The Growth of Presidential Power

The Growth of Presidential Power (Prompt 1) The twentieth century, the political and social events that unfolded in this modern era, and America’s involvement in such affairs, both domestic and foreign, brought about a significant shift in the balance of power within U.S politics. Notwithstanding the framers original design of a distinct system of checks and balances that called even for a bicameral legislature so as to further restrict the power of the legislative, the executive branch has nevertheless expanded exponentially its reach and influence in government. The growth of the presidency and its overarching presence over the judiciary and the legislative is more a consequence of a shift in the dynamics of social culture, political ideology, and technological advances than a mere effect of the actions, identities and personas of those who have held office. This distinct ability of the executive to inevitably extend its power can thus be attributed to the vague nature of the Constitution regarding the Presidency, the emergence of the president as a cultural icon, the polarization of the two controlling political parties and ultimately the need for a unitary and decisive force leading the nation during times of war and desperation. America’s withdrawal from a policy of isolationism during the twentieth century, its endurance through domestic and foreign crises, its fortitude through a new age of liberalism and civil equality, and its Presidents’ ambitions and agendas through such political and social upheaval serve as a testament to the growth in power and size of the executive branch. The framers’ deliberately ambiguous and vague design of the enumerated powers of the executive branch acts as a gateway in allowing the presidency to expand in both size and influence in government. Whereas Article I of the Constitution was drafted to safeguard against Madison’s fear of an all-powerful legislative and hence delineates every power of Congress in great