to think that the Executive branch led by the President is the most powerful and important branch in the U.S. Government. But in fact, checks and balances makes it so that the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches are not more powerful then the other. Also, the Legislative Branch is the most important one out of all three. One instance of this occurred in 1993, right after President Bill Clinton took office. He created a task force to come through on his statement that he would, "prepare health care reform legislation to be submitted to Congress within one hundred days of our taking office." The task force was chaired by his wife, Hillary Clinton, and she was the main force behind a health care plan that would of given all of Americans universal health care. It then went to Congress where heated discussions took place but to no avail for the Clinton's. Bill Clinton's big health care plan was completely shut down by the Legislative Branch.

Another, more recent, example of the Legislative Branch being more powerful would be going on right now. President Bush proposed a bailout plan for our nation's economy because of the collapse to the market. It called for 700 billion dollars to be used by the national government to buy distressed mortgages. It went to the legislative branch where both the Senate and the House of Representatives voted on the bill proposed by the president. While it was approved by the Senate, the House rejected the original bill. The President had no choice but to revise the plan and fix it so it could get passed. He said, "There are disagreements on aspects of the recovery plan, but there is no disagreement that something substantial must be done," He did revised the plan to the House of Representatives liking and it was eventually agreed to by the Legislative Branch. But they have the power to stop any bill that the President wants to instill into law which in turn makes them a more powerful branch. This wasn't the first instance during our current President's term where the approval of Congress was needed for him to accomplish what he was trying to do. Another instance during his term was after he sent troops overseas to Iraq. Under his powers as Commander in Chief he was allowed to do this but he had no funding for the war. Without the approval of the Legislative Branch he would have to undo everything he had done. The troops would have to come home because they had no money to continue the war. The Legislative Branch did approve funding for the war that enabled the war to go on but they had a decision to make. They could have overturned a decision that the President made or gone along with it. They have a choice to prevent or agree with anything that the President wants to do and that makes them the more important branch. The President is not the one allowing the war to go on at first. The responsibility of allowing the war to get funded and payed for belongs to the more important Legislative Branch.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/may96/background/health_debate_page1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/business/21qanda.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3086775/Financial-crisis-George-W-Bush-urges-economy-bail-out.html

Although the executive branch in the government usually gets the most media attention, it really isn’t the most important branch of our government. Many people don’t know this especially because of the presidential race going on right now it seems like the most important position. However, the Legislative branch has many powers that people are more affected by. Congress has many rights and they make all of the laws. True the president can veto these laws but congress can overrule the president. Also, the judicial branch can say these laws are unconstitutional. There’s many checks and balances on the 3 branches which ensures equal power. But the legislative branch has the most important functions. Congress makes laws, lay and collect taxes, declare war, and many more which all affect the citizens of the United States the most. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/congpowers.htm

Again presidents get the most media out of the 3 branches. Congress and Judicial branches don’t, but they do deserve credit too. James Monroe was a president of the U.S. who is most famous for his foreign policy called the Monroe Doctrine. This responded to the threat of European nations trying to colonize around the U.S. He could not have done this if congress did not approve of it. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm5.html Another example of a president who had good actions was Dwight D. Eisenhower. He led the country and directed the military during WWII. http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/de34.html However he couldn’t have done this if congress hadn’t declared war and organized a military, which are powers of the congress. Presidents may be the executive branch but they don’t make all the decisions. The balance of powers makes sure all branches are equal. The things the president does is if the legislature and judicial branch allow them to. The executive branch is not the most powerful.

Without any thought, most people would say that the executive branch would have the most power solely because a part of it is the president who is the leader of our country. However, after further learning, those people would agree that it actually is the legislative branch with the most power. The Hon. John Charles Thomas believes that Congress indeed has the most power and uses the fact that:
- Article I on the Legislative Branch has 2,278 words, 53 paragraphs, 219 lines.
- Article II on the Executive Branch has 1,028 words, less than half, 13 paragraphs, 95 lines.
- And Article III on the Judicial Branch has only 377 words, 7 paragraphs, 37 lines.
(http://www.opm.gov/constitution_initiative/speech.asp).
This may simply be a coincidence however in a speech presented to the Leadership Conference of the Office of Personnel Management, he also stated the fact that the order in which the branches were written of in the Constitution was not done by random. He said that "the Founders thought that the Legislative Branch was going to be the great branch of government; they thought that the executive had to be constrained and controlled; and they hardly gave any thought at all to the Judicial Branch. In so structuring the Constitution they were suggesting how the government should work" (http://www.opm.gov/constitution_initiative/speech.asp).

