29. the president can provide a check on congresss power to create legislation by

The President of the United States is elected to a four-year term by electors from every state and the District of Columbia. The electors make up the Electoral College, which is comprised of 538 electors, equal to the number of Representatives and Senators that currently make up Congress. The citizens of each state vote for slates of electors who then vote for the President on the prescribed day, selected by Congress.

To become President, a person must be a natural born citizen of the United States. Naturalized citizens are ineligible, as are persons under the age of 35. In the case that the President should be unable to perform their duties, the Vice-President becomes the President (see: 25th Amendment).  The 22nd Amendment places a two-term limit on the presidential office.

The President:
  • Is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
    • They have the power to call into service the state units of the National Guard, and in times of emergency may be given the power by Congress to manage national security or the economy.
  • Has the power to make treaties with Senate approval.
    • They can also receive ambassadors and work with leaders of other nations.
  • Is responsible for nominating the heads of governmental departments, federal judges, and Supreme Court justices. 
    • The U.S. Senate is charged with approving these nominations.
  • Can issue executive orders, which have the force of law but do not have to be approved by Congress.
  • Can issue pardons for federal offenses.
  • Can convene Congress for special sessions.
  • Can veto legislation approved by Congress. However, the veto is limited.
    • It is not a line-item veto, meaning that the President must veto the entire bill, rather than parts of it.
    • Further, a presidential veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote by Congress.
  • Delivers the State of the Union address annually to a joint session of Congress.

War Powers

Congress holds the power to declare war. As a result, the President cannot declare war without their approval. However, as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, Presidents have sent troops to battle without an official war declaration (which happened in Vietnam and Korea). The 1973 War Powers Act attempted to define when and how the President could send troops to battle by adding strict time frames for reporting to Congress after sending troops to war, in addition to other measures, however it has not had much effect (see "War Powers Resolution" section in the Commander in Chief Powers article).

Nominations

The President is responsible for nominating candidates for the head positions of government offices. The President will typically nominate cabinet officials and secretaries at the beginning of their presidency and will fill vacancies as necessary. In addition, the President is responsible for nominating Federal Circuit Court judges and Supreme Court justices and choosing the chief justice. These nominations must be confirmed by the Senate. While the President usually has broad appointment powers, subject to Senate approval, there are some limitations. In National Labor Relations Board v. SW General Inc. (2017), the Supreme Court decided that the "Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 [FVRA], which prevents a person who has been nominated to fill a vacant office requiring presidential appointment and Senate confirmation from performing the duties of that office in an acting capacity, applies to anyone performing acting service under the FVRA."

Further, the President is constitutionally allowed to make recess appointments when the Senate is not in session (which means that such appointments are not subject to Senate approval until the end of the session). However, In National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning, the Supreme Court ruled that "for purposes of the clause, the Senate is in session whenever it indicates that it is, as long as – under its own rules – it retains the capacity to transact Senate business." As such, the Senate can claim to always be in session, therefore preventing the President from making any recess appointments.

Executive Orders

In times of emergency, the President can override Congress and issue executive orders with almost limitless power. Abraham Lincoln used an executive order in order to fight the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson issued numerous pardons related to US involvement in World War I (1913-1920), and in 1942 Franklin Roosevelt approved Japanese internment camps during World War II with an executive order.

Pardons

The U.S. Constitution gives the President almost limitless power to grant pardons to those convicted of federal

How can the President provide a check on Congress power to create legislation?

The Executive branch can veto acts of Congress by the President choosing not to sign the act into law. This allows the Executive branch some control over what laws Congress creates.

How can the president check the power of Congress?

The veto allows the President to “check” the legislature by reviewing acts passed by Congress and blocking measures he finds unconstitutional, unjust, or unwise. Congress's power to override the President's veto forms a “balance” between the branches on the lawmaking power.

How can the President check Congress quizlet?

The president can veto bills, can call special sessions of congress, recommend laws, and ask citizens to presure congress to act. The courts can declare laws made in congress unconstitutional if they don't like them.

How is the president able to limit or check the power of the legislative branch?

The president is able to check the power of the legislative branch through the use of the presidential veto. When new legislation is presented to the president to sign, he or she has the power to reject that legislation by vetoing it.