Two Presidential Views – Posted on iLearn
1. Read “Two Presidential Views” (Posted on iLearn). This reading shows two different interpretations of the role of the president. Theodore Roosevelt believed the president should interpret the Constitution broadly to grant the president a considerable amount of power when it is necessary. William Taft believed that the powers of the president are always limited to a literal reading of the Constitution. Compare these two views of the presidency. Who do you think is correct? Why?
2. Consider how presidential war powers changed relative to congressional powers in the post-war era. What were the main contributing factors of this shift? Were the framers clear in their intent regarding presidential war powers? Would the framers feel the power of the modern president is sufficiently checked?
3. Political scientists have shown that Congress is polarized. However, some scholars argue polarization will be self-correcting and short-lived while others argue polarization will prove to be a more enduring characteristic of American politics. Drawing from “The Seeds of Dysfunction” (Posted on iLearn), briefly describe the origins of congressional polarization. Based on your understanding of polarization, do you think the current high degree of polarization in Congress will be short-lived?
