2.4

• Policy Agenda


  The President has certain policies they campaign on to allow the constituents to vote on them as they promise to enact certain laws that solve the issues of the constituents
• Formal Powers of the President


  • Explicitly given to the President in the Constitution's Article II
  • Power of the veto (Stops a bill from being a law if it's not in line with the policy agenda, Congress can override with 2/3rds vote)
  • Pocket Veto: The President has 10 days to sign a bill, but if Congress adjourns & the President doesn't sign it, it is pocket vetoed
  • Commander-in-Chief
  • Foreign policy powers that can influence relations with foreign nations
• Informal Powers of the President


  • Bargaining & Persuasion: Has the influence of the nation & using this, the President can talk to the people to persuade them to put pressure on their representatives to pass legislation
  • Can bargain to get favorable legislation passed
  • Executive Order: Directive from the President that has the force of a federal law, but is not a law
  • Signing Statement: The President can offer an additional statement when signing a bill into law which informs the nation how they interpret the law & how they intend to execute the law
  • Executive Agreements: Agreement between the President and another head of state
• Over time, the President has used more of both informal & formal powers, creating more of a strong executive