The U.S president is deemed as the head of state and the head of the U.S Government. He or she is vested with the power to control the executive branch and acts as the commander in chief of the U.S armed forces ( Rudalevige, 2006). From the study and the critical analysis of the presidency in the United States, it is imperative to note that the imperial presidency is one of the most interesting aspects. The main perspective is inclined to the manner in which the modern presidency in the United States is equated to the imperial presidency.
The primary reason for choosing this topic is based on the shortcomings that raise more questions on how the modern presidency depicts the return of the imperial presidency. This form of presidency in the United States became prevalent in the 1960s ( Wolfensberger, 2002). The ideologies and facts surrounding this underpinning were summed up by Schlesinger (2004) as he ascertained that it is a form of an uncontrollable presidency that exceeds the constitutional limits at times. On the other hand, this concept is interactive and educative because it sets the basis on various observations. Up to the 1930s, the president was endowed with new staff centered in the U.S. Capitol whereby the President has an office or the President's Room. This office is no longer in use except for official occasions ( Wolfensberger, 2002).
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In the early 20th and the entire 19th centuries, the presidents were regularly based in this office with a few staff members. Under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt's during World War II and the Great Depression between 1933 and 1945, the U.S presidency was inevitably changed ( Schlesinger, 2004). The transformation of the presidency occurred given that his tenure thrived in the new era of characterized by the growth of electronic media, the evolution of executive agencies under the ‘New Deal,’ the brain trust advisories, as well as the establishment of the president’s Executive Office in 1939. Moreover, as redesigned in 1934, the president is endowed with a huge executive staff crowded in the West wing or the Eisenhower Executive Office Building situated beside the White House ( Wolfensberger, 2002). The office was primarily used by the state executives and the department of defense.
There are many other exciting factors that set the base with regards to the analysis of the inception of the imperial presidency in the modern U.S presidency. One of the aspects is that increase in the number of staff numbers led to the appointment of several people with the condition that they pledged loyalty to an individual holding the chief executive office. These individuals were immune from external control or approval ( Rudalevige, 2006). In addition, various emerging advisory bodies around the presidency were developed. This action led to the decline in the influence of the cabinet since most of them comprised the main cabinet departments such as the Office of Management and Budget and National Security Council.
Another significant aspect is that the Senate was barred from advising or consenting to the appointments to the president's as it normally does with the appointment of cabinet secretaries. The consequence is that the EOP personnel might act without regard for, without accountability to, and independently of the Congress ( Schlesinger, 2004). On the other hand, it is evident that the modern presidency relies on significant powers exceeding the Constitution. Based on this, there have been numerous questions on the presidential powers surrounding the aspect of war and foreign policy. Apart from this, the president’s secrecy is also questionable. Finally, it is evident that the presidency is only accountable during impeachment or elections, rather than being regular to the Congress, the public, and the press.
The beauty of this topic is the existence of various significance examples. For instance, the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon were specifically described as being surrounded by "courts" whereby the junior staffs occasionally violated the Acts of Congress or the executive orders. The actions of some the staffers in the Watergate affair are deemed as the most significant examples. On the other hand, under Reagan's tenure, the role of Oliver North (Lieutenant Colonel) in facilitating funding of Contras in Nicaragua explicitly violated the congressional ban. It is one of the examples of imperialism in which a "junior courtier" is able to act based on his mere position as a member of White House staff. Moreover, Howard Baker, who acted as Reagan's Chief of Staff was a victim of critical complexity, growth, and ostensible answerability of the executive presidential "court"( Rudalevige, 2006).
Apart from the underlined examples, it is also evident that there was further growth in the executive power in the 21st century characterized by congressional inaction. This form of an imperial presidency is cited in Barack Obama's and George W. Bush's presidency. At the wake of "9/11' terror acts, George W. Bush actualized the imperial presidency to curb the crisis expanding the executive authority in domestic surveillance and national security ( Rudalevige, 2006). Bush's administration had legal but classified support from the Congress and part of the public. This trend continued to be persistent under Obama's administration. For instance, the act of "stonewalling" from Congress pushed his administration to consider innovative ways of exercising power, hence making him one of the powerful U.S presidents ever ( Ellis, 2018). Finally, it is clear that Trump’s administration had no intention of curbing the executive power given the move of adjusting DACA immigration policies and the threat to utilize his position to seek withdrawal from NAFTA ( Ellis, 2018). All these arguments and examples depict the relevance and significance of the underlined topic.
References
Ellis, R. J. (2018). The development of the American Presidency . Boston, MA: Routledge.
Rudalevige, A. (2006). The contemporary presidency: The decline and resurgence and decline (and resurgence?) of Congress: Charting a new imperial presidency. Presidential Studies Quarterly , 36 (3), 506-524.
Schlesinger, A. M. (2004). The imperial presidency . New York, NY: HMH.
Wolfensberger, D. R. (2002). The return of the imperial presidency?. The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) , 26 (2), 36-41.
