ABSTRACT
The presidency of the United States is often referred to as the most powerful office in the world. In truth the executive is but one branch in American constitutional government, and the presidents who occupy the leading office in this branch face considerable complications in turning their executive agenda into deliverable policy. The Constitution provides the president with the tools of office, and the office-holders use these tools with differing skills, and in differing contexts. The office has certainly taken a central role in national and international perceptions of American government, and this perception itself adds to the authority that it has gained over the centuries. The president still faces a complex situation, having at all times to negotiate major initiatives with the members of the US Congress.
