Which elastic phrase has become a significant source of presidential power?

Which elastic phrase has become a significant source of presidential power?

• A. With advice and consent of the Senate
• B. With all deliberate speed
• C. The full faith and credit clause
• D. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed

Answer: (D)

The main idea tested is how the presidency’s power can expand when the Constitution requires the president to ensure laws are faithfully executed. The phrase that says the president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed” gives the executive branch authority to interpret, prioritize, and implement statutes. In practice, this has been used to justify broad unilateral action: issuing executive orders, signing statements that interpret or limit how laws are enforced, and shaping agency rules and enforcement discretion. When Congress is gridlocked or unwilling to pass new laws, presidents have relied on this duty to act decisively and to set policy directions through the executive branch, effectively broadening their power beyond what is explicitly written in statutes. By contrast, the other options reflect checks and roles that limit or redirect presidential power rather than expand it. The requirement to obtain advice and consent of the Senate governs appointments and treaties and serves as a check, not an engine of unilateral action. A phrase about desegregation timelines is a judicial decree, not a constitutional grant of executive authority. The full faith and credit clause concerns interstate obligations and does not empower the president to pursue policy through executive action.

The main idea tested is how the presidency’s power can expand when the Constitution requires the president to ensure laws are faithfully executed. The phrase that says the president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed” gives the executive branch authority to interpret, prioritize, and implement statutes. In practice, this has been used to justify broad unilateral action: issuing executive orders, signing statements that interpret or limit how laws are enforced, and shaping agency rules and enforcement discretion. When Congress is gridlocked or unwilling to pass new laws, presidents have relied on this duty to act decisively and to set policy directions through the executive branch, effectively broadening their power beyond what is explicitly written in statutes.

By contrast, the other options reflect checks and roles that limit or redirect presidential power rather than expand it. The requirement to obtain advice and consent of the Senate governs appointments and treaties and serves as a check, not an engine of unilateral action. A phrase about desegregation timelines is a judicial decree, not a constitutional grant of executive authority. The full faith and credit clause concerns interstate obligations and does not empower the president to pursue policy through executive action.