Even though the true responsibilities of the President seem somewhat hidden from the general public, the President is always busy working to make this country better. Films and TV shows have tried to show how the president acts in the White House without the media’s interpretation, but one of the best examples of this is the 1995 movie The American President.
The American President is all about fictional President Andrew Shepherd making decisions for our country and his duties clashing with his personal life. Shepherd, a widower of three years with a daughter, meets a lobbyist, Sydney Ellen Wade, who was brought to the White House to help pass an environmental bill. Shepherd asks Wade to the state dinner in the White House and they begin a relationship, even as Shepherd has his Presidential duties to attend to and Wade has to get votes for her side of the bill. Presidential candidate Bob Rumson uses this relationship against Shepherd, and even goes as far as finding a picture of Wade burning a flag and making a fit about it. Shepherd’s ratings spiral downward as more people begin leaning towards Rumson. Wade’s bill that she worked so hard for is trumped by Shepherd’s crime bill due to his falling ratings, and she is thus fired. Wade breaks up with Shepherd and states that she has a new job elsewhere. Shepherd decides to give a speech on the same day he gives the State of the Union Address. In the speech, he says that he will send the environmental bill instead of the crime bill, even going as far as raising it up ten percent, and hashes back at Rumson for bringing up the business with Wade. After the speech, Shepherd declares that he will drive himself to Wade’s home and beg her to come back, but she appears in the Oval Office before he leaves. They meet, apologize and reconcile.
The president has much to do in regards of powers. He holds many different roles. As head of government, for example, he is in charge of the laws that Congress makes and the departments inside of the Executive branch. His job entitles him to pass a law or to veto it, and also to create treaties. The President gives orders as the main executive power, which gives him the title of Chief Executive (“The Executive Branch”). The Chief Executive is responsible for stating federal emergencies, making policies and changing administrative procedures (Mayer). He also is in charge of ‘enforcement of laws’ and heading departments within the Executive Branch (“The Executive Branch”). In The American President, the President was able to secure his votes for the crime bill using this power.
In the movie, the President invites the French president and his wife to a State dinner in the White House. One of the powers of the President is to receive diplomats, which can be classified as an enumerated power, as the Constitution clearly states that one of his roles is Chief Diplomat.
In The American President, an example of the President using his power of persuasion is when he is trying to get the crime bill to become a law. He needed Congress’ approval to pass the bill, which is described as a part of Richard Neustadt’s theory of persuasion . An example of the President going public, as Samuel Kernell’s theory states, is at the very end of the movie when he gives the speech before his State of the Union. He goes before the press and argues the case that Bob Rumson brought before him in his campaign, also defending Sydney Ellen Wade against Rumson’s accusations.
The American President appeared to be an accurate description of what a President has to deal with on a day to day basis before an election. His relationship with his closest staff and their influence on his decision-making seemed realistic. His relationship with Sydney Ellen Wade seemed a bit one-sided at first, but once she began to realize his affection for her and that he wasn’t just toying with her, it turned into a dramatic love story that was enjoyable. The drama did seem over-the-top at times. It didn’t feel entirely realistic in what all the President does, and felt more like a romantic drama than a political drama.
All in all, this movie felt like a great example of the life of the President behind the scenes, and stayed true with the roles of the President and what could happen in these sorts of situations. The film writers stayed true to the political side, and included what a possible romance could look like with a single President that felt believable. The staff and extras also helped to sell the story. Although it included all of the powers expressed for the President, the story felt more romanticized than political, and seemed to appeal more to people wanting a good romance rather than someone wanting a movie about politics.
WORKS CITED
Mayer, Kenneth R. “Executive Orders and Presidential Power.” C:Documents and Settingskma…Content.IE5O7HZ6JPB[2].pdf (1997): 445-66. UW-Madison: Political Science Department. University of Wisconsin System, 21 Oct. 1997. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.
“The Executive Branch.” The White House. The United States Government, 01 Apr. 2015. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.