School

Q: In the early 20th Century, Professor Edwin Corwin referred to the U.S. Constitution as an "invitation to struggle," which emphasizes the built-in conflicts between the executive and legislative branches as they check-and-balance one another. In the late 19th century, Congress was the dominant institution. In the 20th century, through a Great Depression, two world wars, the Cold War and 9/11, the Presidency was in the dominant institution. Think about this relationship as you study Chapters 13 and 14, then write a brief essay in which you make a case for one of three scenarios -- (1) a balanced relationship, (2) a dominant presidency, or (3) a dominant congress. Which do you find preferable, in general? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your choice? Explain your answer clearly and in detail and offer examples to help your argument.

I prefer checks and balance over the other two choices. Checks and balances were made to make sure no part of government would be superior to the other. The advantages of checks and balances is that the President can veto a bill and if congress feels like the President isn’t doing what he should be doing they can impeach him. A disadvantage is gridlock. Gridlock is a halt on a bill. An example of this was the healthcare reform act because they couldn’t come to an agreement. Also, the President shutdown Congress because they couldn’t come to an agreement. This was a heavy burden placed on the American people and it left the citizens wondering what was going to happen to the programs that many depend on to survive.