The executive branch of the U.S. goverment Essay Example for Free

The executive branch of the U.S. goverment Essay Using specific examples discuss how Madisons observations in Federalist Paper 51 apply to the relationship between the legislative branch and the modern president. In order to keep the government from becoming too powerful and endangering the liberty of its people, the framers of the United States Constitution endorsed the implementation of separation of powers so that the different branches of the government would keep one another in check. In Federalist Paper 51, Madison focused on the crucial relationship between the legislative and executive branches with the use of separation of powers. He stated, In the republican government the legislative authority, necessarily, predominates. The remedy for this inconvenience is, to divide the legislative into different branches[and] the weakness of the executive may require, on the other hand, that it should be fortified. While the separation of powers has successfully protected the liberty of Americas people, it has also caused a continual struggle between the executive and legislative branch to gain power over matters such as the economy, the right to pass legislation, and control over the military. Due to the prevalence of the legislative power severely limiting the authority of the executive, there is a large imbalance between the demands and expectations pressing in upon the President and his capacity to respond to them. The president cannot get his policies adopted by Congress without long delays and much bargaining. However, some fortification of the executive branch has allowed the president overcome some of these limitations in performing roles such as commander in chief, chief diplomat, and chief legislator. The president holds the most authority as commander in chief than in any other role. While the Congress has the sole power to declare war, the president can send armed forces into a country in situations that are the equivalent of war. Numerous presidents in the history of America have exercised this right. McKinley sent troops to Peking after the Boxer Rebellion, while Truman dispatched troops to Korea to take police action. Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon had an entire war in Southeast Asia without Congress approval. In 1973, however, Congress attempted to get some of their military decision-making ability back. By passing the War Powers Act, Congress spelled out the conditions under which the president can dispatch troops without the approval of Congress. If he chooses to send troops, the president must report to Congress within forty-eight hours. Then Congress has the right to pass a declaration of war within sixty days, extend the sixty-day time limit, or withdraw the troops. In 1983, President Reagan tested the War Powers Act when he wanted troops to remain in Lebanon. Congress would only allow him a limited number of troops to stay in the dangerous area. In spite of the War Powers Act, the powers of the president as commander in chief are more extensive today than they were in the past. As chief diplomat the president is granted several powers in dealing with foreign countries and other heads of state that do not require the consent of Congress. The recognition power, which allows the president to recognize, or refuse to recognize, a foreign government, is an important power of the president. In modern times, the simple act of receiving a foreign diplomat has been equivalent to accrediting the diplomat and officially recognizing his or her government. Such recognition is a preliminary step in achieving diplomatic relations or negotiations with another country. The United States, for example, did not recognize the Soviet Union until 1933, sixteen years after the Russian Revolution of 1917. The presidents power as chief diplomat is enhanced greatly by the use of executive agreements also. These agreements made between the president and other heads of state do not require Senate approval because the president cannot go back on his word. The advantages of executive agreements instead of a treaty are speed and secrecy, which are extremely important in some situations. Unlike a treaty however, executive agreements are binding only during the administrating that initiates it, unless approved by the new presidents consent. Despite its lack of interference in approving the agreements, the Senate can refuse to appropriate the funds necessary in implementing them. Franklin Roosevelt used executive agreements to bypass congressional isolationists in trading American destroyers for British Caribbean naval bases and in arranging diplomatic and military affairs with Canada and Latin American nations. As chief legislator, the president can propose legislation; however, the  Congress must review them and is not required to pass any of the administrations bills. To overcome this obstacle the president must have the ability to argue and persuade. According to Richard E. Neustadt, governing rests in the act of persuasion not commands. The president needs to induce them to believe that what he wants of them is what their own appraisal of their own responsibilities requires them to do in their interests. On the other hand, the president must sign all bills accepted by Congress to become a law. If he does not want to make the bill a law, the president has the power to return the unsigned bill to the legislator, in what is called a veto. If the president