How much power does the President of United States really have? 14 ANSWERS Dan Holliday Dan Holliday, lives in The United States of America Updated 4 Jan 2012 Significant.
Most people are totally unaware of exactly how much power the president of the USA has. I'll attempt to break it into its effective pieces.
Within the executive branch, the POTUS (our acronym for "President of the United States") is effectively dictator (albeit a benevolent one). As long as he operates within the confines of the law, he can direct any executive agency to do anything he desires. Typically presidents are aware of their limited tenure and the Congress's ability to remove him (as yet, only "him", but one day a "her"), so they don't abuse the power overly. But it's there for them to use. Building on the previous point, The President is "Commander in Chief" of military and can direct it as he sees fit. Congress can de-fund his project, but as Teddy Roosevelt discovered, Congress is loath to leave our soldiers and sailors stranded halfway around the world. Because he is commander in chief of the military, he is effectively the absolute authority on military policy, including all the massive number of bases and members around the world. He is the head of state (meaning he is the figurehead of the nation of people called "the United States of America") and he is the head of government (meaning he is the political head of the apparatus of government of the United States of America). In many countries these positions are split into their two parts, but in the USA they are joined, giving the president a significantly higher level of authority than that seen in other world leaders.
14 ANSWERS
Dan Holliday
Dan Holliday, lives in The United States of America
Updated 4 Jan 2012
Significant.
Most people are totally unaware of exactly how much power the president of the USA has. I'll attempt to break it into its effective pieces.
Within the executive branch, the POTUS (our acronym for "President of the United States") is effectively dictator (albeit a benevolent one). As long as he operates within the confines of the law, he can direct any executive agency to do anything he desires. Typically presidents are aware of their limited tenure and the Congress's ability to remove him (as yet, only "him", but one day a "her"), so they don't abuse the power overly. But it's there for them to use.
Building on the previous point, The President is "Commander in Chief" of military and can direct it as he sees fit. Congress can de-fund his project, but as Teddy Roosevelt discovered, Congress is loath to leave our soldiers and sailors stranded halfway around the world. Because he is commander in chief of the military, he is effectively the absolute authority on military policy, including all the massive number of bases and members around the world.
He is the head of state (meaning he is the figurehead of the nation of people called "the United States of America") and he is the head of government (meaning he is the political head of the apparatus of government of the United States of America). In many countries these positions are split into their two parts, but in the USA they are joined, giving the president a significantly higher level of authority than that seen in other world leaders.