The Founding Fathers also did not want another monarchy, similar to the one they had just gotten rid of, to arise. That was why they put so many limits on the executive branch and because the president, the head of the nation, is just one man, he could have biased opinions. That is why Congress was also given the power to override a veto by a 2/3 vote. The System of Checks and Balances is a way that the Founding Fathers created to keep power from going out of control. But, the legislative branch, through this received more power over the other branches. The power to override a veto, to be able to declare war, to be able to make bills into law and more were given because Congress was closer to the people. Therefore, they would have a better understanding of what the U.S. citizens would want. In the House and the Senate, there are also more people than just one person so justice, which is part of the preamble, could be exercised and ensured because they use a system of voting.

Although the legislative branch has more power, the president in the executive branch often gets more attention and fame. Two of such presidents were F. D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Both were in office during difficult times and were very well liked yet one was old and the other was the youngest to be elected as president in U.S. history.

Franklin D. Roosevelt may have attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School however he did not have an easy life. When he was 39, he was stricken with poliomyelitis but he fought hard to regain control of his legs through physical therapy in swimming. Then he also showed more courage by becoming president at the depth of the Great Depression. The New Deal that he proposed was constantly questioned, stood up against and hated yet he had the title of president in his pocket for 3 more terms. One of his most famous quotes is "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" (http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/). This helped the 13,000,000 unemployed to find some sort of comfort in their time of need and fear.
(Additional source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html)

John F. Kennedy also attended Harvard but his life after in the Navy was not a luxurious one. When his boat was sunk by the Japanese, he led the survivors onto land despite grave injuries. This was a great example of the leadership and perseverance that a president should have. Also, during his term was the failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs. Kennedy had to deal with all of that humiliation and the criticism from the public. Then the Cuban Missile Crisis came up where the Russians were suspected of putting nuclear missiles in Cuba and although JFK's decision of forming a blockade may have been secretive, he did what was best for the country. All these qualities were similar to FDR's characteristics but it was different situations with different resolutions that brought out these similarities. JFK also had a famous quote. In his inaugural address, he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country" (http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Derivation+of+Ask+not+what+your+country.htm). This was an inspiring quote that made people get up onto their feet and start working and helping the community.
(Additional source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jk35.html)

Both presidents represented that Congress was important. The New Deal was not something that was just proposed and issued as law all by the president. Also the decision for the blockade and for the Bay of Pigs Invasion had to be run through Congress. Although the Invasion was not successful, the other two were and legislation played a big role. Without their consent, we might have been in a world-wide nuclear war right now and we could have still been in the Great Depression or in an even Greater Depression.

