November 10, 1803 On this date, President Thomas Jefferson approved and signed an act to pay France $11 million dollars for the Louisiana Purchase. The House discussed and approved the payment with a 90 to 25 vote on October 25, 1803. During the deliberations, some Members questioned the constitutionality of increasing the size of the nation and Congress’s role in that process. President Jefferson conducted most of the negotiating with Napoleonic France without congressional input. John Randolph of Virginia, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, asked rhetorically, “Does not the President . . . submit this subject to Congress for their sanction? Does he not recognize the principle . . . that no treaty is binding until we pass the laws for executing it?” — Office of the Historian What precedent did Thomas Jefferson set for the role of the president during his time in office?

Question

November 10, 1803 On this date, President Thomas Jefferson approved and signed an act to pay France $11 million dollars for the Louisiana Purchase. The House discussed and approved the payment with a 90 to 25 vote on October 25, 1803. During the deliberations, some Members questioned the constitutionality of increasing the size of the nation and Congress’s role in that process. President Jefferson conducted most of the negotiating with Napoleonic France without congressional input. John Randolph of Virginia, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, asked rhetorically, “Does not the President . . . submit this subject to Congress for their sanction? Does he not recognize the principle . . . that no treaty is binding until we pass the laws for executing it?” — Office of the Historian What precedent did Thomas Jefferson set for the role of the president during his time in office?
A) The Constitution strictly limits the powers of the president to those that it lists.
B) The powers of the president are not limited to those listed in the Constitution.
C) The United States should avoid entering into diplomatic agreements with other countries.
D) The president must follow the Senate's advice when forming agreements with foreign nations.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The precedent that Thomas Jefferson set for the role of the president during his time in office is best represented by:

B) The powers of the president are not limited to those listed in the Constitution.

Jefferson's actions in negotiating the Louisiana Purchase without significant congressional input suggested an interpretation of presidential powers that extended beyond the explicitly enumerated powers in the Constitution, highlighting a more expansive view of executive authority in matters of foreign policy and land acquisition.