ABSTRACT
The Professor Louis Koenig's description of the founders' anxiety reveals the conflicting interests and objectives they had in creating the presidency. On the one hand, they wanted the president to lead the country with "energy," as Alexander Hamilton put it; on the other hand, they feared the return of a king. How do presidents overcome the obstacles to leadership and succeed in the exercise of power? The components illustrate aspects of leadership that are not enunciated in the Constitution, but that constitute essential qualities of presidential job performance. In his campaign for the 2016 presidential election, Donald J. Trump made several statements that suggested an elevated and empowered executive, including saying at the Republican National Convention on July 26, 2016, "I alone can fix the problems in Washington DC," and, with regard to the war on ISIS, "I know more than the genera."
