Just to wrap up today's seminar, what do you personally think is more important, the formal or informal powers of the President? Why? Provide evidence from your readings (Cornell notes + today's articles) to support your argument. Discuss!
In my opinion, I believe both forms of powers (both formal and informal) are very important. For example, one of the most important formal power a president can exercise would be the right to nominate a potential judge on the Supreme Court. Considering these positions are life-term, these judges are symbols to the president's legacy. These judges hold similar opinions and perspectives to the president and even though he or she will no longer lead the country after their term is up, their legacy will live on. Informal powers, however, are also powerful as well. For example, executive orders are something the president may do to get the job done quickly. According to the Constitution, it is the president's duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed". Sometimes a president cannot wait for a law to pass if the president sees that the country and its citizens are in trouble.
I agree with Alondra that both powers are very important to a president. However in this case where the president and Congress are so divided I think formal powers are more important. Formal powers of the president are outlined in Article II of the Constitution and I think his formal power of nominating or appoint high level positions. This way his ideas and beliefs can be left behind after his presidency.
I also agree with Alondra in that both powers are important to the president. We discussed in class how they can nominate judges and appoint other high level positions which leaves behind their legacy. However, I do believe that their informal powers, especially that of persuasion, are vital to maintaining control and power. The president needs to be able to connect to the people. If people don't support him, let alone congress, who does he have? The David Brooks reading mentioned how in order for candidates to be successful, they need to connect to the people. That connection should also be transferred over to the presidency.
I agree with all of the comments about how both informal and formal powers of the president are important. The president has limited power in our government and all powers given to him/her should be taken to his/hers advantage. Things like nominating a judge for the Supreme Court is a benefit of being President. A job like a justice is term less. It can give the upper hand to the party that the president is a part of. Although persuasion is an important power that the president has, everyone has the power of persuasion and can use it against the President. An informal power like an executive order is important because it does not need to be passed through congress and gives the president a little more power.
Regards towards yesterday I agree with Gilberto when formal powers are more important because just like he said the president can nominate a Supreme Court judge which leaves a long lasting impact. That judge is there until he or she deicides to to step down, Giving more advantage towards the selective party. Persuading can get you only so far it's like a false hope you can only hope it goes through.
The President's formal powers are the important because through these powers he can gain the trust of the people. Once he uses his informal powers e.g: executive order - he loses the trust of many and is accused of being "unconstitutional".
HOWEVER - I think the president's informal powers are also extremely important. E.g: The power of persuasion and executive order. I strongly believe that the president's persuasive powers are highly important. These powers enable the president to control congress. And of course - executive order is the ultimate power overall.
I agree with Alondra that both the informal and formal powers are important parts of the president's role in government. The overarching power that the president has is the power of persuasion because it allows the president to fulfill all his duties as chief legislator and chief commander.
I believe that formal and informal powers are both important. The powera stated in the Constitution might have a little bit more significance because the president's powers are explicitly writtwn down unlike the informal powers which are just customs and traditions. Nevertheless, many presidents have achieved many thinga by the uae of informal power. As Richard Neustadt states, "command has limited utility..." Even though a president can command, Congress can oppose that command as well. Also, we can see that a president's power of persuasion it's vital according to Neustadt: "A president depends upon the men he would persuade." It's very important for presidents to have this power because by using it, they can get the people to be on the same page as them and they can also get their support when dealing with congress.
I also believe that both the informal and formal powers the President is entitled to are important. The powers written in the Constitution can be seen as more important because it is what our founding fathers had perceived towards how a President should run a country. But that does not mean formal powers are the only rules a President should have to oblige to. For example, when it comes to having his/her policy agendas pushed, a President should be able to use the informal power to persuade members of Congress to get his way or even bargain with them. The President wears many different hats and has many tasks to do, and persuading is definitely one of them. Also, like Luxurie said Executive Power is important as well. The executive power of a President is important and it is up to he or she to use it in ways that cannot be seen unconstitutional. Overall, both the formal and informal powers are both indispensable.
Due to the checks and balances between the three branches of government, in order for the president to get the Congress to pass laws in his favor, he must be persuasive and unwilling to compromise. So, I believe his informal powers are very important in making laws. But in the protection of our country, the president's formal powers are also important.They have to negotiate treaties with other countries and maintain our relationships. But even in his formal powers, his informal powers come to play. Without their ability to persuade, he would go nowhere with the foreign delegates. Therefore I believe that the president's informal powers are the most important.
I agree with all the previous comments. Both his informal and formal powers are important but sometimes his formal powers comes in more handy , especially when he's working with a divided government but it may backfire and be deemed unconstitutional .But his informal powers also gets him more support especially when he's able to persuade people on to his agendas.