The Branches of Government

Even at the beginning of this young nations existence the people within it have fought for the right of equal say. Many of the U.S.A.'s most important decisions were made by a group of people who went by majority rule, but gave everyone who wished to right to voice their own opinions. In 1776 the Continental Congress finally adopted the Declaration of Independence showing that they as a body of people did not want to be ruled by one leader of any kind instead they developed a system of a republic where a monarch did not reign, but instead the people get a say in what happens regarding the government. Whether it be by voting in politicians who make decisions for everyone or setting up a national assembly the people are given ample oppertunity to have some effect on how their country is run. The developement of the Constitiution of the United States of America was a long process for the 55 deligates of the various states. It was finally completed on September 17, 1787 and was enforced in the year 1789. Written in the Constitution was the entire framework of the new nation. It states all of the rules and regulations of the central government and leaves certain powers for only the state governments.
The articles express the abilities of the three branches of government: The Legislative, the Judicial, and the Exectutive branches. Each branch has its own designated power, which includes checks and balances. The Legislative branch has the most influence on governemnt power because it is the word of the people. The Executive branch does not have as much power because the framers of the Constitiution did not want America to seem like a monarchy. The more power means the more checks and balances the branch has. Here are some examples of the Legislatures checks on the Executive branch: the impeachment power of the House, impeachment trials of the Senate, the Presidential selection for the House and Vice Presidential selection for the Senate (only in the case where there is no majority of electoral votes), they can override Presidential vetoes, the Senate approves departmental appointments, treaties and ambassadors, they have approval to replace the Vice President, they have the power to declare war, the power to enact taxes and allocate funds, and they make sure that the President occasionally delivers a State of the Union address. The Legislative checks on the Judiciary include: the Senate approves the federal judges, the House has Power of Impeachment, and the Senate controls the Trial of impeachments, the power to initiate constitutional amendments, the power to set courts inferior to the Supreme Court, the power to set jurisdiction of courts, the power to alter the size of the Supreme Court. It is because the legislative branch is bicameral, the it has a degree of self checking. Bills must be passed by both houses of Congress, House must originate revenue bills, Neither house may adjourn for more, than three days without the consent of the other house, All journals must be published. Now the Executive Branch also has checks on the Legislature just to name a few: The president has the power to veto, the Vice President resides over the Senate, he is Commander in chief of the military, makes recess appointments, can innitial emergency calling into session of one or both houses of Congress, he may force adjournment when both houses cannot agree nor a Compensation can be diminished. There are more but these are most of the checks and balances between the two main branches.
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_cnb.html

James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Towards the earlier part of his presidency began an "Era of Good Feelings." Sadlt these "good feelings" did not last, despite that Monroe followed nationalist policie. A terrible economic depression undoubtedly increased the alarm of the people in the Missouri Territory in the year 1819 when they were turned down from trying to enter into the Union as a slave state. A bill amended gradually eliminated slavery in Missouri, which brought on two years of bitter debate in Congress. The Missouri Compromise bill fixed the issue. In the end slavery was diminished north and west of Missouri. Monroe proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine, responding to the threat of more governments in Europe possibly trying to help Spain by taking back her former colonies in the western hemisphere. Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams wanted to stay away from trouble with Spain before it ceded Florida, which it did in 1821. Secretary Adams advised, "It would be more candid ... to avow our principles explicitly to Russia and France, than to come in as a cock-boat in the wake of the British man-of-war." Monroe listened to Adams's advice. Not only Latin America be left alone, but Russia must not move southward on the Pacific coast. ". . . the American continents," he stated, "by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European Power." Basically, the two most important points in Monroe's presidential terms were the Missouri Compromise and the Monroe Docterine (given the name 20 years after his death.
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/jamesmonroe/p/pmonroe.htm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jm5.htm

Later on there was a president who went by the name James Knox Polk who was in office from 1845-1849. He is known as the first "dark horse" President, was the last of the Jacksonians to sit in the White House, and the last capable President until the Civil War. Polk was the candidate who aimed for expansion. He linked the Texas issue with the Oregon issue which attracted both the North and south. Polk also favored acquiring California. Polk amy have also had to deal with the possibility of war with Mexico over Texas, even before he could take office because Congress passed a joint resolution offering annexation to Texas. The President seemed to be risking war with Great Britain also over Oregon. Extremists proclaimed "Fifty-four forty or fight," but Polk was aware of diplomatic realities. He knew that anything short of war was less likely to get all of Oregon. Fortunately, neither he nor the British wanted a war. So he offered a compromise by extending the Canadian boundary along the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. After a few disagreements the British settled for the 49th parallel (excluding the southern tip of Vancouver Island). The treaty for the seperation of Oregon Country was signed in 1846. Getting California was far more difficult. Polk offered Mexico up to $20,000,000 and settlement of damage claims owed to Americans for California and the New Mexico country. No Mexican leader could sell half his country and still stay in power therefore they wanted no part of the deal. To pressure the Mexicans Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to the disputed area on the Rio Grande. The Mexican attacked Taylor's forces. Congress then declared war and despite Northern opposition they supported the military operations. Finally, in 1848, Mexico ceded New Mexico and California. Mexico received $15,000,000 and American assumption of the damage claims. President Polk annexed a large area to the United States, but it further aggitated a bitter quarrel between the North and the South over slavery expansion. in leaving office Polk shortly died afterward due to the emmense stress of being president after all, "No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure" (James K. Polk).

