HY 357 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Camp David Accords, Divided Government, School Prayer
6 Jun 2018
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The Functions of the President
The president is expected to perform a number of duties as part of the office. While the
Constitution mentions several of these duties, others have evolved over time. How a president
carries out these functions depends on his personality, as well as on his view of the presidency
and the role of government. For example, the State of the Union was not delivered as a speech
until the presidency of Woodrow Wilson.
Modern presidents usually take a leadership approach to their job. They consider themselves
representatives of all the people, put in place to pursue a political agenda by using their inherent
powers. Scholars usually praise presidents who follow this model, because it results in ambitious
policy programs that (for good or ill) leave a strong mark on American government. Of course,
when presidents view themselves as policymakers, they sometimes are impatient with
constitutional limitations on executive activity. For example, Abraham Lincoln suspended the
right of habeas corpus during the Civil War. Both Andrew Jackson and Franklin Roosevelt tried
to intimidate the Supreme Court, some say successfully, after a majority of justices ruled against
them.
"Chief clerk" presidents, on the other hand, take a more passive approach to the job. They are
much more careful about exceeding their constitutional authority and often believe in a limited
government. However, many scholars feel that clerkship presidents such as James Buchanan and
Herbert Hoover did not move aggressively enough to deal with crises during their
administrations.
Presidents also differ on their conception of the role of the federal government. Lyndon Johnson
believed the government had a responsibility to help the disadvantaged. His Great Society, the
domestic program that included the War on Poverty and Medicare, reflected this concern. Ronald
Reagan, on the other hand, saw government as the problem, not the solution to the nation's
problems.
Commander in chief
The president is the highest-ranking officer in the armed services. As noted previously,
presidents have shown no hesitation in filling this role by sending American forces to trouble
spots around the world as an instrument of foreign policy. Over the last 25 years, American
troops have fought in Grenada, Panama, the Persian Gulf, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Chief of state
Acting as chief of state is a president's most visible function, whether meeting the heads of other
countries, welcoming astronauts or college football champions to the White House, or opening
the Olympic Games. Although largely ceremonial, the role of chief of state makes an important
statement to the world and the nation about the president as a leader.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The president is expected to perform a number of duties as part of the office. Constitution mentions several of these duties, others have evolved over time. How a president carries out these functions depends on his personality, as well as on his view of the presidency and the role of government. For example, the state of the union was not delivered as a speech until the presidency of woodrow wilson. Modern presidents usually take a leadership approach to their job. They consider themselves representatives of all the people, put in place to pursue a political agenda by using their inherent powers. Scholars usually praise presidents who follow this model, because it results in ambitious policy programs that (for good or ill) leave a strong mark on american government. Of course, when presidents view themselves as policymakers, they sometimes are impatient with constitutional limitations on executive activity. For example, abraham lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus during the civil war.
