Use this American Government by the People video entitled The Presidency: The Leadership Branch to understand how government works and to study how The framers created a presidency with limited powers. Discover how to enact government business, the president must cooperate with Congress, but powers are divided among the branches, and the politics of shared power has often been stormy, and how the role and influence of presidents have increased in the course of the nation’s history. Discover how the expansion of presidential influence has been a continual development during the past several decades. Learn how crises, both foreign and economic, have enlarged these powers, and how when there is a need for decisive action, presidents are asked to supply it. Congress, of course, is traditionally expected to share in the formulation of national policy. Yet Congress is often so fragmented that it has been a willing partner in the growth of the presidency. At the same time, Congress is constantly setting boundaries on how far presidents can extend their influence. Every president must learn anew the need to work closely with the members of Congress.