Just how much power does the President of the United States really have?

Question

In light of Sarah Palin being chosen for Vice President and in light of Barrack Obama being elected as the nominee for the Democrats my wife and I began discussing the power that the President of the United States has. My wife said, "well they don't really run the country anyhow...they have all the advisers and other people who tell them what to do." That's true. But can someone explain just how much power a president wields ( in layman's terms ). 'Cause I explained to my wife that the President has the power to prevent the will 535 members of congress ( unless they override his/her veto ). That's pretty hefty power. But I don't think I understand the full extent of the power of the president so I'm looking for real life examples for the layperson out there who doesn't know. Please...give examples so that people who don't know about politics can understand the power that these inexperienced candidates will have. Obama has very little International experience and so does Sarah Palin. It's important to discuss.

Answer 1

There is a big difference between how much power the president has, and how much he is supposed to have. The President isn't supposed to have as much power as recent presidents have used. Take war as an example. Presidents do not have the power to start wars. Only Congress does, but ever since World War 2, all of the wars that America has been involved in has been by order of the president, without a declaration of war by Congress. This should be grounds for impeachment, but that might mean that Congress will actually have to start taking political responsibility for foreign policy decisions instead of passing that off to the president.

Here is a really good way to learn exactly how much power the president has. Read the Constitution.

Answer 2

Well, according to the liberal socialists and feriners the US president is faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive, and dressed as the mild mannered President of the United States he can sign or veto bills presented to him by the Senate, toast dignitaries at official department functions. And send out as many Christmas cards as he and the wife desire.

According to the Conspiracy groups he can destroy buildings by remote control, create earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes. Cause flooding and famine.

And specify what the White House meals contain.

Past that he ain't nobody.

Answer 3

Very little. The real power is in congress. And that is why the country is such a mess.

Answer 4

The REAL leaders of the world are the Bankers behind the financial markets...you can call them the Rockerfellers and Rothchilds out of england.... they all have linages going back into secret societies of Freemasonry and the Bavarian Illuminati, and today they are branched into other more well known names like the Bilderberg Group, The Trilateral Commission, Bohemian Grove Society, The CFR , The IRS, NATO, CIA ....the list goes on, each group has their place on the Freemasonic Pyrimid and the higher you are, the more power you carry, and the president isnt even close to the top of that masonic structure, but is a voice for all societies, JFK spoke extensivly on this, and gave his assurance they are real.

so rest assured, these societies have chosen their president, I think the only time in our history where they were directly challenged, was the case of Gore versus Bush in Florida, and the Minority vote was disinfranchised by those running the show, people are just now starting to wake up to this fact, whose in control here ?