Effectiveness of Congress’s roles X Executive’s roles
Legislative affairs – both broken
Too many laws not passed
o Sandy Hook. After knew town shooting Biden's measures were blocked in Senate
(including background checks)
Inability to act increases direct authority
o Obama limited mental health gun owners through executive order
o The DREAM Act (legal status to undocumented children and immigration
enforcement funding) filibustered in Senate.
Shutdowns - 2013, 16 days, 55 billion, 1m federal employees.
Difficulty in passing legislation increases quality
o PPACA
o Infrastructure act ($550 billion)
Increase in direct authority still gets job done
o Biden’s EOs, gender equality
Foreign affairs – both broken
War Powers Resolution violated e.g. Libya, Osama Bin Laden without consent
Clinton Yugoslavia violated Congress
Obama was denied bombing Assad with AUMF
Power of purse can limit the exec e.g. Vietnam
Power of the Purse didn’t limit Bush’s troop surge in Iraq
Presidents can exercise their C-in-C roles
Congress can have a say on Congressional executive agreements e.g. NAFTA
Oversight – effective
Congressional committees e.g. Jan 6th, Benghazi, Ukraine
Senate Judiciary Committee checks nominees e.g. Harriet Miers
Presidential nominees usually get through e.g. ACB, Kavanaugh
Partisan oversight e.g. Bush w/ PATRIOT Act
Trump nominations to SC
Presidential veto can be overturned e.g. Obama’s Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism
Legislative affairs – both broken
Too many laws not passed
o Sandy Hook. After knew town shooting Biden's measures were blocked in Senate
(including background checks)
Inability to act increases direct authority
o Obama limited mental health gun owners through executive order
o The DREAM Act (legal status to undocumented children and immigration
enforcement funding) filibustered in Senate.
Shutdowns - 2013, 16 days, 55 billion, 1m federal employees.
Difficulty in passing legislation increases quality
o PPACA
o Infrastructure act ($550 billion)
Increase in direct authority still gets job done
o Biden’s EOs, gender equality
Foreign affairs – both broken
War Powers Resolution violated e.g. Libya, Osama Bin Laden without consent
Clinton Yugoslavia violated Congress
Obama was denied bombing Assad with AUMF
Power of purse can limit the exec e.g. Vietnam
Power of the Purse didn’t limit Bush’s troop surge in Iraq
Presidents can exercise their C-in-C roles
Congress can have a say on Congressional executive agreements e.g. NAFTA
Oversight – effective
Congressional committees e.g. Jan 6th, Benghazi, Ukraine
Senate Judiciary Committee checks nominees e.g. Harriet Miers
Presidential nominees usually get through e.g. ACB, Kavanaugh
Partisan oversight e.g. Bush w/ PATRIOT Act
Trump nominations to SC
Presidential veto can be overturned e.g. Obama’s Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism
