Module Introduction

Today, the American presidency is central to the idea of American democracy. It is, without a doubt, the most visible—and, perhaps, the most powerful aspect of our nation’s system of governance. In this way, the office of the presidency overwhelmingly defies the original intent of the Framers.

The Framers were deeply suspicious of presidential power. Generally speaking, they believed that the role of the presidency should be confined to exercising those powers specifically outlined in the U.S. Constitution; thus, the vagueness of the presidential powers detailed in Article II. However, the problem with such ambiguity is that it ironically undercut the initial skepticism presented by the Founders. In particular, this lack of clarity has led to a model of interpretation that has greatly expanded the power of the presidency.

Such expansion of power has largely been on display since the early twentieth century and beyond. Beginning with Franklin Roosevelt, the power of the presidency has increased significantly. From the onslaught of executive orders to the proliferation of presidential war powers, one thing is certain, no president, since this time, shrinks the power of the presidency; they elevate it, in turn.

Notwithstanding, it should be noted that the increase in presidential power is not attributable to personal ambition alone. While the personal and political agenda of the presidency is necessary to explain the expansion of presidential power; it is by itself not sufficient to explain the evolution of presidential powers through the years. There are a number of accompanying variables related to this phenomenon. For instance, both foreign and domestic developments have helped to shape the power of the presidency. In particular, world wars and economic crises are just a few illustrations of the internal and outward effects on the progression of the American presidency. ⁽¹⁾