Lesson 23: What Is the Role of the President in the American Constitutional System?

Lesson Objectives

When you have finished this lesson, you  should be able to

• explain the president’s constitutional responsibilities and how the office of president has evolved,
• identify various constitutional and political checks on the president’s power,
• explain fundamental differences between the office of prime minister in a parliamentary system and the American presidency, and
• evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues involving the exercise of presidential power and the relationship between the president and the other branches of government.