does send the bill back, Congress can change the bill hoping the president will pass it the next time; otherwise, the Congress can override the presidents veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses. If the executive refuses to sign a bill and Congress adjourns within ten working days, the bill is stalled and must be reintroduced next session, in what is known as a pocket veto. Ronald Reagan lobbied for the line-item veto, which would allow a president to veto only specific sections of a bill. In 1996, the line-item veto was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton. The law grants the president the power to rescind any item in an appropriations bill unless Congress passes a disapproval bill, which could be vetoed itself. The veto is a very powerful weapon that helps the executive control legislation and in turn gives the president more authority in making critical decisions. The president is also granted a variety of special powers and privileges not available to the other branches of the U.S. government, which help to fortify the executive. One of these powers is the Presidents ability to use emergency powers. Emergency power is an inherent capability exercised by the president during a period of national crisis, especially pertaining to foreign predicaments, which allows him to make crucial decisions without the approval of Congress. Presidents have used emergency powers since the formation of the United States. For example, President Lincoln suspended the liberties of all citizens at the beginning of the Civil War and called the militia into national service. However, it was not until 1936, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Roosevelt in United States v. Curtis-Wright Export Corporation, allowing the president to order an embargo on the  shipment of weapons to two warring South American countries without the consent of Congress, that the executives have been able to initiate emergency powers formally. The right of an executive to use emergency powers has greatly strengthened the position of the president. An executive order is a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the equivalent effect that a law has. These orders can implement treaties, statutes, and provisions in the Constitution. This authority given to the president represents the executives legislative power. The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 places a single requirement on executive orders; the president must publish the order in the Federal Register. Executive orders have been used in the past to implement national affirmative action regulations, to establish procedures for appointing administrators, to ration consumer goods, and to regulate the export of particular goods. Executive orders give the president the ability to act as a law making body, once again strengthening his position. All presidents have the right of executive privilege, which allows him to refuse to appear before, or withhold information from, the judicial system or Congress. Opponents believe that this privilege only allows the president to hide information from Congress and the American people. In the United States history, the boundaries of executive privilege have only been tested once. During the Watergate Scandal, Nixon claimed, No president could function if the private papers of his office, prepared by his personal staff, were open to public scrutiny. In 1974, the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to give all of the tapes of his conversations in the Oval Office to the courts upon their unanimous ruling in United States v. Nixon. Executive privilege helps shield the president from the other two branches of government, giving the modern president even more power. By law, when a president enters office he proposes a budget and the Congress approves it. However, it is not stated clearly that he must spend all of it. Often times the executive chooses not to use all the money congress provides; this is referred to as the impoundment of funds. Jefferson, Grant, Hoover, and Roosevelt all deferred money. Truman did not spend as much money  on the military as Congress granted, while Kennedy refused to put money into weapons systems. The Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 changed all this. It came in response to President Nixons refusal to spend funds allotted to him by Congress and was passed over Nixons veto. The law required the executive to spend all money appropriated by Congress with few exceptions. Among the exceptions were if the president did not want to spend the funds, he must notify Congress. However, Congress can override the president if they do not give him consent to withhold the funds within forty-five days. The Budget and Impoundment Control Act puts the executive at a disadvantage, allowing the legislative branch a little control. Despite the restraints put on the power of the executive branch by the separation of powers and the predomination of the legislative branch, the president has successfully surmounted many limitations by bestowing special rights upon the executive. These privileges have increased the power of the president while enabling him to make decision and take action more successfully and efficiently. In the past 60 years, however, the executive branch has gained an extraordinary amount of power, almost allowing the position to rival the authority in all of Congress. However, it is extremely necessary to have a strong executive in the United States.

