Take Home Exam 1
1. The framers wanted political elitism as president of the united states. Political
elitism was used with republicanism which is a government based on popular
interests, representative government, mixed government and represented all
interests of the population. The framers believed that some people were naturally
prepared better than others to govern an entire population. The ones who were
considered to govern has the traits of republican virtue. The republican virtues
included modesty, simplicity, public spirit, moderation, tolerance, generosity, and
public & private frugality. Presidential candidates must be a natural born citizen of
35 years of age and lived in the united states of america for at least 14 years.
The framers also wanted to avoid the kind of ruling they had in Britain so they
made sure the president would have complete power, like the King in England.
They placed limits on executive power so policy making would come from the
congress mainly. The Framers also did not want a popular election of the
executive so they made the process to be state legislatures, kind of like the
modern day electoral college.
2. Article II has been used by president and their supporters to enforce national
laws, conduct foreign policy, command the military and promote international
trade. The framers wanted to place limits on the executive power so the congress
has the most power so one person could not make decisions based on the entire
population.The framers did not want the principle of sovereignty in a government
which led to monarchs that claimed absolute power like in the early modern age.
Absolute power brough chaos and the framers wanted to avoid chaos. The
framers decided to go against this practice by dividing the power. State and
federal government both had sovereignty, even though the constitution says that
federal law takes precedence over state law. Within the national government, the
branches shared the power and authority which was called the separation of
powers.
3. The presidency’s activity and power is always evolving, even if it goes against
what the framers wanted. Wars, economic change, economic crisis and social
change are all reasons that the role of the presidency have changed. The growth
of the president’s constitutional role have changed with the federal government's
activities and powers. The growth was caused by social, economical, military and
diplomatic pressures. With time, changes in the interpretation of the
constitutional come as well. Also, assertions of prerogative power by individual
presidents have all expanded the powers and responsibilities if the presidency.
Each president that is elected is faced with different issues and circumstances
than the prior so each president tries to use all their constitutional power to
resolve that issue, and that sometimes means trying to expand their diplomatic
power. The framers historical precedent and intent are the main talking points
when it comes to debates about expanding the executive power.
4. The Prerogative, The Stewardship, and the Literalist are the three Prescriptive
Theories of the presidential power. The prerogative theory of the presidential
power is associated with Abraham Lincoln by many. Abraham Lincoln expanded
the emergency powers of the office more than any prior president because of the
Civil War. He used his oath to order actions unilaterally and had congress
legitimize them. His actions included to call up the militias and the volunteers,
blockaded southern ports, expanded army and navy beyond legal limits and
spent money that was not appropriated by congress. Lincoln justified his action
under his oath to defend the constitution. The stewardship theory is associated
with Theodore Roosevelt. He believed in expanding the role and powers of the
presidency as long as it was done for the public interest and did not go against
the law or the constitution. Roosevelt used public speeches and appearances to
promote his believes and to put pressure on congress to pass legislation that he
supported. Lastly, the literalist theory of the presidential power was associated
with William Howard Taft. Taft believed the president should only have the
powers that were specifically listed in the constitution. The president should limit
their role to a reasonable interpretation of Article II and the powers congress
delegates to the executive branch. Taft’s approach made him seem weak after
Roosevelt.
5. Presidential character is the personality of the president that is perceived by the
media and public which includes the voters. Political experience, Party appeal,
strong leadership skills, and strong communication skills are the backbone of the
presidents character. Religion, gender, race, marriage, family and fashion style
are also key components to the presidents characters because this is what the
media's sees and defines the president. Also management styles include
leadership and communication skills to properly run the country. President trump
offers leadership and communication skills. He is very outspoken and confident.
His communication skills can be misleading though due to his opinions. He
eh
ee,
appeals heavily to the republican party even having no prior political experience
and everyone knowing that he is a businessman before a politician.
