The modern president has many powers the founding fathers did not want it to
have. The presidency has grown in power ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt set up
the New Deal. The great increase in power of the modern presidency since World
War II has produced a variety of responses regarding the balance of power
between congress and the president. The term "Imperial" President is
meant to convey a president that is king-like. He is the authoritarian and may
create war-like activitites. This is good in a sense because when a crisis
arises, a president can make a fast decision to protect American society rather
than wait for congress to make a decision. This is also bad because a president
can make war. This violates the founding fathers' will of having congress at the
center. Domestically, the president is more checked because if the economy gets
bad the president may not get re-elected. With foreign issues, the president is
more of an imperial person. The rise in power of the modern presidency can be
attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. FDR proposed a social
welfare program that was designed to help decrease unemployment so that the
economy could get better. The years after the New Deal brought tremendous growth
of government as manager. As a result, the president today directs a huge
bureaucracy. Television and the other new media have helped to magnify the
person and the institution of the presidency. The president has many roles
including chief of state, chief executive, commander in chief, chief diplomat,
and chief bureaucrat. Congress has never declared war since December of 1941
when it declared war against Japan, but there have been several wars that have
occurred since Japan. For example, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf were wars the
presidents made although they were approved by congress. I believe that the
separation of powers are still in power today. Although the president has many
powers today including making war and appointing supreme court justices, he is
still checked by the legislature. Legislature is still at the center of the
government although the president is moving closer to the center, but he will
never get there.