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.