http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/james_knox_polk/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jp11.html

Executive Importance and Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt

The executive branch is not the most important branch of the government in the USA. Although all branches have an equal system of checks and balances, the legislative branch is really the most important.
The president is the head of the executive branch. His job is to enforce the laws passed up by legislation. The executive branch is not allowed, under the Separation of Powers, to create or establish laws nor to illegally construe them. They are only allowed to enforce the laws, something that the legislative branch cannot do by itself. If the executive branch feels they can step over their boundary and disobey the legislative consent to act upon certain things, the judicial branch can hold them accountable in court for not consenting to the legislative branch. From the time that the Constitution was first written, the legislative branch was given enumerated powers and expressed powers that the executive branch was not allowed to have. Congress is allowed to place taxes, they can establish roads and post offices, congress can set up all federal courts except the supreme courts, they can raise and maintain an army and navy, etc. They are allowed to also take advantage of “the necessary and proper clause” stating that “congress can make all laws necessary and proper for executing the foregoing expressed powers” [article 1, section 8, clause18, of the Constitution]. The legislative branch has equal power to all of the other branches of government, yes, but it is the most important because it is the most direct way to reach the people of the United States by creating laws that will help their common good and will keep them safe.
Two different presidencies in two different terms that are able to be compared and contrasted are Theodore Roosevelt with his construction of the Panama Canal and the Square Deal in 1901-1919 and Franklin D Roosevelt that was responsible for his “fireside chats” and initiating the New Deal in his term 1933-1945.
Theodore Roosevelt had a massive hand in creating the Panama Canal. This was so important because it decreased the time it took for commerce and trading ships to pass through it in almost half the time it would to go all the way around Cape Horn which was the normal route for ships. With the funds obviously from legislative branch, he took them and dared to create the Panama Canal. Roosevelt even stated of himself that the canal “was by far the most important action [he] took in foreign affairs during the time [he] was President. When nobody could or would exercise efficient authority, [he] exercised it.” (http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/joining.html). Although this cost hundreds of millions for the Americans, it helped the commerce industry of America amazingly with this new route of transportation. Roosevelt also had his “Square Deal” in that he was able to create a program that was designed to help the middle class citizens of the US. This was designed also to go against financial trusts and the big, wealthy businesses that restricted trade or controlled the markets. In his words, Roosevelt promised that “I shall see to it that every man has a square deal, no more and no less” (http://www.answers.com/topic/square-deal-u-s-hist-in-encyclopedia ) feeling that everyone should have an equally fair chance in the economy. His most famous saying that ultimately summed up his personality and his time in office was “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far” (http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm)
Compared to Theodore Roosevelt’s fifth cousin Franklin Roosevelt, they both had a hand in some very important events in our country’s history. Theodore Roosevelt had his Square Deal promise and the construction of the Panama Canal under his belt, Franklin Roosevelt had to deal with the Great Depression.
Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to get the economy back into shape as the great depression of 1929 hit its peak was based off of the three R’s; Relief, Reform and Recovery. Inside the New Deal were many programs that would contribute to the revival of the economy, such programs as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Social Security System, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These programs worked to pick up the economy again and keep it running. Many citizens, however, were in disbelief that they could get out of the great depression. But with Roosevelt’s thirty “fireside chats” on the radio he was able to alleviate some of their pressure by reassuring them that the banks were now safe as his plan was put into action and to have faith in the New Deal. These fireside chat radio broadcasts gained more attraction than modern radio broadcasts do. He was able to settle the unnerved Americans from the dismay they had been presented with. Speaking of the returning the favor for the US Army, he told Americans that we should not stop working and that “we must work and sacrifice. It is for them. It is for us. It is for victory.” (http://www.mhric.org/fdr/chat21.html )
Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt were alike not only in family, but they both, in their terms, were able to firsthand experience and direct massive changes in the lives of the Americans. The only difference was the areas that they changed in the lives of the Americans and how they went about creating the change. They both contributed to helping the American’s freedom and ease of life in more ways than one.


