Conflict Between the Executive and Legislative Branches of...

American politics is often defined by a continuing power conflict between the executive and the legislative branches of the government. This struggle for political power between the two stronger branches of the three is inherent in the Constitution, itself. The concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances ensure that the branches of government will remain in conflict and provide a balance that keeps the entire government under control. As it was first established, the executive branch was much smaller and weaker than as we know it today. Consequently, the legislative branch was unquestionably dominant. Over the course of history, the executive branch grew in both size and power to the point where it occasionally overtook the†¦show more content†¦This allows the executive branch to determine the makeup of the judiciary branch, and through it exercise power over the legislative branch. Because the men and women appointed to the Supreme Court remain there for life, with no public elections to possibly remove them, a president can affect politics through his choice of appointees for decades after his time in office has ended (Romance, July 29). But this, too, is limited by the Congress as the president’s judicial appointments are subject to the consent of the Senate (Landy and Milkis, 289). Another source of presidential power that stems from the Constitution is the deceptively simple fact that the American president is both head of state and head of government (Romance, July 27). Unlike in several other democracies, such as in Great Britain where these two functions are split between the monarch and a prime minister, an American president has the ability to both symbolically represent the and to lead the nation (July 27). Even this is both a blessing and a curse because it forces a president to constantly live both roles and know exactly when to stress the appropriate one over the other (July 27). Beyond this â€Å"blunt instrument† of the executive branch’s formal constitutional powers, the presidency is largely what the president makes of it (Romance, July 27). The president’s real power is one of persuasion, or the ability to convinceShow MoreRelatedThe Federal Government1620 Words   |  7 Pagespower to various different levels of governments. With that, this ultimately â€Å"balances† out all the rights and justices for each of the branches to prevent any dictatorship. The Federal Government consists of three branches; the Executive (President), the Legislative (Congress), and the Judicial (Supreme Court) branch. The Executive has the power to assign new judges that are later checked by the Senate (Congress). The Executive can veto any laws the Legislative creates. However, if 2/3 of the majorityRead MoreFoundation of the American Legal System Essay example751 Words   |  4 Pagesstate government. The American legal system consists of two separate levels of court, defined as federalism, which together administer and enforce the laws in the United States. Federalism distributes the government powers between both the federal governments and the state governments, which ensures that the power of the national government is decentralized. The US Constitution divides the federal government into three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branchRead MoreThe United States Government Is Divided Into Three Parts,1271 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States Government is divided into three parts, or branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Each branch has a different duty, but all three branches must work together. 1) Executive (enforce law). 2) Legislative (create law) 3) Judiciary (interprets law); The government of Texas operates under the Constitution of Texas and consists of a unitary democratic state government that uses the Dillon Rule, as well as governments at the county and municipalRead MoreThe Separation Of Powers Of The State And Its Powers912 Words   |  4 Pagesconstitution but an unwritten one that exists in an abstract sense. It delineates the powers of the different branches of the state, and the restrictions placed on the institutions and on state power. It is comprised of various acts of Parliament, court judgements and conventions that have evolved over a long period of time. Since Britain does not have a written constitution, it enjoys the luxury of legislative supremacy. In UK terms the separation of powers, parliamentary supremacy, and the rule of law areRead MoreFederal Government During Civil War Essay1237 Words   |  5 PagesAmericas republican form of representative government was premised upon the idea of three co-equal branches of government: Exe cutive, Legislative, and Judicial. The three branches, in theory, operate independent of one another and serve as check upon one another. It is this structure of this government, the founders believed, that would retard any establishment of monarchial government that the American Revolution was fought upon. However the civil war, and more specifically the Reconstruction periodRead MoreLegislative Branch Rules Everything Around Essay1729 Words   |  7 PagesThe Branches of Government It all goes back to the framers of the Constitution, who are the Founding Fathers. They wanted to form a government that did not allow one person or group to have too much control and authority. The Articles of Confederation was created and taught them that there was no need to have a centralized government. The Framers wrote the Constitution to provide Separation of Powers. It each has its own responsibilities of its own yet at the same time, they work together to makeRead MoreThe Creation Of The U.s. Constitution1330 Words   |  6 Pages#1 The creation of the U.S. Constitution consisted of a series of conflicts and compromises. The competing interests of the central players that created the U.S Constitution had to focus on achievable goals rather than their own political interests. The political process can be conflictual but the process matters. It is essential to implementing decisions in our government, which provides order and our general welfare. Some conflicts that can be seen in the creation of the Constitution are politicalRead MoreAnalysis Of Richard Neustadt s The American System1495 Words   |  6 Pageshopeful sense of cooperation between the three branches of government (cited in Andres et Thurber, 2000:554). However, political realities led scholars to dispute Neustadt’s claim, proclaiming the system as â€Å"separate institutions competing for power† (Murphy, 2007:9). Political paralysis, particularly between the US president and Congress, has become increasingly common in the modern era. â€Å"President proposes, Congress disposes† famously sloganised the relationship between the two institutions (JohannesRead More Influences on Judicial Power Essay1472 Words   |  6 PagesPower   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under Article III of the Constitution the judicial branch was established, but rather implicit in proportion to the other two branches of government. This ambiguity allocates various opportunities for interpretation of judicial power. In Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton addresses the role of the judiciary branch within the federal government in regards to political immunity of judges through life tenure and contribution to checks and balances through power or judicial review. ChiefRead MoreThe Problems of the Reconstruction after the Civil War Essay898 Words   |  4 Pages The government was divided on how to solve the issue of readmitting the southern states back into the Union. In addition to that, the government was not certain on what rights to enumerate to the newly emancipated slaves. These issues became more difficult to solve after President Lincoln was murdered. Lincoln’s successor, Vice President Andrew Johnson, was a Tennessee Democrat that la cked respect of the Republican Congress. The legislative and executive branches of the American government had a