The Founders limited the president’s power strongly to the power of Congress, which controls the national budget and performs legislative oversight. The President of the United States is obliged to report to Congress on the state of the American nation. Presidential decrees can veto if 2/3 of all members of Congress voted “against.” This body has the exclusive right to declare or end a war.
According to the US Constitution, the President is endowed with enormous powers. He is the head of state and the head of the executive branch. He has the pre-emptive right of legislative initiative and initiates most of the new laws.
The President is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, represents the country in international relations, and appoints members of the Government and all senior leaders of the state. He also has significant leverage over the supreme legislative power and the supreme judicial power, for example, the right to veto laws and other decisions taken by Congress.
Relations between the President and Congress are based on the cooperation-rivalry formula, which provides for the mechanism of checks and balances. Sometimes the confrontation takes sharp, dramatic forms, but this rarely happens. Conflicts between the legislative and executive branches are resolved based on compromises.
All branches of the US government are equal and have equal powers. However, there were tendencies to expand the powers and strengthen the executive power during the twentieth century.
It significantly intensified during the Second World War, and then this process continued during the Cold War. Against the background of the strengthening of the executive power, the role of the President and his influence in domestic and foreign policy increased.
The Cold War situation created favorable conditions for this since everything was explained by the need to ensure security. Even the term “imperial presidency” appeared, which generally reflected the trend with a certain degree of exaggeration.