In the elections midway through the president’s term, the president’s party generally loses seats in Congress. Most legislators win by larger margins in their district than does the president. Presidential coattails-where members of Congress are carried to victory by the winning presidential candidates-are increasingly short. So presidents work hard to keep or increase the number of members of their party in Congress: raising funds for the party (and their own campaign), campaigning for candidates, and throwing weight (and money) in a primary election behind the strongest or their preferred candidate. When presidents hail from the same party as the majority of Congress members, they have more influence to ensure that their ideas receive serious attention on Capitol Hill. Its members serve smaller, more distinct constituencies for different terms. Ĭongress does not always defer to and sometimes spurns the president’s agenda. Source: Photo courtesy of the Executive Office of the President of the United States (Chuck Kennedy).
So how do presidents get things done? Presidential powers and prerogatives do offer opportunities for leadership. Interviewing President Obama on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart wondered whether the president’s campaign slogan of “Yes we can” should be changed to “Yes we can, given certain conditions.” President Obama replied “I think I would say ‘yes we can, but…it’s not going to happen overnight.’” Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Hope and Change as Promised, Just Not Overnight,” New York Times, October 28, 2010, A18. Presidents often face intractable issues, encounter unpredictable events, have to make complex policy decisions, and are beset by scandals (policy, financial, sexual). Stephen Skowronek, Presidential Leadership in Political Time (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008). Yet the president has far less control over the economy and these economic indicators than the media convey and many people believe.Ī president’s opportunities to influence public policies depend in part on the preceding administration and the political circumstances under which the new president takes office. And certainly the president does claim credit when the economy is doing well. Because the government and media report the inflation and unemployment rates and the number of new jobs created (or not created), the public is consistently reminded of these measures when judging the president’s handling of the economy.
For example, candidate Obama promised to deal with the problems of the economy, unemployment, housing, health care, Iraq, Afghanistan, and much more.Īs we have also explained, presidents do not invariably or even often have the power to meet these expectations. Adding to these expectations is the soaring rhetoric of their election campaigns. Yet, as we have explained, presidents face high expectations for action. Edwards III, The Strategic President: Persuasion and Opportunity in Presidential Leadership (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009). Political parties are usually in conflict.
The political system was designed by the framers to be infrequently innovative, to act with neither efficiency nor dispatch. How do presidents seek public approval?.Why do presidents give so many speeches?.What are the president’s powers as chief executive?.What are the strengths and weaknesses of the presidential veto?.What challenges does the president face in achieving his agenda?.How does the president try to set the agenda for the political system, especially Congress?.After reading this section, you should be able to answer the following questions:
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