Formal vs. Informal Tools
This formal power allows the president to block legislation and force Congress to reconsider.
What is the Veto?
Congress can reduce the severity of a presidential veto by achieving this in both chambers.
What is 2/3s vote override?
He authored Federalist 70.
Who is Alexander Hamilton?
These two amendments limit presidential power when it started to expand.
What are the 22nd and the 25th amendments?
These agreements allow the president to act independently on foreign policy without Senate ratification.
What are executive agreements?
This presidential action expedites legislation when the Congress is unwilling/unable to pass laws.
What is an Executive Order?
Congress can counter executive agreements in foreign policy by doing this.
What is passing new legislation that alters the agreement?
Hamilton believed this trait — enabling swift action — is essential for good government.
What is energy?
Growing use of digital communication from Twitter to televised addresses enhances presidential agenda-setting through this leadership tool.
What is the bully pulpit?
LBJ promoting education policy to the public is an example of using this communication-driven power.
A president might make this type of appointment during a Senate break to avoid immediate confirmation fights.
What is a recess appointment?
When the president claims executive privilege to withhold information, SCOTUS can respond using this check.
What is Judicial Review?
A single executive enhances this, because the public knows exactly where to direct blame or praise.
What is accountability?
The president’s most enduring impact on U.S. government comes from appointees who serve for life.
What are judicial appointments?
The OMB sends it's budget priorities to this office, which can reject it or turn it into an actionable plan for the next fiscal year.
What is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)?
This bullet-pointed address allows a president to propose and prioritize a national legislative agenda.
What is the State of the Union?
Congress can limit the president’s war-making power by removing or restricting this.
What is funding?
Federalist 70 argues more executives would slow this critical leadership need, especially in a crisis.
What is decisiveness?
This post-WWII security law contributed significantly to presidential expansion in foreign policy — a point Schlesinger emphasizes.
What is the National Security Act of 1947?
This conflict and inability to "work across the aisle" grinds the government to a stop -- typically when a President and Congress are unwilling to work together.
What is gridlock?
The president begins fiscal influence here, shaping the first draft of national budget priorities.
What is the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
Schlesinger warned this historical pattern has allowed the presidency to grow beyond constitutional intent due to crisis, secrecy, and Congress giving up authority.
What is the imperial presidency?
Neustadt later reframed “energy” by claiming the core of presidential power is this.
To avoid waiting for Congress, presidents can take more immediate action in foreign policy by claiming any given problem is this type of threat.
What is national security?
Presidential authority expanded dramatically after this turning point, when crisis and national security concerns increased expectations for decisive unilateral executive action.
What is WWII OR 9/11?