In time of war, the sow measures taken in the national defence. He may subjugate jenemy's country, but he cannot add to the boundaries of the United States without the usual legislative out in American a greater figure because under such jcireumstanees he had more power; is less circumscribed by senatorial prerogatives. Nevertheless, all appropriation bills must rise in the House of Representatives and be passed by both Houses of Congress, and since the effective carrying out of any programme is dependent upon the fiscal! measures voted by the legislative branch of the government, he is, even in this respect controlled. The courts have, however, held that power actually given to the President, by the con-[stitution of the United States cannot be controlled or restricted by Congress save as provided by the Constitution.
The Vice-President is a substitute for the President. During the life and activity of the President, the Vice-President has no executive thout permission. powers, He is President of the
the legislative branch of the government. He is usually an' unimportant personality or one, like McKinley), who is important and The Cabinet is in reality little more than a Board of. Secretaries, The Cabinet is responsible to no one but the President. He appoints them, with the advice and consent lof the Senate, but very seldom hag the Senate interfered with such Jappointments. The Cabinet is not responsible to the legislative arm of. the government nor directly to the people. The members are not elect= fed. They may not even be well known nationally when appointed, The President is responsible for the Cabinet members. The President has no representative in Congress, He sends an annual message oF occasionally messages dealing, with specific topics. Washington and Wilson appeared in Congress and read their messages. Other presi-Jdentsqiave sent them to be printed and read, The political partisan Jof the President however do his work for him in the Congress.
The President, in addition to being the chief executive officer of the country, also has certain legislative functions. An act of Congress to become a law must have his approval. If he disapproves of a law Ihe vetoes it within ten days, stating hhis objections. Congress may pass the bill over his head as already indented, revident of the United /States is in reality the only national officer elected by the people. The Senators represent their respective states. Their states are their first interest. The members of the House of Representatives represent their particular districts and together with the Senators from their states work for particularism, This has been the cause of much of the constitutional difficulties of the United States, sectionalism being the principal cause of the Civil War. The President, in theory and in practice, represents the entire people, the whole nation. He is usually more popular than any in dividual leader because he does represent the entire people, strong President, like Roosevelt, when differing with a legislator went into his State and appealed to the people for support.
The Heel of Achilles.
'The greatest weakness of the President' is that he is the leader fof his own political party. This lessens his influence to some extent.
For instance, because Wilson was Democrat a coalition cabinet was impossible during the war. The Republican Party had experienced diplomats in its ranks, such men as Elihu Root or Ex-President Tafty yet Mr. Wilson did not feel free to feall on them because it might strengthen an opposing party, However, again strong Presidents have had members of opposing parties in their cabinets and have utilized them in many ways, The President combines the social and political position of the British crown, the political functions of the jer and assumes the responsibility of the entire British cabinet, He is thus in many ways the most powerful ruler in the world, Yet that rule is circumscribed by the shortness of tenure of office, the prerogatives of Congress and the force of public opinion led of the ballot box ye
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.