The men who wrote the Constitution wanted to make sure that no person or small group controlled the government. That’s why they established three branches of government.
Then they built in a system of checks and balances among the three branches. Every power that the president has is balanced by a different power held by Congress or the courts. For example, the president is commander in chief of the armed forces, but only Congress can declare war. Still, over the years, many presidents have expanded the powers granted to them in the Constitution.
