US Presidency essays

US Presidency essays There can be little question in the modern scholars mind that the most prominent and influential figure in contemporary international politics is the president of United States. While this institution is famous for drawing an enormous amount of power from the U.S. Constitution, history has often shown that sources of presidential power are not limited to the parameters stated therein. There have been many instances in American history where the presidents popularity in politics and in the publics eyes have proved to be very significant factors in determining the political power he possesses. A great example can be found in the recent Clinton Administration. Towards the end of his second term in office, President Bill Clinton became, paradoxically, the most publicly shamed president of modern time and at the same time one of the most popular. Examining the events that unfolded, starting with the revelation of the Monica Lewinsky scandal up until President Clintons last weeks in the of fice, shows that public support can be an extremely significant part of the presidency. From the first months he took office, up until January of 1998, a series of economic and political victories had provided President Clinton with a remarkably high job approval rating (about 60 percent according to an ABC News/ Washington Post poll) from the public. When the story broke on Wednesday, January 21 of that year, public opinion polls conducted by credited news organizations showed that during the period between 22nd and 30th of January President Clintons rating fell to a record low. However as the weeks passed, the charismatic and intelligent public speaker successfully persuaded a remarkable percentage of the population to support him. Throughout the rest of the year, the public was faced with the fact that the President did indeed have a sexual relationship with a young White House intern, and t ...