ABSTRACT
The president of the United States is a powerful governmental leader because the Constitution gives him control over foreign policy, the armed forces, and millions of government bureaucrats; it also stipulates that he shall work closely with the legislative branch on "measures as he shall judge necessary". Beyond these specific constitutional powers, the president of the United States is at the center of the decisionmaking process in our government. Even though restraining the power of politicians makes sense in a democratic republic, the tug of war that has become the defining characteristic of lawmaking in recent years seems to be making the process more difficult than the Founding Fathers intended. At various points in our history, Congress, responding to pressure from public opinion and interest groups, has passed legislation establishing several regulatory agencies charged with monitoring and controlling the actions of key sectors of the economy.
