In-Class Notes: 03 Mar 2004

• Discussed Chapter 8
• President – all about power; Framers worried about monarchy so they gave the post limited powers
• Room for expansion in Constitution: “he shall take care to ensure the laws are faithfully executed”
• Framers trusted Washington to define the Presidency and set precedents
• Whiskey Rebellion – Supremacy of federal power

§ Jay Treat – GW presents the treaty to Congress and says they can only approve or disapprove it and not edit it (treaty established trade with Britain with some concessions)

§ Declared nuetrality in the war between England and France; not explicit power, but became precedent (“inherent power”)

• Abuse of power by Presidents
• Successful
• Jefferson – Louisiana Purchase; stretches power to allow pres to act in the country’s best interests
• Lincoln - suspends writ of habeus corpus and blockades south without Congressional approval
• FDR – New Deal
• T. Roosevelt – Panama Canal; pushes bills into and through Congress
• Unsuccessful
• Nixon – did not have the country in mind when he abused his power
• Views on Presidential power
• Congressionalist – the president has no power in policy creation
• Presidentialist – the president has power and right in policy creation

o Stewardship Theory – the president has the duty and responsibility to execute laws and anything else in the country’s best interests