Title: Why the next president may have more power than usual - The Washington Post
Headings: Why the next president may have more power than usual
Why the next president may have more power than usual
Clinton and Trump are making a lot of promises they can't keep, but they still could be more powerful than usual as president.
What are other areas in which a president really does exercise power?
Is it harmful to make these campaign promises that the president can’t really keep?

Content: First, it’s harmful if they are promises that have constitutional limits. It seems disingenuous to make promises knowing it would be almost impossible to implement them unless the Constitution is altered in its interpretation or an amendment is passed, unless you are advocating for an amendment. The other harm is the candidate may be focusing their energy on something that is impossible to deliver, rather than something that might be more easily accomplished. If the president has less power than people assume, are we overestimating the importance of the election? I would say not in this instance, because one effect of the president is on the standing of the country in the international community. One of the areas where the president’s power is more pronounced is in foreign affairs. To the extent that internationally there is a very different view of the candidates and who they would be sympathetic to, that actually might have more impact. AD
Some scholars have argued that the office of the president is gradually becoming more powerful. Do you agree? Certainly presidents are acting without congressional approval more than previously in certain areas, like entering into war abroad.