Because Congress is more representative of the people, the President’s should be severly limited

“Because Congress is more representative of the people, the President’s role in both domestic and foreign policy-making should be severely limited.”
For quote…
In both of the presidential elections in which President George W. Bush he won by very slim margins in electoral votes and in the first election lost in the popular vote. The President in a sense than is only representative of about half of Americans citizens. Congress, on the other hand, has 535 members which represent a much wider ranch of voters. Having 535 different people, with different points of view and backgrounds, allows for a much more representative body that is much more capable of making legislation than the president. The decline in Bush’s public opinion ratings and the big Democratic shift in Congress at midterm elections are proof enough that the President’s role in domestic and especially foreign policy should be severely limited. The President also serves four year terms before voters can decide if they want to keep him in office in contrast to Congressmen who generally serve only two years before voters have the option of voting again. This makes sure that they act representative of the people.
The President’s role regarding legislation, in our system of checks and balances, is to keep Congress from abusing its role as the legislative branch by vetoing, or checking, a bill when he or she disapproves it. In this case Congress can overturn the veto with a two thirds vote. At least, this is how the founding fathers wanted it to work. Dennis Behreandt, in an article explaining how the President has claimed the power to open our mail without a warrant, says that using signing statements to interpret existing legislation President Bush has overstepped his boundaries and taken on the Supreme Court’s role of interpreting Congressional legislation and Congress’ role by effectively rewriting the legislation. Behreadt says that Bush has signed 147 of these signing statements and is likely to sign many more before leaving office (“Signing away our Constitution…”).
The President also has the extremely important power of appointing Supreme Court justices, who are not elected by the public. It is probably true that the average citizen knows very little about the justices and probably wouldn’t know who to vote for but what about Congress; why doesn’t Congress have the power to elect Supreme Court Justices?
Against quote…
We must remember that the President is the national executive and in also acts a world leader, especially in the United States, one of the richest, largest, most powerful and developed nations in the world. When it comes to foreign policy the President must often make decisions single-handedly. The President is limited, in the fact that he or she must win the consent of two thirds of the Senate, when making a treaty with another country. President Bush has abused his powers and misinterpreted the scope of powers that belong to the President, but future President with better intentions should not be punished for one president’s mistakes. A President must be able to make quick decisions regarding the military which is why he is given the position of Commander in Chief. If a Nuclear War breaks out the President who must be a leader and give the orders to use any weapons of mass destruction. Other than this the Presidency is already very limited. The President (theoretically) cannot create legislation or amend the constitution, can veto but ultimately does not stop legislation from being passed if Congress overturns the veto, cannot interpret legislation and/or declare law unconstitutional, and cannot decide whether he or she will stay in office after their term ends unless reelected by the people. If Presidents abuse their power too much they can be impeached and removed from office if found guilty, like Nixon was because of the Watergate Scandal (Wise & Cummings, 459).

Works Cited:

Behreandt, Dennis. "Signing away our Constitution: the Bush administration, using
signing statements as tools of legislation, has recently claimed the power to open our mail without a warrant.(PRESIDENCY)." The New American 23.3 (Feb 5, 2007): 20(3). InfoTrac OneFile. Thomson Gale. Brockport College - SUNY. 5 Apr. 2007
.

Wise, David, and Milton C. Cummings Jr. Democracy Under Pressure. 10. Belmont:
Thomas Wadsworth, 2007.