The Great Gatsby Essay: The Great Gatsby is Not So Great :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby is Not The novel has no plot to mention. ... The book is highly sensational, loud, blatant, ugly, pointless. There seems to be no reason for its existence Harvey Eagleton (Dallas Morning News, May 10, 1925). F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an absurd story, whether considered as romance, melodrama, or plain record of New York high life.   The occasional insights into character stand out as very green oases on an arid desert of waste paper.   Throughout the first half of the book the author shadows his leading character in mystery, but when in the latter part he unfolds his life story it is difficult to find the brains, the cleverness, and the glamour that one might expect of a main character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Great Gatsby is a parody of itself. While Fitzgerald tries hard not to make Gatsby and especially Daisy laughable personalities, this is where he ultimately fails. There's not enough ironic distance to his characters. As Gatsby, at least in the eyes of many critics, should represent the idea of the American Dream, the presentation of his character puts the whole concept in question again, without being intended as criticism. This is mainly the fault of another weak character in the novel, Nick Carraway. At first, the only function of Nick in the novel seems to be to act as a reporter, telling us the truth by telling us his shrewd, objective perceptions. Then, as the novel progresses, it turns out that the opposite is the case, and he is siding with Gatsby to make this character stand above all others and shine. Nick Carraway could be one of the finest examples of reader manipulation in literature. But his sympathy towards Gatsby is exaggerated, not so much in actions, but in the much praised language of the novel. Fitzgerald's book at first overwhelms the reader with poetic descriptions of human feelings, of landscapes, buildings and colors. Everything seems to have a symbolic meaning, but it seems to be so strong that no one really tries to look what's happening behind those beautiful words. If you dig deeper you will discover that hidden beneath those near-lyrics are blatancies, at best. In Nick's "perceptions" of the events in the last four chapters, this symbolism is overdone, especially in the scene where Gatsby kisses Daisy and in the scene where Gatsby dies.

“Devil in a Blue Dress” By Walter Mosley Essay

When will it end? Racial stereotypes have been around since the 19th century and its presence is the United States is still felt; this ideology has been portrayed in all types of mediums where semiotics influence a person’s thought process. The influence of racial stereotyping has molded how a person judges another person by the basis of their race. Walter Mosley, the author of Devil in a Blue Dress, takes advantage of existing racial stereotypes to inform his readers of the enormous issue still facing society today. Mosley has incorporated the issues of ethnic discrimination noticed in media and advertisements in Western Culture while mass advertisements from the media has led the battle for racial stereotyping. A common stereotype portrays all African-Americans to speak â€Å"ghetto† also known as Ebonics. The Hip-Hop and media industry are two of the main mediums that has effectively influenced popular culture. M.T.V (Music Television) liberally broadcasts programs to its viewers African Americans people speaking words such as â€Å"y’all and n’ah mean† are just the tip of the iceberg for this dialect of English. The effect of portraying all black people in television talking â€Å"ghetto† significantly demeans their image of knowledge and their ability to communicate proficiently with society. If one just watched M.T.V all of their life, he or she they would assume all African-Americans people speak another dialect of English. The effect of the Ebonic stereotype has carried over into English literature. Walter Mosley incorporates the stereotype of African-Americans speaking Ebonics to give his readers a sense of why black people talk in â€Å"ghetto†. Easy, one of the main characters in Devil in a Blue Dress, states â€Å"I always tried to speak proper English in my life, the kind of English they taught in school, but I found over the years that I could only truly express myself in the natural, â€Å"uneducated† dialect of my upbringing.† The significance of this passage demonstrates black people who use Ebonics know how to speak proper English but they choose not to because they ultimately decide to speak in Ebonics to express their ideas more accurately. It is human nature for one to do an action or develop a habit that makes them feel comfortable. Although people are misled to think that black people are not literate enough to speak proper English maybe they just do not want to. However, Black people haven’t only been the target of racial stereotyping. White people have been portrayed by media, advertisements, and magazines to be rich and successful. For example, a Caucasian person is usually featured on the cover of Forbes magazine. To be featured on the cover of the business magazine one must be successful and witty in their business endeavors. There are people from every race that have been successful in the business world, but it is white people who are represented the most. How come Forbes magazine do not like to feature other ethnicities more