The power of persuasion of presidents The president of the United States of America is considered throughout the world to be the most powerful man on Earth. However, many believe that its only true power is to persuade. The checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court on the president are enormous, and without their support he has relatively little power. A president cannot pass any legislation unless he has the support of the Senate and/or the House of Representatives. If a president wanted the United States to sign a new treaty, the Senate would have to ratify it with a 2/3 majority. If a president wants new legislation, he must submit it to Congress and convince both houses to vote on it. The president cannot pass legislation without congress and it can be reviewed by the supreme court. Once the president has presented the legislative measure, he can only try to convince both houses to accept it. There is no system by which the president can pass legislation without the checks and balances of Congress. The president is supposed to also have the power to present the annual budget, however, as with other laws, this must be vetted and approved by a majority of both houses of Congress. As far as legislation goes, the president's options are very limited. The last two years of the Clinton presidency faced a Republican-controlled Congress. This is a variable factor of every presidency, but if you have the misfortune of having this effect, then it becomes difficult to pass legislation. If there isn't a big change in congress, your legislation won't pass. At this point the power of persuasion is the only option... at the center of the card... they can't control it, and if they do, they can't stop it. However, the limitation is that the president cannot declare war on another country without congressional approval. A president's power to negotiate treaties is what makes him seen as a powerful figure abroad. While this requires a 2/3 majority by the Senate to confirm him, it is a very useful power. It is always more useful when the president's party has a strong majority in the Senate. However, if the president does not have a 2/3 majority in the Senate, which is more than likely, he will have to use the power of persuasion. Bottom line, the president has a variety of powers, not just persuasion. However, when, for example, he is faced with an opposition party congress, then the power of persuasion becomes even more important..