POL325: Congress & the Presidency

Final Research Paper

The U.S. Constitution provides a very clever, innovative, and effective design for a political system based on shared and balanced powers. As such, two of the three major governmental branches created by the Constitution, Congress and the Presidency, often compete for these finite political powers in their efforts to accomplish their core missions. This competition for political power creates tension between these two branches of our government that are expressed in a variety of ways, both within each branch and between each branch of government. In addition, the competition for power usually leads to increased cooperation and conflict that is expressed in a variety of ways and methods. The competition can also lead to a change in power relationships with one branch gaining political power at the expense of the other. Therefore, a critical examination of the political interactions between Congress and the Presidency will expand understanding of this multi-faceted relationship and of the structures, functions, and leadership of these core governmental institutions created by the brilliant U.S. Constitution.

First, select a topic from the list provided below: