How can the president's power benefit others?

Answer 1

Many times throughout US history, a president has advocated for policies that would help people to live a better life. And while sometimes these policies were controversial or did not accomplish everything the president had hoped for, in most cases, they made a good start. For example, in 1935, President Roosevelt advocated for Social Security, because many Americans who were no longer working were living in poverty; he thought this new law would protect them and give them some money to live on in their later years. In 1965, President Johnson expanded upon this, championing Medicare (to make sure elderly Americans had access to health insurance) and Medicaid (to do the same for the poor). In 2010, President Obama tried to expand access even further, with the Affordable Care Act, designed to make sure all Americans could afford health insurance.

Beyond the question of health care, presidents have been instrumental in taking a principled stand on social issues. For example, presidents have spoken up for religious tolerance and respect for minority religions (George Washington visited a synagogue in 1790 and pledged that America would not allow bigotry); put an end to slavery (President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation) ; and advocated for laws that would protect workers' rights and the rights of consumers (Theodore Roosevelt).