The checking power of the president

The president is the country's chief executive, chief legislator, chief diplomat, commander-in-chief, and chief jurist. These checking powers give the president some control over the legislative and judicial branches. The veto is the president's main check on the legislative branch. Some presidents use their veto power often. Franklin D. Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills that Congress wrote. John F. Kennedy vetoed only 21 bills. Ronald Reagan used his veto power 59 times. The president has the right to call Congress into a special session. This is done whenever the president feels a very important law must be passed.

The president can also refuse to spend money on a programme Congress wants.

This power, however, is not given to the president by the Constitution. In fact, in 1975, the Supreme Court ruled that President Nixon did not have the power to impound funds for a

New York project.

The president also has the power to suggest new laws to Congress. Congress gives much thought and time to the president's ideas for new laws.

The president has some very powerful unwritten checks. These include:

• speaking directly to the people for support of a new law.

• campaigning for the re-election of certain members of Congress.

• speaking as the head of a political party.

These unwritten checks are important to the president. The president can use them to influence or persuade Congress to pass laws that the president wants. People all over the country watch and listen to the president. This gives the president

a great deal of influence over Congress. The president is also regarded as the head of a political party. This gives the president much influence over members of Congress who belong to the same political party as the president. All federal judges are appointed by the president. These include judges from the district

courts to the Supreme Court. The president tries to appoint a judge who will agree with him on many things. In this way, the president can influence the federal courts. The president's power to appoint Supreme Court justices is an especially important power. It may give the president some influence over the court's decisions. But, not every president has the chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice. This is because justices serve for life. A president's term of office is only four years. So most presidents serve with a Supreme Court that other presidents have appointed. The president can grant a pardon to someone convicted of a federal crime. This does not include anyone convicted of impeachment. A person granted a pardon by the president is not punished for a crime.

One other check the president has is the budget. The president decides how much money should be spent by government. This is a very important power that the president can use to check the other branches. (But this power can also be checked by Congress.

Congress must approve the president's budget.)