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President Lincoln's Boundaries During The Civil War

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During the Civil War, President Lincoln had to push the boundaries of his presidential power. Although it seemed necessary, I believe that Lincoln did not have the right to encroach on the personal liberties of the citizens. He did not go to Congress to complete his agenda. He used his power to get everything he wanted done without the approval of the states’ representatives. He acted a sort of dictatorial manner that upset many people, including many judicial service workers. Moreover, Lincoln is not an isolated case. Many presidents after Lincoln like FDR and Theodore Roosevelt overstepped their boundaries in order to achieve their plans. In fact, this sort of presidential overreach could even be equated to today’s society in the regard …show more content…
For example, he raised 75,000 soldiers to come and fight for the Union. He withdrew funds for the national treasury in order to fund the war. He even enacted the “Anaconda” naval blockade without congressional participation. The members of Congress are elected into Congress by the people. The president cannot just dismiss them because they represent the needs and wants of the people. Its approval should have been called for before every major decision. As if this was not bad enough, the legislative branch was not the only one that was slighted by Lincoln’s totalitarian-like actions. The judicial branch was also severely affected by the encroachment on individual rights. Habeas corpus is an integral part of the Constitution that guarantees a personal liberty. Lincoln overrode that right and not even judges could overturn his decision. The president tinkered with the system of check and balances by putting himself over the other branches which would have in no doubt been found him guilty of breaking the separation of powers rule (set up checks and balances) if the nation was not at war with itself. All in all, Lincoln crossed the line when nit came to individual power as he stepped over representatives of the people and the men who upheld the justice

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