The Branches of Government - Essay Example

The Branches of Government Article II, Section II of the Constitution s that the President is the commander-in-chief of the Navy and the Army ofthe United States, and the militia of a number of states. However, he cannot declare war without the approval of the Senate. He has the power to grant pardons and reprieves for offenses against the nation except in situations of impeachment. He has the power to make treaties, through and with the consent and advice of the Senate, on condition that two thirds of the senators present agree (“Article II”).

These are some of the powers the President has based on the Article II, Section II of the United States Constitution. The power of the federal government is divided among the three branches: the executive, judicial and legislative. Therefore, the separation of the powers has been done in a strict manner. Additionally, the power exercised by any of the three branches is limited in several ways through the powers provided to the other branches of the federal government; due to this, the standard of checks and balances has been established (Accountability in Government 9).

One of the results of separating and allocating powers to different branches of the government is that it subjects the government to constant scrutiny, and, therefore, is subject to continued process of accountability (Accountability in Government 10).It is important to note that the Constitution does not have a direct provision that mandates the separation of powers among the three federal government branches. However, the doctrine of separation is critical to the United States government (“Separation of Powers of Government”).

The separation and allocation of powers has ensured that no branch of the government has monopoly over the principle powers of the government. This has prevented the creation of a very strong government with the ability to overpower the individual state governments. Governmental responsibilities intentionally overlap. For instance, the president possesses the power to appoint all the federal ambassadors, judges, and other high-ranking government officials; however, all the appointments must have consent and advice of the Senate.

The final authority is possessed by the Supreme Court, which can strike down the acts of the executive and the legislative branches as unconstitutional (Russell). Though the system has worked to some extent, there are exceptional cases where the presidents have done things that can be regarded as unconstitutional. Based on the Constitution, the president can only serve two terms (each term lasting for four years). However, Franklin Roosevelt served for more than two terms (he served for four terms from 1933 to 1945 but died serving his fourth term).

The Constitution does not allow one to serve for more than two terms as the president. President Andrew Johnson and William (Bill) Clinton (17th and 42nd president of the United States respectively) were impeached but neither was removed (FreedomProjectDotCom). From these examples, it is evident that the system has failed to work to some extent. These are some of the issues that have affected the separation and allocation of power to the three branches of the government.Works Cited“Article II”.

Cornell University Law School. 2012. Web. 17 Sep. 2012.Accountability in Government. New York, NY: Diane Publishing, 2000. Print.FreedomProjectDotCom. “Executive Powers & Limitations (Principles of the Constitution Series)”. YouTube. 10 December 2010. Web. 17 September 2012.Russell, Greg. “Constitutionalism: America & Beyond”. infoUSA. 2001. Web. 17 September 2012.“Separation of Powers of Government”. USLegal.com. 2010. Web. 17 September 2012.