NATURE OF POWER OF PRESIDENCY
NATURE OF POWER OF PRESIDENCY
PAPER CONSISTS OF A TWO-PART QUESTION:A) ACCORDING TO KATZNELSON, KESSELMAN AND DRAPER, IN CHAPTER 6, THERE ARE TWO THEORIES REGARDING THE NATURE OF THE POWER OF PRESIDENCY.
ONE THEORY DESCRIBES THE PRESIDENCY (OR THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH) AS AN “IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY” WHILE THE OTHER TAKES THE OPPOSITE VIEW AND ARGUES THAT STARTING IN THE 1970’S THE PRESIDENCY BECAME AN “IMPERILED PRESIDENCY” OR A “WEAKENED PRESIDENCY.”
NATURE OF POWER OF PRESIDENCY ASSIGNMENT
DESCRIBE AND ASSESS WHICH OF THESE TWO THEORIES SEEM TO BE THE MOST INSIGHTFUL.[THIS SECOND QUESTION IS REPRINTED FROM THE POLITICS OF POWER, PAGE 218, QUESTION #4, (7TH EDITION)]B) PRESIDENTIAL POWER IS AT ITS PEAK WHEN THE COUNTRY IS AT WAR OR PRIMED FOR IT.
OTHER POLITICAL ACTORS [REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH] ARE RELUCTANT TO CHALLENGE THE PRESIDENT FOR FEAR OF UNDERCUTTING THE WAR EFFORT AND APPEARING UNPATRIOTIC. BUT IT IS PRECISELY DURING SUCH PERIODS THAT WE NEED CHECKS AND BALANCES [ON EXECUTIVE POWER] THE MOST. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CURB PRESIDENTIAL POWER WHEN THE DRUMS OF WAR ARE BEATING AND TO PREVENT PRESIDENTS FROM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM?
