US Presidency
There can be little question in the modern scholar's mind that the most prominent and influential figure in contemporary international politics is the president of United States. While this institution is famous for drawing an enormous amount of power from the U.S. Constitution, history has often shown that sources of presidential power are not limited to the parameters stated therein. There have been many instances in American history where the president's popularity in politics and in the public's eyes have proved to be very significant factors in determining the political power he possesses. A great example can be found in the recent Clinton Administration. Towards the end of his second term in office, President Bill Clinton became, paradoxically, the most publicly shamed president of modern time and at the same time one of the most popular. Examining the events that unfolded, starting with the revelation of the Monica Lewinsky s
Another example of the effects of public opinion on presidential politics has been the consequences of the conflict between the Clinton White House and an agent of bureaucracy, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr. There is no doubt that the extent of presidential power should be controlled and checked by the other two branches of government. However as the weeks passed, the charismatic and intelligent public speaker successfully persuaded a remarkable percentage of the population to support him. Americans were forced to choose between their strong approval of their president's performance as president and their belief that this behavior was sufficiently immoral to remove him from office. However, it is also evident that when the president has public support behind him, the amount of political power he possesses is greatly intensified. candal up until President Clinton's last weeks in the office, shows that public support can be an extremely significant part of the presidency. Throughout the rest of the year, the public was faced with the fact that the President did indeed have a sexual relationship with a young White House intern, and that he had lied under oath. Most scholars, however, argue that Starr has abused his investigative powers vested in him by the Independent Counsel Law, and has possibly violated the law itself. Public opinion proved to be crucial in Clinton's case; with public support behind him, Clinton had the courage not to resign, and faced trial in the Senate. As seen during the scandalous Clinton Administration, when the chemistry between the president and the people is decent, forgiving and forgetting the bad aspects of a presidency becomes remarkably easier. On the other hand, while Clinton's rating with the public remained strong, Starr's investigation totally lost support of the public, and was considered "insincere" by a remarkable portion of the public, according to a March 1998 Pew poll. Once more strong public image had gained Clinton a major advantage in a very challenging period of his term in White House. When the story broke on Wednesday, January 21 of that year, public opinion polls conducted by credited news organizations showed that during the period between 22nd and 30th of January President Clinton's rating fell to a record low. From the first months he took office, up until January of 1998, a series of economic and political victories had provided President Clinton with a remarkably high job approval rating (about 60 percent according to an ABC News/ Washington Post poll) from the public.
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Acceptance Essays
