Actions And Behavior Of The President

Actions and Behavior of the President

The broad language of the second article of the Constitution left many
questions about the power and authority of the President and the Executive
branch of the Federal Government. Since George Washington, each Chief Executive
has come to the position with different beliefs on the responsibility and power
of the President. However the performance of the president is often shaped by
outside factors which control how he must act as a Chief Executive. The
behavior of presidents come from a number of different criteria. A president's
personal character, his approach to the position and circumstances during his
term all contribute to presidential behavior.

Presidents have approached the office from two vague positions. They
have believed, to varying degrees, that either the president has a strong
leadership position and broad powers to direct the nation in one direction, or
that the president has very limited powers dictated by the Constitution and
should act like a chief administrator for the Federal Government. These beliefs
were reflected in their behavior while in the White House. Franklin Roosevelt
believed that the Federal Government had an obligation and interest in bringing
the nation out of the depression. In order to do this he initiated a number of
agencies and projects to employ people. In the first "Hundred Days" of
Roosevelt's first term he initiated a number of programs which increased the
size of the Federal Govern...

Actions And Behavior Of The President

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