Respond to three posts in one or more of the following ways:
• Ask a probing question about the policy decision posted by a colleague.
• Share an insight about the power of the executive branch after having read your colleague's posting.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.
Post one
new president ascends into power, it is a common overstatement of the powers that they have when it comes to unilaterally accomplishing the goals and policies they set out in their campaigns. The truth, however, is that they cannot unilaterally control the events that lead to a new policy being approved, particularly in Congress, even when their party is the majority in congress. One such way that the powers of the presidency are constrained is that a president still requires Congress to vote in favor of a bill/policy that they are in favor of (Pearson). This means that if congress does not vote in favor of a bill that the president is in favor of, then that bill cannot be passed.
While the president has constraints to his powers that originate from within and outside the government, there are still some unilateral powers that remain in his armor. One such power is with executive orders. Executive orders are a way for presidents to still pass their policies by circumnavigating the congress that may be against these policies (The Heritage Foundation). The executive orders are a means that presidents use to control the actions of government officials and agencies, particularly when they differ in policy decisions. Congress has little authority or power to regulate or limit this power by the president.
Former President Barack Obama was often brought under fire when he decided to use executive orders to circumnavigate congress. One such executive order that the president used was when he prevented the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants by executive action on immigration policy (Ehrenfreund, 2014). The executive action offered temporary legal status to millions of illegal immigrants, particularly undocumented parents of U.S citizens, and indefinitely saving them from deportation, the deferred action for childhood arrivals program was extended to those over 30 years old (Ehrenfreund, 2014). The arguments against the powers of the president to enact such executive orders were that the action was not possible without rewriting the legislation which the president could not unilaterally do.
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