Richard Neustadt's Presidential Power - Book Report/Review Example

The excerpts of the concluding pages reveal Neustadt's recent considerations on the American society, on the larger global issues, and on the problems presidents, grapple with, while serving the nation1. Throughout the book, one finds out that the authority, which many believe is bestowed upon the president do not commensurate the responsibilities and the checks and balances on the presidency; that, the educational skills acquired by the holder of the office before he or she takes the helm do not amount to leadership.

Neustadt (42) indicates that the United States legal structures and decrees bestow upon the president, sweeping powers. The book offers several accounts that, in spite of the sweeping “powers,” the holder of the office does not achieve effective outcomes by giving orders. In light of this, he acts like an ex-officio leader of the executive arm of the government. Neustadt (10) argues that the president’s status sweeping powers notwithstanding, the holder of the office is forced to shun unilateral decisions in leadership; hence, the power to prevail upon dissenting voices in order to act.

Separation of powers The scope of the president’s power reflects the nature and functions of the US government. The US supreme law promulgated in 1787 is believed to have provided for a government made up of three arms, each with distinct functions, though working in tandem, the principle of separation of powers (Neustadt 78). It fell short of the sort intended function. Instead, the legal structure established an administrative system of separated government arms sharing powers: for instance, Congress, the legislative arm has the power to dictate what authority should be enjoyed by whom, through the passing of laws.

The institution is also responsible for disbursement of finances. Funds are very imperative for governance. Federalism also eats into the powers of the president (Neustadt 79-91). The system sets up semi-autonomous institutions2. Further, the Bill of Rights also curtails the powers of the president. In light of these, many government operations can only be realized by voluntary work of the private sector, such as the media. Additionally, the burgeoning of foreign alliances among Western countries, equally eat into the president’s power by heaving away the formulation of national policies from the domination of the president.

What the US Supreme Law separates is cast in stone. The political parties, for instance, which sponsor presidents to the office, are themselves made up of disparate organizations that are joined at the heap with public influence. The influence comprises the power to nominate. Major political parties in the United States are alliances of party organs from the highest levels of government to the lowest, with a head office in the White House, if the political outfit has a serving president. The fact that these political groupings organize presidential nomination is enough proof that the party policies must be advanced by the president.

All other government agencies depend upon the voters confined within definite electoral regions such as the states. The remaining nomination exercises nominations are managed by the state electoral institutions. According to Neustadt (34), the President and members of Congress from the same party are separated by their representative levels3.