Has the president always been as active in the legislative process as modern day presidents are? It seems like the majority of major legislation is the result of a proposal by the president. For instance, Bush has proposed tax cuts and education reform. Clinton had welfare reform. Has it always been like this? Was there a time when the executive branch and legislative branch were more removed from each other?
I believe that you would find that the president has always been active in introducing bills to the legislature. Some have been more active than others, which can depend on such things as his personality and whether his party is in control of the legislature. Remember the president is the leader of his party and therefore it wouldn’t be nice if his party did not support the programs that he proposed. 