Prerequisites for Good Presidency - Essay Example

Essay, History and Political Science Topic: Presidency What does it take to make a great president? Time and circumstances in a country should be right for a President to become great. President is a special kind of person because he has won the trust of the majority of the people of the country who have voting rights. But the pressure of life in the White House will stun the President unless he/she is taking up the Presidency for the second time. Most importantly an American President has got to be tough as the responsibilities of the post leave no other options. Besides being the political Head of the State, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Air-Force and Navy. He has the supreme power of veto, even though the Congress can override it. A man endowed with such important powers needs to be a balanced individual, capable of taking on the spot, quick and appropriate decisions. But his actions need to stand the test of close scrutiny by the Supreme Court and he has to take enough care that he does not violate the provisions of the US Constitution. Though he has an array of legal advisers, the President must possess that sixth sense to take right decisions at the right time. The real test with a President is in dealing with the foreign countries. No doubt, he is working under a system of delegated powers but President is the Chief Diplomat, and he has to take important and big decisions that have far reaching political significance and effect on the American economy. State of war and depression in the economy are the worst thing that can happen to a country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) faced such a challenging situation. He negotiated both the crises successfully by keeping a close rapport with the people and about 80% of the people listened to his speeches. As such communicating effectively with the people is a quality that will make the President great. Another important issue for the President is to deal with his advisors. He has the power of appointment, and some of those who disagree with his viewpoints later, may be his appointees. A good President needs to create such a congenial atmosphere that those who disagree with him should feel free to air their opinions. What is important is expression of independent opinions irrespective of the consequences. They are serving the President, ipso facto, the Nation, even when they disagree with his estimate of a particular issue. The President has great projects to implement as per his election promises, and he needs great and fearless individuals to implement them. They may not agree with the President always; The President may not agree with their viewpoints sometimes. But the ship of national and international politics commandeered by the President has to sail through the turbulent waters. When you get ready to vote for a Presidential candidate, what is most important? I would go by the merit of the Presidential candidate, though I have affiliations with a particular party that I would not like to disclose. To me the President is a supreme personality and interests of the Nation are more important than party interests. Moreover, I am not voting for a candidate in the local body elections. I will cut through the party-liners, if necessary and vote for the best candidate, without fear or favor. Now, the question is how to select who is the best? Here I make use of the knowledge that I possess on the subject of leadership qualities. First and foremost is the character of the individual as character traits have an overriding influence on other qualities. Grit and determination follow. Often, peace-time problems are more important than the problems of the Nation at war. Political opponents turn vociferous during peace-time and the expectations of the people also are more. The economic issues like crime, drugs, healthcare, education and immigration take the front seat to challenge the President. As such I will vote for the President whom I expect that he will be strong during the war-time and the strongest during peace-time. How important is the President in the Presidency? The President plays the vital role in shaping the destiny of the country. Besides being the legal authority he is the moral authority that inspires and leads the people and his performance is linked to the performance of the Nation. Alan Brinkley and Davis Dyer write, “Among the salient characteristics of the American presidency is that it has usually played a role in American life that extends well beyond the formal responsibility of the office.”(x)The technological advancement and the internet revolution have changed the decision-making processes. Many nations have acquired nuclear capabilities and among them are friendly and unfriendly nations to America. God forbid, split-second decisions will have to be taken by the President in case of nuclear-threats. Only such an individual can rise to the occasion, having core values and cool confidence to challenge difficult situations, and take decisions. The phrase ‘cool confidence’ is important because the people of the nation, the leadership of the world, and public opinion polls are constantly evaluating his performance. The President should be such an individual who has the capacity to take firm decisions overriding the crisscross currents of opinions and counter-opinions. President is the part of the history and his actions will be the lessons for the economists and scholars on politics for all time to come. Successful Presidents are good team leaders and coalition builders. The multifarious and voluminous responsibilities owned by the President demand a good team and members to share expressed powers. He is a party leader first but when it is in the interest of the Nation, he is a rebel against all procedures and his loyalty will be to take care of the security of the Nation first. This demands a strong-willed President, who has the capacity to counter the onslaught of opposition from all ends. He will not be excused by the people for not doing the allotted task as the President of the Nation. Work Cited Brinkley, Alan (Ed.), Dyer, Davis (Ed.). The American Presidency. Houghton Mifflin; New York, 2004 Read More