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Power Of The Framers

Decent Essays

In our newest Constitution, the Framers created three branches of government: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive. These branches were made to have each of their own powers, as to keep the others in check. This system with separation of powers and checks and balances has run our country for more than two-hundred years. One of the main problems facing the Framers in 1787 was where to assign leadership of the United States. In which branch should the power be vested in? Should one branch have more power than another? The division of power is still an issue that exists today. In this essay, I will look at the three branches of government, their power, and how the branches balance each other. One of the most contentious debates at the time of …show more content…

How would the powers of this President be checked? These questions all faced the Framers. Ultimately, The executive branch was created with one head, the President whose main job would be to enforce the rules set by Congress. Today, the President is thought to have three types of powers, expressed delegated, and inherent. Expressed powers are specifically given in the Constitution. Delegated powers are powers assigned to one branch but used by another, with the permission of the first. Inherent powers are possibly the most questionable powers of them all, these powers are not expressed in the Constitution, but inferred from it. These three types of power run the executive branch. The main topics of the expressed powers of the President are as follows: military, judicial, diplomatic, executive, and legislative. Many would say that the President’s most significant powers are the position of Commander in Chief, the power to veto, and the power to appoint appoint federal judges. “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the …show more content…

When writing the current Constitution, the founders were very inclined to create a system in which the people have representation in their government. Framers respond to this by creating a bicameral legislature, one that consists of a House of Representatives and Senate. The representation in the two houses was decided by the “Great Compromise”, effectively creating a House with representatives given to states in proportion to population. The Senate stands to grant states two representatives each, regardless of population or landmass. Some of the main powers of the legislature include: passing laws, originating spending bills (House), impeaching officials (Senate), and approving treaties (Senate). “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”(Constitution Center) Some people argue that the legislative branch is the most powerful of the three, able to create legislation and impeach the president. This also brings up how the legislative branch can regulate other branches. One way the legislative branch does this is by impeaching judges and presidents. In addition to this, the legislative branch can vote to give more power to the presidential branch. These powers are very important and useful, but the legislative branch can also be checked as

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