The Presidency of the United States is said to be the most powerful office in the world. Taking a closer look at this statement presents the questions of how and why the president so powerful. It might shock some people to learn that a significant amount of his powers are not prescribed to him or written in the Constitution, but are gained in other ways. I believe that the most significant of the powers at the hands of the President are those that are considered "informal", especially those that allow him to persuade and gain loyalty of many people.

The President is usually more powerful during his "honeymoon period" or first hundred or so days in office. This mostly stems from his recent approval of the voters and serves as a notice to Congress that he deserves to be in office because the citizens like what he has to offer. As an effect, Congress is more accepting of his legislative ideas and proposals. This gives him an edge to get some legislation passed right off the bat and show th

The President's power and approval rating is greatly boosted in times of war or foreign troubles. This is called "rallying around the flag." Citizens feel more loyalty towards their President when he is acting on behalf of the country in a serious matter such as war or other serious foreign policy. The President even gains higher approval, and therefore more power to influence the public, by surviving an assassination attempt.

A huge tool to gain power at the fingertips of the Presidency is the media. Not only does the President address the nation during the State of the Union Address, he is able to call press conferences whenever he wishes to reach the citizens. He is, almost without a doubt, the only government official that has this power. As long as this tool is used sparingly, it can cause a huge response among citizens. The President can persuade the American people see issues his way and to take action in any way that he suggests. It is rumored that during a Presidential broadcast in which the President asked the country to turn down their thermostats in order to save gas that the monitoring utility companies immediately saw a major drop in the amount of gas being consumed for heating all across the country. President Lyndon Johnson used this tool to create support for his decision to send troops to Vietnam. With strong public speaking skills , a likeable personality, and a an assertive deme

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Approximate Word count = 957
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)