WHY AMERICA DECIDED IT NEEDED A PRESIDENT | ARCHIVE FILE 008

GOVERNMENT & POWER

S.B.

Before George Washington became president in 1789, America had no separate national executive. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress struggled to raise money and enforce national decisions.

But after fighting a revolution against a king, the founders feared placing too much power in one person's hands.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates debated whether America needed a single president, how that president should be chosen, and what limits should exist on executive power.

Archive File 008 examines the documented debates and decisions that created the American presidency—and the safeguards designed to prevent another monarchy.