Even though the US President is often called “the most powerful person in the world” they are often held back by checks-and-balances from the legislative and executive branches. However, this is not the case in Latin America, where the executive is far and away the most powerful branch of government.
How are Latin American presidents more powerful than U.S. presidents vis-a-vis checks and balances from the legislative and executive branches?
What sort of exceptional powers do they have, and what are the historical/political roots of these powers?
Do you believe these powers are justified? That is, are there moments in a democracy where a state response is needed quickly, and time cannot be spared for debate and deliberations?
Do you think the tradeoff of speed for checks and balances is worth it? Feel free to use outside resources, or a case example. But do not make up facts.
Note: Also, when citing an outside source be sure to use within-text citations by using a (Author, Year) format at the end of any sentence that involves a quote or a paraphrased idea.
