# Just how powerful is the US president? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757 "2012-09-15T03:22:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/21 "2012-09-17T11:21:33Z")
The President need not bother with TicketMaster or scalpers. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/22 "2012-09-17T15:02:45Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Thanks for the information, > > Just to clarify, I thought commander-in-chief was an honoury position, has a sitting president ever overruled a general or parliament when it comes matters of war. > > On the subject of conflict, is it true that he has the sole authority to launch nuclear weapons? The President has near-absolute control over the military – in fact, US armed forces pride themselves on their obedience to civilian authority (in the form of the President), viewing it as what distinguishes their professionalism from tin-pot militaries that meddle in their countries’ governance. US Presidents have overruled, sacked, and made demands of generals since there the office was occupied – not always leading to improvement, mind you. The Prez has launch authority (really, “release” authority, meaning he tells others they can launch) but my impression is that typically requires concurrence from at least one other official. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/23 "2012-09-17T15:15:41Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Thanks for the information, > > Just to clarify, I thought commander-in-chief was an honoury position, has a sitting president ever overruled a general or parliament when it comes matters of war. Just to be clear, there’s no parliament. The Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. If you’re only familiar with parliamentary systems, then the American system will seem unusual, because the president is both the head of government (like a prime minister) _and_ the head of state, like a king or ceremonial president in many other countries. Additionally, unlike parliamentary systems, the executive and legislative organs of government are entirely separate. This means that the president can (and frequently is) in a different party than that which controls one or both houses of Congress. In spite of this, the president is very powerful, for the reasons enumerated by others above. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/24 "2012-09-17T15:17:39Z")
The President and the Secretary of Defense are together designated the “National Command Authority” in DoD parlance. The SecDef works for the President, though. A President who goes nuts and wants to pointlessly start WWIII couldn’t be “overrruled” by the SecDef, as such, but you can bet that those around the President would try to restrain him. Washington lore has long been that SecDef James Schlesinger asked to be told if Nixon, in his final days in office, started giving odd or disturbing orders to the military. As for the President’s authority to appoint and remove military commanders, see these instructive examples: > **[George B. McClellan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_B._McClellan)** > > George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, politician, diarist, and writer who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), and later left the Army to serve as an executive and engineer on railroads until the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Early in the conflict, McClellan ... > **[Douglas MacArthur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur)** > > Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 – 5 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s, and he played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and received it for his service in the Philippines campaig... > **[John K. Singlaub](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_K._Singlaub)** > > Major General John Kirk Singlaub (July 10, 1921 – January 29, 2022) was a major general in the United States Army, founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and a highly decorated officer in the former Office of Strategic Services (OSS). > In 1977, Singlaub was relieved from his position as Chief of Staff of U.S. forces in South Korea after criticizing President Jimmy Carter's proposal to withdraw U.S. troops from the Korean peninsula in an interview with the Washington Post. Less ... > **[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_McChrystal)** > > Stanley Allen McChrystal (born August 14, 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 where his organization was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. His final assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, United States Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/25 "2012-09-17T15:26:30Z")
And here’s an NPR story on the subject that may be of interest: [Generals Gone Rogue: A History Of Friction : NPR](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128008712) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/26 "2012-09-17T16:28:28Z")
The president also has a lot of political clout by virtue of the fact that he has been elected. Congress is judicious about overturning vetoes of a popular president because they all want to get re-elected. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/27 "2012-09-17T17:48:18Z")
There are also [signing statements](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signing_statement). Also the [United States Intelligence Community](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Intelligence_Community). The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act established the position of Director of National Intelligence; this person leads the USIC and reports to the President of the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/28 "2012-09-17T21:22:39Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Just to clarify, I thought commander-in-chief was an honoury position, has a sitting president ever overruled a general or parliament when it comes matters of war. To add to the examples already given here: Truman famously fired General Douglas MacArthur for insubordination during the Korean War. Lincoln replaced his top generals several times during the Civil War because of the generals’ ineffectiveness or unwillingness to pursue the war in the way Lincoln wanted. Reagan sent troops to El Salvador without seeking permission from Congress (not parliament), and Clinton authorized the use of U.S. bombers in the NATO action in Kosovo, again without Congressional approval. ---
