Executive Office Accountability
How accountable is the president, and to whom?
president
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Student Loans & Separation of Powers
What does the separation of powers have to do with student loan forgiveness?
Check Out Our Course on the Presidency
When the framers created the presidency, they were intent on solving two trust-related problems. One problem was how to harness political competition for the public good without the polarizing consequences they observed in England and Europe. The other problem was how to balance the need for an empowered executive to get things done against the …
Executive Orders 3
The courts have been generous in how they assess the constitutionality of various executive orders.
Executive Orders
Presidents use executive orders to create laws or to modify laws, rules, and regulations.
Topics of the Day
The twenty-fifth amendment and sedition have been getting a lot of attention after the events of January 6.
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Dissenters from the Unitary Executive Theory argue that Congress can regulate any presidential powers that are not clearly spelled out in the Constitution – so long as Congress does not obstruct constitutional obligations placed on the presidency.
The Presidency 46
Supporters of the unitary executive theory believe presidents may act without Congressional interference.
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The trust-related debates about the presidency from the framer’s time continue to this day.
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Populist or partisan presidents sometimes feel motivated to weaken constitutional constraints.
The Presidency – Quiz 3
Free course on the presidency. One paragraph per day. Which statements about American political parties are true? They have to be pre-approved by the government. They help candidates mobilize and organize people. They help voters by showing how their candidates and policies are different and superior. They can help sitting presidents build support for their …
Winning at All Costs
Countries with weak democracies host political parties willing to do anything to win.
The Presidency 43
Presidents can use their connection to the voters to bypass reluctant party leaders.
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Extracted from our course Trust and the Presidency. 2.14 Money is power. A president’s political assets can sometimes extend beyond leadership to include money. Under today’s campaign laws, presidential candidates with sufficient excess campaign committee funds can influence federal and state elections. They can do so by directing some of their campaign committee funds to …
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Political parties became more important as state legislatures directed their electors to follow the popular vote in their states.
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Voters and political parties became additional sources of presidential power and accountability.
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The power to pardon creates some overlap in the powers of the presidency and those of the court.
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The Twentieth Amendment largely removed the need for power to convene or adjourn Congress.
