Final answer:
The president has the power to grant pardons and amnesty, exemplified by President Ford's pardon of Nixon and President Carter's amnesty to draft evaders. These decisions cannot be overturned by other branches of government. The president also has other significant powers and emergency powers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The president holds a significant constitutional power, which is to grant pardons and amnesty. The power to pardon is a unifying aspect of executive authority in the United States, and it remains unchecked by the other branches of government. This means that controversial decisions like President Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon, or President Jimmy Carter's blanket amnesty for draft evaders during the Vietnam War, are beyond the reach of judicial or legislative intervention.
Additionally, the President has the authority to exercise various powers including to convene Congress, receive ambassadors, serve as the commander in chief of the armed forces, issue executive orders, and appoint public officials with the advice and consent of the Senate. Notably, the president also has emergency powers that can be invoked during national crises, such as suspending habeas corpus, as was done by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and by President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks.