Explain the difference between the Whig theory of the presidency and the stewardship theory. Which is the norm today?

What will be an ideal response?


The Whig theory holds that the presidency is a limited or constrained office whose occupant is confined to the exercise of expressly-granted constitutional authority. In this tradition, the president has no implicit powers for dealing with national problems but is primarily an administrator, who is charged with carrying out the will of Congress. James Buchanan was a proponent of this theory. The stewardship theory maintains that the president should be a strong, assertive, and forceful leader. In this tradition the president can do anything that is not specifically forbidden by the Constitution. Proponents of this tradition have included Theodore Roosevelt. The changes to the federal government led by Franklin Roosevelt cemented the stewardship model as the norm today.

Political Science

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Political Science