While the presidency is certainly a powerful office with significant constitutional authority, the ability of a president to use that power effectively is dependent on the level of political support they are able to garner. Without the support of Congress, the courts, the public, or other key actors, a president's ability to control national policy is severely compromised. Therefore, the power of the presidency is conditional on factors beyond the office itself.

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The Presidency Is

Question 39

Multiple Choice

The presidency is

A) an extraordinarily strong office with sufficient powers to enable the president to control national policy under virtually all circumstances.
B) an inherently weak office,in that presidents have almost no capacity to influence the major directions of national policy.
C) an office in which power is conditional,depending on whether the political support that gives force to presidential leadership exists or can be developed.
D) an office where power depends almost entirely on its occupant; strong leaders are always successful presidents,and weak ones never succeed.
E) an office where power is fairly constant,regardless of the occupant or the circumstances.

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