The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch. . , The Need for an Executive Branch , In 1787, representatives from every state (except Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) gathered at Independence Hall to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first written instrumentation of the general government. They elected George Washington the president of the Convention. Many of the delegates viewed the federal government as too weak to adequately address the needs of the growing nation. After months of debate, the convention decided to replace, rather than reform, the Articles of Confederation. Encouraged by Washington's support, the delegates in Philadelphia created the US Constitution., The structure of government under the Articles of Confederation lacked an effective executive. State governments essential operated independently of one another, and the Confederation Congress could not enforce the laws or carry out the goals of the central government. As Alexander Hamilton argued in The Federalist, a single executive leader would more easily administer the laws of the United States., To address the issue, the Constitution divided the power of the federal government into three branches. By separating power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, the Constitution protects against government overreach. The three branches have the ability to check one another if they become too powerful or infringe on the rights of the American people. Article II vests the Executive in a single person.,

"Energy in the Executive is the leading character in the definition of good government…Decision, activity, secrecy, and dispatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any great number…" , Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70 (March 15, 1788)