ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Constitutional Convention of 1787, during which the delegates engaged in their lengthy deliberations about the composition, powers, and selection process for a new national executive. It also examines the quick emergence of political parties and changes in the election process that were in marked contrast to what the Framers envisioned, developments that further deepened the dilemmas of power for American presidents. The Constitution provides some guidance for the broad structure of the presidency. However, the general nature of the Framers' language, somewhat intentional so as to provide flexibility for future times, also created the dilemma of how to understand and exercise presidential power. By 1785, James Madison and George Washington were exchanging letters regarding problems with the Articles and the need for a stronger national government. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania proposed George Washington for that esteemed position, and Washington was then selected without opposition or even debate.
