Description
For this discussion board, I want you to think about what we might call the balance of power between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch. Here is a bit of background information: At times in our history, the Congress was a dominant institution, and the Presidency for the most part responded to Congressional initiatives. Times of crisis always tend to empower the executive for a short time, but when America’s role in the world was much less than it has been for the past century, Congress wielded agenda-setting power more so than the president. As the 20th century progressed, the country became more urbanized, more wealthy, and a world power. The responsibilities required to manage a growing federal government shifted primarily to the president, especially during World War I, World War II, and through a great deal of the Cold War (1949-91). Congress balanced against the president in the 1990s, but the attacks of 9/11/2001 and the subsequent security policies have favored executive power over legislative power.The question: Do you support a relationship between the two institutions that is overall dominated by Congress, dominated by the Presidency, or one in which there is a fairly equal balance between the two. When I use the term “dominant” or “dominated,” I do not mean a situation in which one institution has all power and the other is irrelevant. It is never an all-or-nothing situation in politics. Rather, I mean a situation in which one institution or the other is dominant in deciding which issues are most important, interacting with the public, and setting the agenda for how issues are addressed by government. Are there certain times in which one institution should be dominant? Or are there certain issues in which one or the other institution should be dominant? Explain your answer as clearly and as great a degree of detail as possible. Refer to specific examples to illustrate your main points in a 300-550 word essay, roughly.