re effectively. He might have been more forthcoming about his plans to enlarge the US forces and move to an offensive capability, and certainly he deserved criticism for the manner in which leaders were ultimately informed of that decision and for delaying the announcement of the troop increase until after the congressional elections.Still, throughout the crisis, Bush involved Congress about as fully as could be expected and certainly as much as other presidents had in comparable circumstances. However frequent and open, presidential consultation with conionalThe presidency is a complex , multidimensional, contradictory , paradoxical office. It is embedded in a system-the seperation of powers-that limits and frustrates the use of power. The office has been occupied by individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, possesing varied skills, motives, and ambitions. They served under drastically different conditions and circumstances. It should not then surprise us that the history of the presidency reflects the rise and fall of power.The presidency has been shaped by varied individuals, operating within a dynamic system under changing cicumstances. Some presidents have been strong, others weak. Some eras demand change, others defy it. The presidency has been shaped by industrialization, by the Cold War, by American superpower status, by economic booms and busts, by increasing democratization, by the demands for capitalism, and by wars.Just as the Constitution was designed with change in mind, the inherent flexibility of the presidency can be seen as a very important trait as it allows the office to change with the times. We have seen that desperate times have called for desperate measures when it comes to the powers of the executive. When the country has been in a crisis situation and drastic measures have been needed, it has been the executive who has responded. On the other hand, when the presidents have engaged in unpopular ac...
