American politics is often defined by an ongoing power conflict between the executive and legislative branches of government. This struggle for political power between the two strongest branches of the three is inherent in the Constitution itself. The concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances ensure that the branches of government will remain in conflict and provide a balance that keeps the entire government in check. When it was created, the executive branch was much smaller and weaker than the one we know today. The legislative power was therefore unquestionably dominant. Throughout history, the executive branch has grown in size and power, to the point that it has at times surpassed the legislative branch and today competes with the legislative branch in a much closer political battle. Today, both branches have major elements that contribute to their power, but overall, the legislative branch remains lastingly dominant. Several aspects of executive power give the presidency political power. The president's greatest constitutional power is the veto (Romance, July 27). This is a power over Congress, allowing the president to stop an act of Congress in its tracks. Two things, however, limit the impact of this power. First, the veto is simply a big “NO” to Congress, making it a largely negative power as opposed to a constructive one (July 27). This means that the presidential veto, while still very powerful even through its mere threat, is fundamentally a reactive force rather than an active force. Second, the presidential veto can be overridden by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and the Senate (Landy and Milkis, 289). This means that the veto doesn't even necessarily have a useful branch to gain power it never had before. Despite this, Congress retains the benefits of this initial constitutional favor and the battle for supremacy between the legislative and executive branches has become tight. The legislative branch, however, enjoys a stability of power arising directly from the Constitution which allows it to remain consistently powerful regardless of circumstances. The executive branch is much more sensitive to the effects of the times and the nature of the people elected to this position. This stability of power undoubtedly makes Congress the lastingly dominant branch of the American government. Works Cited Landy, Marc and Sidney M. Milkis. American government: balancing democracy and rights. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004.Romance, Joseph. Political Science Lecture 6. Drew University, Summer 2004.