a) Using Article II of Constitution, identify and explain which formal Constitutional powers apply to this scenario.
Article II of the US Constitution talks about the Executive Branch. Section 2 provides that the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, so he uses his formal power as Commander in Chief to determine that women may serve in a direct combat.
b)What informal powers and/or roles of the president apply? Explain how.
The President has formal and informal powers. The President being a Commander in Chief of the Army of the United States is formal power. But issuing executive orders is an informal power of the US President. The executive orders are orders that carry the force of law aim to run the government and direct the bureaucracy.
c) Are the president’s actions constitutional? Identify which section of the Constitution supports your answer.
Yes. Even though the US Constitution does not mention explicitly “executive orders”, the article 2 of the Constitution says that the President's authority can be used to determine how to enforce the law or to manage the resources and staff of the executive branch. Since the US President is the Commander-in-Chief of the US Army, his decision is constitutional.
d) Do you agree with the president’s decision? Why or why not?
Yes I agree with the order because I believe women are capable of serve in direct combat.