American Government › Section L · The presidency › Topic L.1
The design and evolution of the presidency
The framers wrote only a few hundred words about the president, then left the details to practice. How that short text became the most visible office in American government is a story of design choices, crises and ambitious occupants.
In this topic
- Inventing an executive
- Electors and the Twelfth Amendment
- Who can serve, and for how long
- The powers in Article II
- Impeachment: the framers' safety valve
- Worked example: the Watergate succession
- Early presidents stretch the office
- War and emergency powers
- The modern presidency takes shape
- Worked example: limits on inherent power
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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