Presidental Powers and Limitations Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Presidental Powers and Limitations - Term Paper Example Under section 1 of the article II, the executive power is vested in a President for his or her term in the office that is set for four years. Appointment and Removal Power The enactment of civil service laws directs the federal government to appoint 90 percent of executive branch positions through merit systems; however, the president still has powers to appoint senior officers to set direction to his governance. C Q Press (2012) describes the various power of the President in that he can appoint ambassadors, judges of the Supreme Court, ministers and consuls and other officers of the US for which no provision has been made. The President also has powers to fill up any vacancy during the recess of the Senate through special rights called commissions. Similarly, the President can also enter into treaties with other countries under the advice and consent of Senate. C Q Press (2012) speaks about the discerning powers of the president which can be listed as per the following. Clemency Se ction 2 of the article II specifies the President as ‘Commander-in-Chief’ of the military with necessary powers to grant pardons for offences against the country except impeachment. The glaring example of the clemency right rested with the President can be given as the pardon granted to Richard Nixon by his successor Gerald Ford for offenses committed by the former during the Watergate episode. Bill Clinton granted 140 pardons on the last day of his term as President. Law Enforcement The President being the chief executive officer of the nation can even deploy the armed forces to enforce the law within the country. All these years Congress has been instrumental in enhancing the law enforcement duties of the president. The incident during John F. Kennedy' time is worth noting when he directed army troops to quell riots following a court order directing the University of Mississippi to admit a black student, James Meredith in its student body. Budgeting Section 3 of Artic le II of the Constitution provides powers to the President to undertake fiscal policies and budgetary procedures as one of the important prerogative. Over last few decades, the Presidents of US have increasingly used their powers in outlining federal spending. Legislative Proposals The Constitution of the US authorizes the President to recommend necessary legislation which he feels necessary and expedient. The past history shows how President has used legislative powers to give a direction to the nation. Franklin D. Roosevelt using his powers as President recommended several important legislative proposals to overcome the crisis that country faced during the time of the Great Depression in ‘30s. Convene or Adjourn Houses Under Section 3 of the article II, the President has right to convene and adjourn either single or both the houses as he may feel necessary and recommend the measures in the best interest of the nation. Veto The constitution has provided the President with vet o powers that can be used against any piece of legislation to become law against their wishes; however, Congress still can convert it into a law by passing it with two-thirds majority in both houses. The U.S constitution provides a variety of special powers to the President that can be described as per the following. Emergency Powers Schmidt et al. (2011) argues that the Us President may exercise certain