Apex Government 3.1.3 Journal The President\'s Power PDF

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Journal

3.1.3 Journal: The President's Power

U.S. Government and Politics (2018)

Name:

a Lee

Points Possible:10 Date:

The power of the American presidency has grown over time, particularly during times of war. In this activity, you read about the actions of six presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush. You will now write a 200- to 300-word journal entry reflecting on their actions. Your journal entry should address these questions:

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Do their actions represent appropriate uses of presidential power, or examples of presidents overstepping the authority they were granted by the Constitution?

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How do you think the framers of the Constitution would respond to the presidency's expanded powers?

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In your opinion, do U.S. presidents today have too much power or not enough?

Make sure to include specific evidence to support your response. This assignment is worth 10 points.

Throughout history, many presidents had to face the threat of war and safety for the nation as well as the world. These six presidents, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, and George W. Bush were present in notable events. They utilized their own powers in order to try and resolve the problems they faced.

I believe that presidents such as President Woodrow Wilson, President Harry S. Truman, and President Lyndon B. Johnson used their power appropriately. Woodrow Wilson was present during WWI and he needed the support of his citizens to fight this war. He created the Committee on Public Information through an executive order. “This agency worked specifically to generate support for the war.” President Harry S. Truman was a major factor during the Korean war. In order to help contain the spread of communism, he wanted to help by sending troops. He asked for help from the United Nations to increase his chances of success as well as support. Similarly, Lyndon B. Johnson saw the threats of communism and desperately tried to contain the spread of communism in Vietnam.

On the other hand presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt did not use their powers wisely. Lincoln, although freed all slaves, suspended all ordinary law and set a military government. He, “easily made arrests and imprisoned people who were seen as threats to the Union.” This meant that he took advantage of his power and punished possibly innocent people. Along with Lincoln, President Roosevelt performed inhumane acts. He set up a concentration camp for the Japanese during WWII. This was not acceptable as it did not accomplish anything other than torture over 10,000 people.

I think presidents have the right amount of power. They just need to use them wisely and listen to their advisors to make wise decisions. If we look at the past presidents we can see that they made some good decisions as well as bad ones. I believe that the power used differs by each president.

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