Congress and the Presidency: An Unequal Relationship 1 4 Congress and the Presidency: An Unequal Relationship Jorge Gonzalez SS236M2 Purdue Global University March 15, 2021 Thesis Thesis: The legislative branch is more powerful than the executive branch because it is in charge of making laws. Comment by Erica Johnson: This is not convincing. The executive branch can veto laws and issue executive orders. Comment by Erica Johnson: Outline I. As per the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers (Whitehouse.gov, 2021). a. In 2008, George W. Bush vetoed the Medicare Improvement bill. However, the veto was overridden by Congress with significant majority. Comment by Erica Johnson: Cite b. In 1998, Congress exercised its power over the executive when President Bill Clinton was subject to an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives and then the impeachment trial in the Senate. c. Finally, the senate refused to confirm the appointment of Debo Adegbile to be the head of the Civil Rights Division within the Justice Department. Comment by Erica Johnson: When? II. As per the U.S. Constitution, the President who is the head of the executive branch, has the power either to sign legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress (Whitehouse.gov, 2021). Comment by Erica Johnson: He has more powers than this. a. President Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills from congress during his terms in office. Congress managed to successfully override 9 bills only. Comment by Erica Johnson: Theodore or Franklin? b. President George W. Bush committed US military forces to Iraq and Afghanistan without the Congressional authorization under the Constitution War Clause after the 9/11 terror attack. c. In 2015, President Barack Obama vetoed a bill authorizing the controversial Keystone XL pipeline (Eilperin & Zezima, 2015) III. The legislative branch has more power than the executive branch because it can enact legislation and declare war, and it can also confirm or reject many Presidential appointments. Congress can also override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses.  Comment by Erica Johnson: Checks and balances a. For example, Congress declared war On August 7, 1964, when it passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The resolution authorized President Lyndon Johnson to take any measures he believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast Asia (history.state.gov, n.d.). Comment by Erica Johnson: They gave him a lot of power. b. The above example is interesting because it shows the power of the Llegislative branch over the Eexecutive branch. Before the resolution was made, President Johnson had requested permission from Congress to increase the presence of US military forces in Indochina. The President could not act ...

1. Congress and the Presidency: An Unequal Relationship 1
4
Congress and the Presidency: An Unequal Relationship
Jorge Gonzalez
SS236M2
Purdue Global University
March 15, 2021
Thesis
Thesis: The legislative branch is more powerful than the
executive branch because it is in charge of making laws.
Comment by Erica Johnson: This is not convincing. The
executive branch can veto laws and issue executive orders.
Comment by Erica Johnson:

2. Outline
I. As per the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the sole authority
to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or
reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial
investigative powers (Whitehouse.gov, 2021).
a. In 2008, George W. Bush vetoed the Medicare Improvement
bill. However, the veto was overridden by Congress with
significant majority. Comment by Erica Johnson: Cite
b. In 1998, Congress exercised its power over the executive
when President Bill Clinton was subject to an impeachment vote
in the House of Representatives and then the impeachment trial
in the Senate.
c. Finally, the senate refused to confirm the appointment of
Debo Adegbile to be the head of the Civil Rights Division
within the Justice Department. Comment by Erica Johnson:
When?
II. As per the U.S. Constitution, the President who is the head
of the executive branch, has the power either to sign legislation
into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress (Whitehouse.gov,
2021). Comment by Erica Johnson: He has more powers than
this.
a. President Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills from congress during his
terms in office. Congress managed to successfully override 9
bills only. Comment by Erica Johnson: Theodore or Franklin?
b. President George W. Bush committed US military forces to
Iraq and Afghanistan without the Congressional authorization
under the Constitution War Clause after the 9/11 terror attack.
c. In 2015, President Barack Obama vetoed a bill authorizing
the controversial Keystone XL pipeline (Eilperin & Zezima,
2015)
III. The legislative branch has more power than the executive
branch because it can enact legislation and declare war, and it
can also confirm or reject many Presidential appointments.
Congress can also override a presidential veto with a two-thirds
vote of both houses. Comment by Erica Johnson: Checks
and balances

3. a. For example, Congress declared war On August 7, 1964,
when it passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. The resolution
authorized President Lyndon Johnson to take any measures he
believed were necessary to retaliate and to promote the
maintenance of international peace and security in Southeast
Asia (history.state.gov, n.d.). Comment by Erica Johnson: They
gave him a lot of power.
b. The above example is interesting because it shows the power
of the Llegislative branch over the Eexecutive branch. Before
the resolution was made, President Johnson had requested
permission from Congress to increase the presence of US
military forces in Indochina. The President could not act on his
own after two destroyers stationed in the Gulf of
Tonkin in Vietnam reported that they had been fired upon by
North Vietnamese forces.
c. This example is important to me because it shows how
Congress exercises its powers. It also shows how the
Llegislative and the Eexecutive branch work together.
Comment by Erica Johnson: This does not support your
argument above that the legislative is more powerful.
References Comment by Erica Johnson: You must use the
course text.
Eilperin J. and Zezima K. (2015, February 24). Obama Vetoes
Keystone XL bill. The Washington
Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-
politics/wp/2015/02/24/keystone-xl-bill-a-k-a-veto-bait-heads-
to-presidents-desk/
The executive branch. (2021, January 17). The White
House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-
government/the-executive-branch/
The legislative branch. (2021, January 15). The White
House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-
government/the-legislative-branch
Milestones: 1961–1968. (n.d.). Office of the
Historian. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/gulf-

4. of-tonkin
Competency Assessment Rubric
All competency criteria must be met to earn a B grade and pass
this Course Outcome.
A predefined number of mastery criteria must be met to earn an
A grade, indicating mastery of the Course Outcome. See the
CLA and Grade Criteria Chart below.
MET
NOT YET MET
Legislative Branch: Check on Executive Branch
Competency
Explains how the legislative branch acts as a check against the
executive branch.
X
Mastery
Supports description of legislative branch’s checks with
specific, referenced examples.
X
Executive Branch: Check on Legislative Branch
Competency

5. Explains how the executive branch acts as a check against the
legislative branch.
X
Mastery
Supports description of executive branch’s checks with specific,
referenced examples.
X
Executive Versus Legislative Branch: Analysis
Competency
Explains how either the executive or legislative branch wields
more power at the expense of the other branch.
X
Explains why an analysis of executive versus legislative powers
is important to the student.
X
Mastery
Supports descriptionof legislative and/or executive branch’s
power with specific, referenced examples.
X
Total Competency Criteria:
Total Mastery Criteria:

6. CLA and Grade Criteria Chart
CRITERIA
CLA Score
Grade
Points
Meets all competency criteria and 2–3 of mastery criteria
5
A
1000
Meets all competency criteria and 0–1 of mastery criteria
4
B
850
Meets 3 of competency criteria
3
Not Yet Competent*
0
Meets 2 of competency criteria
2
Not Yet Competent*
0
Meets 1 of competency criteria
1
Not Yet Competent*
0
Meets 0 competency criteria
0
Not Yet Competent*
0
No submission
NA
Not Yet Competent*
0
*Not Yet Competent grades convert to an F at term end.

7. *If work submitted for this competency assessment does not
meet the minimum submission requirements, it will be returned
for revision without being scored. If the work submitted does
not meet the minimum submission requirements by the end of
the term, you will receive a failing score.Minimum Submission
Requirements
Minimum Submission Requirements
MET
NOT YET MET
· Full-sentence outline format
X
· APA formatting (including in-text citations and a separate
reference page following the outline)
X
· Three sources (including the class text and two additional
outside sources)
X