Discuss the increase and decrease of presidential powers. Define "Imperial Presidency" and give two examples of presidents who increased presidential power. What is an advantage and disadvantage of increasing presidential power

A

It was historian Arthur M. Schlesinger who made the term ‘imperial presidency' popular. He used it to describe the evolution of the ‘modern day president’.

Imperial Presidency refers to the exercise by the presidency of United States, more powers than the constitution allows.

Schlesinger contended that the expansion and abuses of the presidential office were so profound by 1972, that it made of no relevance of effect the traditional checks and balances of the constitutional system.

This let him to conclude that the imperial presidency emerged due to the aggregation of presidential ‘war powers’ that were primarily acquired in response to America’s participation in twentieth century wars.      

B

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, and was at that time regard as the epitome of an Imperial Presidency.  

In recent times it's been alluded that under  the Obama era,  "stonewalling" from Congress "provoked the Obama administration into finding innovative ways to exercise power," thus making Obama "one of the most powerful presidents ever.                      

In politics, stonewalling is used to decline answering or commenting on certain questions about policy and issues, especially if the committee or politician in question is under investigation.

C

One clear merit to the political condition of Presidential Imperialism is that, it allows the office of the president to carry out the responsibility to conduct ongoing wars and ongoing foreign relations, and to respond to sudden attacks if Congress were not in session. As the United States became a great world power and then a superpower, the presidency acquired more war powers despite the Constitution.    

One clear demerit of the idea of Presidential Imperialism is  the potential to abuse power.

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