As America has grown, and continues to grow, it is important that our government grows with it. Presidential power is a key part of our government, and influences us in ways we may not even be aware of, and a President’s personal conviction may be just as impactful as the scope of their control. Just as William Taft’s idea of Conservatism competed with Roosevelt’s Stewardship theory throughout time, we see how our leaders have taken a system designed to protect our citizen’s rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, and changed it into a game of power. But the leaders are not alone in this scheme. Citizens are also assigned their own civil duties within this process, and must rise up to the task, or see their rights fade. And as a Citizen must balance their voice with the governments control, a President must balance their own voice, with their own control.
William Taft says, “We are all imperfect. We can not expect perfect government.” This quote represents his Conservative presidential theory, where the President doesn’t actively change things, but instead, just facilitates what is already in motion. But perhaps this lack of action is what holds America back from progress. On the other hand, Roosevelt’s quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” encapsulates his Stewardship theory, where a president does, “everything in his power,” to create an ideal government.
While it is important to be constantly moving forward, like in Roosevelt’s theory, at what point does the President’s power become too much? In the last several years, most Presidents have abided by the Stewardship theory, making outrageous promises during campaigning, but then failing in this theory as they fail to actually enact these changes. We have learned that most politicians are acting in a way to promote their party, and to get their party re-elected, but where is the shift between social justice, and a system of control?
Conversely, looking at active citizenship, we see our citizen’s not practicing enough “stewardship.” There are many debates on whether voter registration laws should be eased to encourage voting, and how the “filter bubble,” confines our information. A citizen, even though they are tasked with Roosevelt’s call for action, may not actually be able to enact any change. On this age-old issue, Martin Luther King Jr. in his Letter to Birmingham Jail says, “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” In trying to balance Roosevelt and King’s motivation with Taft’s self suppression, at what point does a President’s civic responsibility turn into an abuse of power? At what point is a lack of action failing in their duty? 
Today’s Presidents may have one of the toughest challenges we’ve seen in the White House yet. As a CQ Press Researcher says, “The power of the Presidency is such that it may no longer be meaningful to classify Presidents as ‘weak’ or ‘strong.’ In the modern era, the President is virtually forced to be a strong executive.” This battle forces the President to choose whether to fall prey to your internal voice, or to allow your position to walk all over you. How our current President deals with this, while it may be a never ending process, sets the tone for many Presidents to come. In our ever changing, modern world, how will our leader balance self with image? How will our leader manage opinion and action? And how will our President manage his position of power with his civic responsibility?
Sources:
library.cqpress.com/…earcher/document.php
washingtonpost.com/…/bd572426-27fa-11e6-8329-6104954928d2_video
americanforeignrelations.com/…/Presidential-Power-The-stewardship-theory
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Theodore Roosevelt’s Little Texas
21st Century Citizenship 