Government in the United States, National, State and LocalGarner, James Wilford
History
Government in the United States, National, State and Local
Garner, James Wilford
United States -- Politics and government
=Compensation of the President.=--The Constitution declares that the
President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a
compensation which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the
time for which he has been elected. He is also forbidden to receive any
other emolument either from the United States or from any state.
The salary of the President was $25,000 a year until 1873, when it was
raised to $50,000. In 1909 it was raised to $75,000. Besides this salary
there is an allowance of $25,000 a year for traveling expenses, and
allowances for clerks, automobiles, house furnishings, fuel, lighting,
etc., making in the aggregate some $250,000 a year. In the White House
the nation furnishes the President with both a private and an official
residence.
=Extent of the President's Powers.=--The powers of the President are
partly conferred by the Constitution, partly by acts of Congress and
treaties, and are partly the result of usage and precedent. The power
which has been wielded at any given time, however, has depended upon the
initiative and force of the President and the extent to which he enjoyed
the confidence of Congress and the people. Again, the power which may be
rightfully exercised depends upon the state of affairs under which the
office is administered. In time of war the power of the President may be
so expanded as to be limited in effect only by the necessities of the
national existence. The powers wielded by President Lincoln during the
Civil War were so great as to cause him to be frequently referred to as
a dictator. After the outbreak of the war with Germany in 1917 vast and
unprecedented powers were conferred on President Wilson by a succession
of far-reaching acts of Congress. Among the extraordinary powers thus
conferred on him were: the control of the manufacture and distribution
of commodities needful for war purposes, the requisition of ships and
other war supplies, the fixing of prices of coal, wheat, sugar, steel,
and various other commodities, the taking over and operation of private
ship-building plants, the closing of liquor distilleries and the seizure
of their stocks, the prohibition of exports to foreign countries, the
seizure of German ships in American ports, the making of regulations in
respect to the treatment of enemy aliens, and the taking over and
operation of railroads, telegraphs, and telephones.
=Classes of Powers.=--The various powers and duties which have been
conferred on the President by the Constitution and the laws may be
grouped under the following heads:
1. The power and duty of executing the laws, including the power to
appoint, direct, and remove public officers.
2. The management of the foreign affairs of the country.
3. The power to command the army and navy.
4. Legislative powers, including the sending of messages to Congress,
the calling of extra sessions, and especially the power to veto acts of
Congress.
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