How has the presidential power grown since the constitution was written?

The most prominent reason for increased presidential powers is the increased threat of immediate dangers that require swift response. Constitutionally, Congress holds the authority to declare war and ratify peace treaties with foreign nations. As the nature of security threats has evolved over the centuries, it is now clear that Congress is not capable of responding quickly to urgent security concerns, such as nuclear strikes and terrorist attacks. As a result, the War Powers Resolution grants the president power to order immediate but temporary military action without a Congressional declaration of war.

Another major reason for the expansion of the executive branch of the federal government is administering public services for a growing population. In the early days of American history, the population of the 13 original states was drastically lower than the nation's population in the 21st century. The federal government has grown over time to meet the needs of additional services and entitlements that 21st century citizens expect. Such new demands on the federal government include the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, and the Social Security Administration. Whenever a new bureau or department opens, it falls within the executive branch of government, which is overseen by the president.

explanation: we can only guess at how our actions may be perceived in the future. doing something really big like killing lots of people, saving lots of people, affecting the lives of lots of people is a sure fire way of being remembered in historical records. we can also make a difference in the history records by being a small influence on something bigger, whether that is as a civil servant, scientist or artist.

of course you could argue that we all affect history just as tiny cogs in a   bigger machine.

if you mean how do people influence our opinions of things which have already happened, then simply by writing a book which looks at things form a different perspective and trying to convince people that this perspective is more accurate or truthful. people do it all the time i.e. richard the third was a terrible or was he? plenty would disagree, it's just that their views aren't the most widely known.n:

an unexpected salary cut