**Author:** ![Reverend\_Meade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Reverend\_Meade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverend_Meade)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/29 "2012-09-17T21:35:38Z")
I think a somewhat simple way to put it would be; Congress decides what the Federal government will do; The Supreme Court decides if the Federal government is allowed to do it; and the President controls **how** the Federal government will do it. Deciding how something gets done is a lot of power. It’s just more subtle than you might expect at that level. An example would be how under Obama the Attourney General is not defending the Defense Of Marrige Act in court. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/30 "2012-09-18T00:07:25Z")
Plus, c’mon - your name in the history books, living in the White House, riding around in Air Force One, relaxing at Camp David, etc. etc. etc. Bill Clinton once said one of his favorite parts of the job was inviting his favorite authors to private lunches at the White House… and nobody ever said no! ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/31 "2012-09-18T04:41:34Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Just to be clear, there’s no parliament. The Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. I was just using it as shorthand for both houses. What is the correct term for both the House of Representatives AND the Senate. Anyway, thank you all for your responses, This Englishman is tempted to slip the Hawaiian Governor a few bucks to get myself the US birth certificate I need. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/32 "2012-09-18T04:43:53Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Bill Clinton once said one of his favorite parts of the job was inviting his favorite authors to private lunches at the White House… and nobody ever said no! Is that really a given perk of the office? It must certainly help, but I doubt George W. Bush could get an audience with anyone he wants. Bill was way cooler. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/33 "2012-09-18T04:47:37Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > I was just using it as shorthand for both houses. What is the correct term for both the House of Representatives AND the Senate. The House and Senate together form the Congress. > [@](#): > > Anyway, thank you all for your responses, This Englishman is tempted to slip the Hawaiian Governor a few bucks to get myself the US birth certificate I need. Just remember that when you get elected president, it is your patriotic duty to bang the interns. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/34 "2012-09-18T04:55:43Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Is that really a given perk of the office? It must certainly help, but I doubt George W. Bush could get an audience with anyone he wants. Bill was way cooler. Rosalyn Carter said the same thing. You could invite anyone in the World and they would show up. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/35 "2012-09-18T10:48:59Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Bill Clinton once said one of his favorite parts of the job was inviting his favorite authors to private lunches at the White House… and nobody ever said no! I believe GWB had [William Gray and Zera Sharp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Jane) to lunch while in office.😛 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/36 "2012-09-18T18:17:23Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Is that really a given perk of the office? It must certainly help, but I doubt George W. Bush could get an audience with anyone he wants. Bill was way cooler. I think Miss Manners once said that the only legitimate excuse for refusing an invitation to the White House was that you were at death’s door. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/37 "2012-09-18T18:18:11Z")
The president can order anyone even US citizens to be executed.. > **[ACLU Lens: American Citizen Anwar Al-Aulaqi Killed Without Judicial Process |...](https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/aclu-lens-american-citizen-anwar-al-aulaqi-killed-without)** > [@](#): > > Today in Yemen, U.S. air strikes killed American citizen Anwar Al-Aulaqi. Al-Aulaqi has never been charged with a crime. Last year, the ACLU and Center for Constitutional Rights represented Al-Aulaqi’s father in a lawsuit challenging the government’s asserted authority to carry out “targeted killings” of U.S. citizens located far from any armed conflict zone. We argued that such killings violate the Constitution and international law, but the case was dismissed in federal court last December. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/38 "2012-09-18T22:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > The president can order anyone even US citizens to be executed.. Correction: The President can wage war. There’s a difference. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/39 "2012-09-18T22:31:09Z")
One question that might help is to consider this. If the POTUS decides one day to ignore the federal courts, Congress, and the governments of all the states and territories and do his own thing, how much could he _legally_ accomplish? Could the POTUS send troops to burn Montreal not only without explicit congressional approval, but against the will of a Congress that is actively trying to stop him? Could he grab a fighter jet from Andrews AFB and joyride wherever he wants knowing that nobody has the legal authority to make him land or attack him? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757/40 "2012-09-19T02:30:55Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > One question that might help is to consider this. If the POTUS decides one day to ignore the federal courts, Congress, and the governments of all the states and territories and do his own thing, how much could he _legally_ accomplish? \ He’d be impeached rather quickly. The military would refuse to follow illegal orders. It would end suddenly and poorly for our rogue president. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-powerful-is-the-us-president/634757.md?page=3)