Executive Powers in the U.S. Constitution: Seen by Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, Adams, and Paine

The United States Constitution is one of the most important, influential, and steadfast documents in human history. A small group of some of the most well-educated men in America came together and over a period of time wrote out and agreed upon a series of Articles that founded one of the greatest countries in the world today. Each man brought his own resolute opinion to the making of this document and the result is nothing short of one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. Some of the most influential men in American political history contributed and their ideas, while brilliant, differed.

John Adams, the second President of the United States of America, believed that a republican government was susceptible to corruption and that a strong and stable force was needed in order to protect the rights of the people and to maintain order. The best and most practical way to achieve this was through a strong executive branch. Adams, later in life even proposed the idea of hereditary positions in order to relieve the position of all corruption.

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, believed in legislative supremacy and a decentralized government. A strong believer in the Constitution, he thought that the executive branch's main duty was to uphold this document and cater to the people of the republic. However, when he became President, a position that needed strong and popular people such as himself, he continued on Adams' path to make it a stronger branch of government.

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States and the driving force behind The Federalist Papers, wanted the legislative branch to be the strongest branch of government as exemplified by Federalist # 10 and #51. Along with Jefferson, he thought that the executive powers should be restricted to those stated in the Constitution, such as appointing United States Supreme Court Justices, signing off on laws, commanding the troops, and negotiating treaties.

Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasurer of the United States, viewed and wanted the executive branch to be the strongest figure in government. He is well known for trying to make the likes of George Washington into a King. Hamilton wanted a "vigorous and energetic" unitary executive that was necessary for a good government. He believed in the ultimate power of the executive, in such that he should be elected for life, have total vetoing powers over the legislative branch, appoint his Cabinet without approval, and have the ability to declare war. In essence Hamilton wanted a monarchical executive branch.

Thomas Paine, author of works like Common Sense, thought that "the law should be king" and an executive who goes above those laws makes himself king. Therefore, Paine believed the executive branch should be limited in its powers, for he did not trust governments that placed too much power in the executive. To him absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the citizens of a country should be careful in placing too much power in one man.

All five men contributed to American political thought in ways they could have only hoped to imagine. John Adams believed in a strong executive branch, one that would protect the citizens; Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wanted the executive power to uphold the ideas expressed in the Constitution; Alexander Hamilton wanted the executive branch to be the strongest and most powerful branch of government, bordering on monarchy; and Thomas Paine, the rebel rouser, feared the executive branch and preached to the people the dangers in allowing too much power to lay in the hands of one person. All in all when the Framers wanted to attract more attention and bring in smarter and more popular individuals to the Office of the President, they gave the position more powers and a larger role in government, which invariably set off the debate of how much power one man should have. In a society that was formed because a tyrant wanted too much control over the lives of the colonists, the hot debate about the role of the executive in this new America, a debate that still burns today.