often or why not add Ebonics to the cover of the magazine? Television ads such as the Cingular commercial boasting their national coverage depicts two white male business partners communicating with each other from far distances. These usages of media to convey racial stereotyping are effective. The mass stereotyping in the media has caused society to develop messages of white people being the â€Å"supreme’ being and the most intelligent opposed to African Americans who are port rayed to be illiterate and unable to speak English properly. The history between white and black people has created a grudge filled with pain and guilt that kept both of them intolerable of each other’s values. A large void characterized by the pride and ego of both races has made it difficult for society to integrate a healthy relationship between the two ethnicthicies. According to Demoit, solving the problem of their relationship would mean we as an individual would have to â€Å"scrub off the dirt of ill will.† Although the media can depict the two ethnicities living happy ever after, the goal of reaching a agreement between the two races will be very difficult For instance, the explicit show Southpark features only one African American child among a Caucasian dominated population. Token, the name of the child, suggests that he is the token black friend among his group of white friends. Therefore, television is emanating wide void between black and white relationships. Mosley incorporates the stereotyping of the â€Å"supreme† white male in Devil in A Blue Dress. Dewitt Albright, a rich businessman, symbolizes as the epitome of the successful white male who has many connections that the ordinary person would not have. From the beginning to the end of the novel Mosley explicitly describes Albright to be well dressed in a white suit  complemented with white silk socks. One of the passages in the novel after an unknown person knocks out Easy has a concerned Primo trying to figure out the situation. Primo states, â€Å"What happened, Amigo? You have a fight with your friends?† a delusional Easy asks â€Å"What friends?† Primo replies â€Å"Joppy and the white man in the white suit.† The white man in the white suit Primo describes is Dewitt Albright. The significance of Dewitt Albright wearing this white suit throughout the entire novel creates an image of an individual radiating success from his body. Albright, one of the more notable characters in the novel, is not the only white character in the novel; Mosley explicitly describes all the white characters in the novel to wear fashionable clothing while the black character’s appearance depict a less affluent individual. The psychological effect of mass advertisements has helped develop racial stereotypes. Mass consumerism has given rise to mass advertisements, which has the power to influence large portions of society (Twitchell 204). Since large portions of the populations in the United States have televisions in their household society is constantly fed information from the media. The images of sex, alcohol, and racism have a profound effect on society that is non-promiscuous to its viewers. Works Cited: Demott, Benajamin. â€Å"Put on a Happy Face: Masking the Differences Between Blacks and Whites.† Signs of Life: in the United States 5 (2006): 1-805. Mosley, Walter. Devil in a Blue Dress. New York: Washington Square P, 2002. 1-261. Twitchell, James B. â€Å"What We are to Advertisers.† Signs of Life: in the United States 5 (2006): 203-207.

Achievement Gap with Minorities - 753 Words

When the conversation about achievement gap is broached, it is often offensive towards minorities. Mainly because it implies that you’re acknowledging the fact that there is and achievement difference among their race and Whites. Personally I have no problem with the term because it is factual. It’s what school officials are not doing to close this gap that i have a problem with The achievement gap is sustained by poor school management and teaching—not other social or cultural factors. In order to close this gap among students, school officials must better prepare teachers, implement a common core curriculum, and encourage positive teacher-student relationships. One way to close the achievement gap among white students and minority students is to establish better teacher-student relationships,TSR. In order to establish better teacher-student relationships, the teachers must support and engage with their student. Building some sort of trust plays a major role i n TSR. Teachers must talk to and interact with their students and show them that they genuinely care. TSR would also help promote a positive class environment. With a great relationship and positive setting students are more likely to do better in their academic work; which is a great way to close the achievement gap. Improving TSR in the education system has proven to increase students progress and help close the achievement gap on more than one occasion and especially in Black and Latino students. ForShow MoreRelatedThe Achievement Gap Among Minority Students2158 Words   |  9 PagesThe Achievement Gap among Minority Students The achievement gap in America is at an alarming rate among minority students such as African American, Native American, and Hispanic students. Among their academics, the biggest struggles are in the subject areas of math and reading compared to other nationalities such as Caucasian and Asian peers. 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