Presidential Authority Quotes
Dodd observed that FDR expanded the power of the Presidency to deal with the emergency of the Great Depression, and like most Americans hoped that these measures would succeed. The Supreme Court limited some of the power expansion to the Executive Branch, but was the start of the huge Presidential power expansion that would continue through the Cold War and the War on Terror by Presidents of both parties.
In the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, Iranian "students" and other agents were demonstrating against the United States in Washington and other U. S. cities. The President prevailed upon District of Columbia officials not to grant a permit to the Iranian demonstrators lest some would be attacked by irate Americans. If this were seen on international television might bring harm to the American hostages in Iran:
President George W. Bush had ignored a federal law and tapped the phones of Americans without probable cause and a warrant issued by a court. The President’s defenders argued that the President, as Commander in Chief, has the Constitutional responsibility to lead the military and protect the nation. Intelligence gathering is part of military activity. Therefore the intelligence gathering is a Constitutional duty and the Congress, under the separation of powers doctrine, may not interfere with the President’s Constitutional Duty to conduct intelligence. Under this doctrine, the President need not obey laws that he believes impinge on his management of the war effort and the defense of the nation. Most legal scholars believe that this argument is nonsense, but the George W. Bush administration has stated the doctrine and it was the subject of much litigation.
The Congress over the last century has ceded much of its Constitutional power to the President. Congress has much power to check the President, but just as Congress has not been very competent at legislating, oversight, and conducting hearings and investigations, it has not organized itself to use the powers it has very well.
Monroe was then Secretary of State.