Other Resources:

- http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/separationofpowers.htm
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/exec.html
- http://www.undp.org/governance/docs/Parl-Pub-govern.htm

The Power

The Executive branch does not hold the most power in the United States government. The Founding Fathers made the Legislative branch the most powerful, as they feared a monarch, or any other form of oppression. This can be proved through the powers given to the legislature. They control spending, the military, foreign relations, federal laws, and important federal appointments (Supreme Court justices, etc.). Almost every check and balance in the federal government ends with the legislature. Bills, once passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, can be vetoed, but Congress can override a presidential veto. Once a bill has become law, the Supreme Court can, if the case is brought before them, make a ruling on it. However, the justices on the court must be approved by Congress, again leaving the final power with Congress.

One example of this is President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During his first term, many new organizations, acts, and programs were created to help relieve the Great Depression. FDR relied on several key senators to propose these actions. These programs all used funds controlled by Congress. Many of these programs, during deregulation and spending cuts, lost federal funding, leaving them without any means to function as FDR wanted them to. This is another demonstration of Congress's power in our government. The other presidential example I will use is that of Jimmy Carter. One of the most important actions he took during his presidency was attending SALT II, the second negotiations held between the United States and Russia concerning nuclear arms. President Carter signed the treaty that resulted from SALT II, however, Congress, fearing there were too many concessions to Russia, refused to ratify it. The power was with Congress. Without being ratified, the treaty was just a paper.

Checks and Balances

Although the president is considered our leader, this does not mean that he is part of the most important branch of government. Our Founding Fathers realized that giving one man too much power would be no different than having a Monarchy. So, they decided to split up the government into three branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. All three of these branches have an equal amount of government power, a system called checks and balances. The executive branch may be where our leader resides, but the two other branches have just as much authority over our nation.
It's true that the president has many powers, but without the consent of the other branches, his authority is limited. For example, as the nation's Commander in Chief, the president can send troops overseas. However, the only way the president can officially declare war on a country is by receiving the consent of Congress, or in other words, the Legislative branch. In addition, the president cannot make treaties with other nations, nominate ambassadors, or appoint federal judges without the agreement of the majority of the Senate. Other than the Legislative branch, the Judicial branch also plays a role on the limits of the executive branch. A perfect example of this is the process in which a bill is passed. If Congress proposes a bill to the president and he/she in turn approves it, the Supreme Court can declare the bill or law unconstitutional and require that it meet certain standards in accordance to the Constitution.
This may show that the executive branch is not the most important. But some past presidents have shown why most people assume the executive branch is simply the most vital. One president with many great accomplishments is Jimmy Carter. First of all, President Carter, according to http://americanhistory.about.com/od/jimmycarter/p/pcarter.htm, pardoned the American citizens who avoided the Vietnam War draft. In addition, he enforced stronger regulations on nuclear energy through the Department of Energy after the Three Mile Island crisis, officially started relations with China in 1979 and used economic strategies to get Iran to release American hostages being held captive. Even with certain restraints on the executive branch, Carter managed to accomplish many good things. "A simple and a proper function of government is just to make it easy for us to do good and difficult for us to do wrong."-Jimmy Carter.
Another president with many great accomplishments is Theodore Roosevelt. According to http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html, Roosevelt represented the average worker of America and brought it upon himself to regulate big business more effectively. Also, President Roosevelt strengthend America's ability to deal with domestic affairs and world politics when in 1903, Congress approved the construction of the Panama Canal. Other than that, he used his skill to deal with foreign policy matters by resolving matters between Venezuela, Morocco and the Dominican Republic. In addition, by getting the Drago Doctrine adopted, Roosevelt prevented countries from using force to collect debt from other nations. Although the president has no supreme authority and is in no way above the law, presidents can still accomplish great things for our country. "No man is above the law, and no man is below it."-Theodore Roosevelt, according to(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/theodore_roosevelt.html).

Whose got the power?

Present supportive research for the statement that the executive branch is not the most important branch of government in the USA. Compare and contrast two presidencies with two different congressional terms regarding the accomplishments of both.
Cite the sources and employ quotes.