Blog Stage 5: Why More Power In The Presidency Is A Good Thing

In the last century, the power of the executive branch in the government of the United States has increased exponentially. Within a short period of time, the power of the presidency arguably has even surpassed that of Congress. Although the Founding Fathers of the United States did not anticipate such an exponential growth in authority, the truth is, this isn’t a bad thing for the country at all.

During past events, a lot of these crises required intricate and careful decision-making. A lot of these decisions also had to be formulated and passed rather quickly, especially since the events depended on it. Whether it was mass amounts of homeless people starving in the streets, or soldiers dying by the thousands, the government cannot afford to let the representatives of Congress deliberate on such pressing matters, as it would simply take too long. Because of this, it is much better to allow the presidency to deal with these because the executive office centers on the President, which makes decision-making much easier, allowing for these issues to be resolved as quickly as possible.

Because of indecision that can occur in the Legislative Branch, not only will foreign policy be a hard subject to tackle, domestic reform policies may also be an issue. An example can be found in the early 1900s. During Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, he used his "New Deal" policy to gain a large portion of control over the government. With this, he was able to effectively control the devastation of the Great Depression within a very short period of time, and bring employment to millions of Americans. Not only was Franklin D. Roosevelt credited with pulling the United States out of economic misfortune, many also believed his leadership was crucial for the United States' victory during World War 2, and further establishing the United States as a global superpower. All of this success was from him increasing the powers of the Executive Branch in order to act swiftly and decisively, all the while avoiding potential obstacles in Congress. 

A more recent example can be the current president Barack Obama's decision to use military force against the Islamic State WITHOUT the authorization of Congress. This is good because assuming that everything we have heard about the Islamic State is true, the United States can contain a threat before it becomes too dangerous, and potentially save many lives in the process. If this were to be brought into Congress, it could take a while before a decision could be made.

Ultimately, many past presidents have been hugely successful in leading the country not only because of their wise and logical decision making, but specifically their ability to push for change in a swift and pivotal  manner.