In my opinion, I believe both forms of powers (both formal and informal) are very important. For example, one of the most important formal power a president can exercise would be the right to nominate a potential judge on the Supreme Court. Considering these positions are life-term, these judges are symbols to the president's legacy. These judges hold similar opinions and perspectives to the president and even though he or she will no longer lead the country after their term is up, their legacy will live on. Informal powers, however, are also powerful as well. For example, executive orders are something the president may do to get the job done quickly. According to the Constitution, it is the president's duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed". Sometimes a president cannot wait for a law to pass if the president sees that the country and its citizens are in trouble.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alondra that both powers are very important to a president. However in this case where the president and Congress are so divided I think formal powers are more important. Formal powers of the president are outlined in Article II of the Constitution and I think his formal power of nominating or appoint high level positions. This way his ideas and beliefs can be left behind after his presidency.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Alondra in that both powers are important to the president. We discussed in class how they can nominate judges and appoint other high level positions which leaves behind their legacy. However, I do believe that their informal powers, especially that of persuasion, are vital to maintaining control and power. The president needs to be able to connect to the people. If people don't support him, let alone congress, who does he have? The David Brooks reading mentioned how in order for candidates to be successful, they need to connect to the people. That connection should also be transferred over to the presidency.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the comments about how both informal and formal powers of the president are important. The president has limited power in our government and all powers given to him/her should be taken to his/hers advantage. Things like nominating a judge for the Supreme Court is a benefit of being President. A job like a justice is term less. It can give the upper hand to the party that the president is a part of. Although persuasion is an important power that the president has, everyone has the power of persuasion and can use it against the President. An informal power like an executive order is important because it does not need to be passed through congress and gives the president a little more power.
ReplyDeleteRegards towards yesterday I agree with Gilberto when formal powers are more important because just like he said the president can nominate a Supreme Court judge which leaves a long lasting impact. That judge is there until he or she deicides to to step down, Giving more advantage towards the selective party.
ReplyDeletePersuading can get you only so far it's like a false hope you can only hope it goes through.
The President's formal powers are the important because through these powers he can gain the trust of the people. Once he uses his informal powers e.g: executive order - he loses the trust of many and is accused of being "unconstitutional".
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER - I think the president's informal powers are also extremely important. E.g: The power of persuasion and executive order.
I strongly believe that the president's persuasive powers are highly important. These powers enable the president to control congress. And of course - executive order is the ultimate power overall.
I agree with Alondra that both the informal and formal powers are important parts of the president's role in government. The overarching power that the president has is the power of persuasion because it allows the president to fulfill all his duties as chief legislator and chief commander.
ReplyDeleteI believe that formal and informal powers are both important. The powera stated in the Constitution might have a little bit more significance because the president's powers are explicitly writtwn down unlike the informal powers which are just customs and traditions. Nevertheless, many presidents have achieved many thinga by the uae of informal power. As Richard Neustadt states, "command has limited utility..." Even though a president can command, Congress can oppose that command as well. Also, we can see that a president's power of persuasion it's vital according to Neustadt: "A president depends upon the men he would persuade." It's very important for presidents to have this power because by using it, they can get the people to be on the same page as them and they can also get their support when dealing with congress.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that both the informal and formal powers the President is entitled to are important. The powers written in the Constitution can be seen as more important because it is what our founding fathers had perceived towards how a President should run a country. But that does not mean formal powers are the only rules a President should have to oblige to. For example, when it comes to having his/her policy agendas pushed, a President should be able to use the informal power to persuade members of Congress to get his way or even bargain with them. The President wears many different hats and has many tasks to do, and persuading is definitely one of them. Also, like Luxurie said Executive Power is important as well. The executive power of a President is important and it is up to he or she to use it in ways that cannot be seen unconstitutional. Overall, both the formal and informal powers are both indispensable.
ReplyDeleteDue to the checks and balances between the three branches of government, in order for the president to get the Congress to pass laws in his favor, he must be persuasive and unwilling to compromise. So, I believe his informal powers are very important in making laws. But in the protection of our country, the president's formal powers are also important.They have to negotiate treaties with other countries and maintain our relationships. But even in his formal powers, his informal powers come to play. Without their ability to persuade, he would go nowhere with the foreign delegates. Therefore I believe that the president's informal powers are the most important.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the previous comments. Both his informal and formal powers are important but sometimes his formal powers comes in more handy , especially when he's working with a divided government but it may backfire and be deemed unconstitutional .But his informal powers also gets him more support especially when he's able to persuade people on to his agendas.
ReplyDelete