The role of the President as Chief Executive Officer is a complex issue because it covers a broad area of ​​responsibility and involves many government agencies and offices, which the President is responsible for supervise. The story of the chief executive begins in the Constitution with Article II, Section I, "The executive power shall be vested in the President of the United States of America." It did not create this role although it was a precursor to it. Executive power means "seeing that the laws are carried out", which would be a difficult task for a single person to accomplish in a newly formed government, let alone in today's political world (Kalllenbach). To briefly explain this, one needs to understand what it is, what it does, and how it works. This leads us to understand why this system was instituted and why it is necessary. It also provides insight into how it developed over time and how it strengthened presidential power. Although the Constitution laid out the framework for the executive office, it was not formalized until Franklin Roosevelt became president and "authorized the Executive Reorganization Act of 1939" which allowed the president to staff the office with helpers (Erwin). The executive branch has changed since its early years; probably more than the founding fathers could have imagined. At first it consisted of three departments; Foreign Affairs, Treasury and War. Today, the executive branch includes the vice president, cabinet, personal aides, and other less visible offices, such as the White House military office. The purpose of this executive power is to help the president govern effectively. The Executive Office now employs more than 1,800 people. It is worth looking into those who are ...... middle of paper ...... e or department to deal with possible problems. As a result, the president must delegate responsibilities and some of these delegations are responsible for expanding the role of the vice presidency and the White House staff. It also expanded presidential power because it increased presidential accountability. Citizens are looking to the president, not Congress, as more and more power shifts to the executive branch of government. Works Cited Erwin, C. Hargrove. The power of the modern presidency. Flight. First edition. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974. George C. Edwards III, Wayne Stephen J. Presidential Leadership, Politics, and Policymaking. Boston: Cengage Wadsworth, 2010.Kalllenbach, Joseph E. The American Managing Director. New Yourk and London: Harper& Row, 1966. Unknown. The power of the presidency. Washington DC: CQ Press, 2008.