The Founders of the Constitution of the United States of America divided the government into three parts in order prevent tyrannical rule so there could be a well-balanced government.

Even with that goal in mind, Congress was seemingly created to be the most important branch designed by the Founders based on the size and detail of the Article One alone which gives a large amount of power to this branch; arguably, however, over time the Executive branch has become the most central part of the American government.

Americans focus more time and energy on Presidential elections than any other governmental election due to the perceived power that the office of President holds which in turn gives the President more power. President Barack Obama used his presidential power to create important regulations and to reform the American government without the help or permission of Congress.

The Constitution’s lack of specificity has led to conflicting opinions on what a president can and cannot do. Some political scientists argue that Presidential powers are based on the likability and presumed competence of the President as opposed to just the powers outlined in the Founding document. This executive power can be used in a plethora of ways including passing and changing regulations, circumventing Congressional powers, and igniting change within private companies and organizations. The use of this power is hotly contested because some fear that it is too much power for the president to have while others believe it is the only way for real changes to be made. Regardless of these opinions, the president is, in fact, handed the opportunity to be the most powerful person in the world.

Traditionally, presidents have been forced to try to work with a sometimes hostile Congress, but recent presidents have utilized executive power to override and work around Congressional blockades. President Obama took this exercise of power to a new level during his two terms of presidency by passing “nearly 50 percent more [major regulations] than the George W. Bush administration during the comparable period".The Obama administration created crucial legislation such as the Affordable Care Act in order to lay a foundation for these regulations. Obama started to unilaterally institute new rules instead of working solely on legislation when he realized that he could make more of an impact, quicker by circumventing Congressional approval. It is this blatant disregard towards Congress that is coloring Obama’s presidential legacy.

The president started by imposing regulations on contractors that worked for the United States’ federal government in hopes that private companies would follow. Millions of workers were given higher hourly pay, paid sick days, and were protected from workplace discrimination by the executive orders put into place. As he intended, some private companies began to raise the minimum wage for their employees as well. Obama believed “that contractors who paid higher wages would attract and retain better workers, increasing their productivity," a theory that could be felt on even the lowest levels of the contractors. Although there was blow back, the president was legally found to be well within his power and critics were unable to contradict his regulations.

Like every president, President Obama will be left will a legacy based on his decisions as president; a long-lasting and positive legacy is something all presidents work for. As it stands, Obama may be remembered as a leader who constantly worked through regulations instead of through legislation and was able to make a huge impact.

He was able to initiate changes in the way private companies treat their employees, environmental practices, and human rights. His work with bureaucrats led to the implementation of over 100 major regulations while he remained unable to pass many of the items he placed before Congress. Obama made use of the departments in the Executive branch by delegating issues such as increasing LGBTQ rights to the Department of Health and Human Services while he worked through executive actions that could not be performed without the help of Congress. His legacy will most definitely include his tactics employed to bypass fights with Congress over legislature, but it must also include the amount of work he put into increasing the equality, quality of life, and efficiency of the United States while in office.

As a country, we cannot get discouraged by Donald Trump because although he holds the same job that Barack Obama formerly did, we are empowered to prevent Trump from ruining not only the country, but also from leaving us hopeless.