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After gaining their independence from the British, the American colonies joined together to set up a federal government under the Articles of Confederation, which consisted of some basic rules to hold them together. During the constitutional convention in Philadelphia convened in the summer of 1787, 55 delegates met to amend the Articles of Confederation, which did not provide for a federal chief executive or judicial system. Any amendment to the articles of confederation had required unanimous approval of all the states. The early framers of the articles had been heavily influenced by the constitutions of individual states and the principles underlying the declaration of independence, and were particularly concerned with limiting the powers of the federal government over the states and guaranteeing the rights of each individual citizen. To allay the fear that a monolithic centralized government in which all power was vested would lead to tyranny, the principle of separation of power among the executive, legislative and judicial branches was devised. This system of checks and balances aimed to maintain the delicate balance between the authority of the federal government and the rights and liberties of the individual citizen. .
The executive branch of the federal government as defined in article 2 of the constitution vests executive power in the hands of the president, including responsibilities as the chief executive officer, commander and chief of the military forces, and with treaty making power (with approval of two thirds of the senate). The president is also given power of appointment for positions within the federal government, upon approval of the majority of the senate. The constitutional framework of American government leads to the expectation that congress; the president and the courts will have essentially equal influence in policy making in practice however the president has become considerably more powerful than legislative and judicial branches his role becoming almost monarchical in status.
