Essay On The Branches Of Government

The United States government consists of three sovereign branches, each with different abilities and a system of checks and balances. The checks and balances system assure that no one office becomes too powerful. Through this, the individual freedoms are protected, and no one can abuse their power. The first branch is the Legislative Branch also known as the United States Congress. their job is to make laws, approving federal judges and justices, passing the executive budget, and declaring war. The second branch is the Executive Branch which is led by the president and vice president. They enforce the laws proclaimed by the Congress. The president gets help from the cabinet members in making important decisions in the areas of defense, the

treasury, and homeland security. The Executive Branch also appoints government officials, commands armed forces and meets with other leaders of different nations. The third branch is the Judicial Branch. This branch decides whether the Constitution permits special laws to be passed. Within the Judicial office, there is the Supreme Court which settles disputes within states, hears petitions from states and federal courts, and decide if federal laws are constitutional. According to Article 2 Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” The President should not have the authority to act without congressional authorization when necessary for the nation’s security. Taking everything into consideration, if the president does not seek congressional approval, he can abuse his power, he can make irrational decisions, besides, what would make him different from a king?
Taking congressional authorization is very important especially when it has to do with the nation.

Exerting congresses authorization allows the idea to be checked by others. Having many views results in different thoughts which will help conclude if the concept is a rational idea or not. Getting congressional authorization is not only helpful for the various branches, but it also accommodates the citizens because it helps keep citizens’ rights. Congressional approval is also essential because when Congress checks concepts presented by the president, the Congress makes sure no laws are broken or enforced in the wrong way. As mentioned in the article “The Congressional Authorization and Appropriation Processes.”, “The ability to authorize and appropriate funds provides Congress with a powerful tool for oversight and control of intelligence activities. This "power of the purse," a two-step process of appropriation and authorization over federal spending, provides opportunities for accountability from the Intelligence Community (IC) to Congress.” Taking authorization from the Congress also plays a role in national security because it ensures that our security is not disturbed by the president’s irrational ideas since the Congress can reject it. Getting ideas checked by the Congress ensures that no unreasonable plans will be passed which keeps the nation’s security in good

shape.

The idea of separating power is so that no one branch overpowers the other. As stated in Separation of Powers, “Separation of powers, therefore, refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another. The intent is to prevent the concentration of power and provide for checks and balances.” When one office decides on its own without others consent, it can lead to the abuse of power. As mentioned in Journal of Legislation Volume 2 Issue 1, “President Taft once cautioned against exactly this situation when he warned that allowing the President to have an "undefined residuum of power" would allow him to become a "Universal Providence" setting "all things right."' The field of action of such an executive could not be limited. While some might use the power faithfully, others might become tyrants. The best way to protect our-selves from arbitrary and tyrannical rule is to demand that our officials remain true to the democratic legislative process outlined in the Constitution”. While the president has specific powers, within those powers, he should see others views on the matter to make sure he does not make the wrong decision. The abuse of power can come in many ways including bans on people from certain counties from entering the U.S. claiming that they are part of terrorist groups without any evidence. Another way is by passing a law which is not fit for the citizens. The abuse of power can deny the citizens’ rights because the president feels like it’s the right thing to do. When the president takes congressional authority, it is not possible for the executive branch to abuse its power.
What makes a president different from a king?

According to “What Is the Difference Between a President and a King?”, “A king is a head of state who inherits his position from his family. The king is ruler for life unless he abdicates, and is usually revered as the sovereign leader of his nation. In some countries, the king acts as an absolute ruler over his people, in an absolute monarchy… A president is an official who is elected, either directly by the people through a representative system such as the Electoral College. The president usually has a set time limit on his or her term, and some nations also limit the number of terms which a president can occupy". Presidents have certain powers since the other branches take the rest of the controls. A king, on the other hand, has complete power over everything. A king does not have to take authorization from anyone which results in tyranny if the king is not faithful. These reasons are why the president has to seek congressional approval and follow the constitution that the founding fathers created so that he is not like a

king.
To conclude, the correct interpretation of Article 2 Section 1 is that the "executive Power" is defined by the list of presidential powers in Article II, Section 2; for presidents, "executive Power" refers to powers in addition to those enumerated in Article II, Section 2. Presidents should seek congressional authorization before acting to preserve Constitutional checks and balances. When the founding fathers were creating the constitution, they knew they didn’t want a king so that tyranny would not take over. They decided on dividing power into the legislative, executive, and judicial branch which prevented them from abusing their power. When the executive branch or any branch knows that they must get approval on laws and concepts, they can't make irrational decisions, abuse their power, and this differentiates them from a king/tyrant.