Energy in the Executive: Creating the Presidency: The Framers who wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1787 tried to strike a difficult balance: they aimed to strengthen the U.S. government but also understood the need to place limits on its power. When they considered the powers of the executive, some worried that the president would become an elected king who appointed cronies to high office, enforced some laws and ignored others, and might abuse his authority as Commander in Chief. But Alexander Hamilton wrote that the Constitution's system of checks and balances was sufficient to prevent the president from abusing his power and advocated the creation of a strong president: "Energy in the Executive," he wrote, "is a leading character in the definition of good government." Striking this balance between power and limited government posed a challenge in 1787 and maintaining that balance over the past 237 years has proved challenging as well.

Free lecture (no tickets) in the Zabriskie Steuben House, 1209 Main Street, River Edge, NJ. How often do you get to hear a lecture while in an 18th century house?