Balance Of Power Congress And The Presidency

Leo Migdal

-Dec 6, 2025, 10:46 PM

balance of power congress and the presidency

The Karsh Institute connects people and ideas across disciplines to strengthen democracy through research, teaching, and public engagement. Founding executive director Melody Barnes leads the Institute on an action-oriented path to realizing the promise of democracy in both principle and practice. Explore key Karsh Institute projects that study and strengthen democracy, from local journalism to global ideals and civic dialogue. The Karsh Institute's biennial Democracy360 convenes leaders and citizens to explore bold ideas and shape the future of democracy. Opening in 2027, the Karsh Institute’s new building will be a hub for research, collaboration, and public engagement around democracy. Which party controls Congress?

Which, the White House? The answer reveals the “balance of power” in the two branches of government that have elected officials (Congress and the White House). Americans seem to prefer that the checks-and-balances envisioned by the founders be facilitated by having different parties control Congress and the White House. There have been only two complete turn-overs of Congress since 1949: in 1953, 1955, 1995 and 2007. The 117th Congress (2021-2023) is the most ethically diverse: Although women account for 50.5% of the US population, only 24% of the US Senate and 27% of the House are women.

We rank 76th out of 193 countries in terms of women’s parliamentary representation. The relationship between Congress and the Presidency in the United States is the very pillar of its democratic governance, embodying a dynamic interplay of powers that both shape and are shaped by historical contexts,... Understanding how Congress interacts with the Presidency involves delving into the intricate systems of checks and balances, legislative powers that can drive agendas, negotiating processes, and the delicate balances of political alliances. This relationship is not only legal and procedural but also deeply political and often personal, playing a crucial role in both policy-making and the day-to-day operations of government. For those analyzing US politics, exploring how Congress and the President collaborate, conflict, and compete is essential for grasping the strengths and vulnerabilities of American democracy itself. Historically, the Constitution of the United States intended to establish a government with distinct powers vested in the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

This separation of power grants Congress the authority to pass laws, levy taxes, and declare war, while the President executes laws, commands the military, and guides foreign policy. However, these roles are far from static. Over time, external events, decisions of landmark significance, and political trends have continually reshaped their interaction. This ongoing evolution demands a nuanced understanding to follow how each branch’s authority is interpreted and contested. Moreover, discovering how Congress and the Presidency engage provides vital insights into the political climate and the policy directions presently in motion, reflecting shifts in public opinion, party ideologies, and predominant economic or social... Ultimately, the interaction between Congress and the Presidency entwines with all facets of American governance, from the passage of landmark domestic reforms and foreign treaties to budget allocations and oversight functionality.

This complex system maintains both a delicate balance and a propensity for struggle, negotiating the fine line between effective collaboration and stark confrontation. Let us delve deeper into this fascinating political relationship, understanding how it operates across various contexts and the impact it has had on shaping the course of American history and future governance. Congress, as the legislative branch of the US government, shoulders the substantial responsibility of crafting laws. In this capacity, the interaction with the Presidency often begins at the legislative proposal stage. Though primarily a function of Congress, the President can significantly influence the legislative agenda through the annual State of the Union address, where key priorities are outlined. Presidents often have a legislative agenda that reflects their policy goals and campaign promises.

This agenda needs to be managed and negotiated carefully within the congressional framework. Within Congress, legislation is crafted through committees and sub-committees, requiring skillful negotiation and strategizing to ensure proposals gain enough support. Members of Congress may leverage their party alliances, regional concerns, or specific interests to shape the legislative outcomes. If a bill aligns with the President’s agenda, the executive branch, generally through the Office of Legislative Affairs, actively engages with Congressional leaders to advocate for its passage. Moreover, presidents frequently hold meetings with key congressional members or address broader party caucuses to directly make the case for their desired legislation. This model requires back-and-forth concessions, as Congress confirms or modifies the executive priorities, striving to balance national needs with personal political objectives

The president's relationship with Congress is essential to American politics. Congress is the chief legislative body of the United States and as such, it is essential that it works constructively with the president to pass laws that benefit the country. According to political commentators, the relationship between the president and Congress is the “essential link” in American politics. Congress decides whether to pass potential presidential authorisations. There are more favourable outcomes when Congress has a politically positive relationship with the president. However, the makeup of Congress can be unrepresentative of the political standing of the president.

For example, President Obama has been at odds with Congress ever since Republicans took control of the House in 2010. It’s essential that presidents have a good relationship with Congress if they stand a chance of getting their policies passed. For example, President John F Kennedy had a poor relationship with Congress and because of his very narrow victory over Richard Nixon in the presidential election, he was totally dependent on Congress for enacting... In his own words, "A good many programs I care about may go down the drain as a result of this [his relationship with congress] - we may all go down." It also did... It is impossible for a president to avoid working with Congress - the two are incompatible without the other. In recent decades Congress has ratified some of the most important bills after plenty of backroom debate.

For example, Lyndon Johnson’s Great Reform Bills were passed after a long debate among the Congressional chairmen. The U.S. Congress in relation to the president and Supreme Court has the role of chief legislative body of the United States. However, the Founding Fathers of the United States built a system in which three powerful branches of the government, using a series of checks and balances, could limit each other's power. As a result, it helps to understand how the United States Congress interacts with the presidency as well as the Supreme Court to understand how it operates as a group. Congressperson Lee Hamilton said of how Congress functions within American government:

To me the key to understanding it is balance. The founders went to great lengths to balance institutions against each other––balancing powers among the three branches: Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court; between the House of Representatives and the Senate; between the... no one part of government dominates the other.[1] The Constitution of the United States provides checks and balances among the three branches of the federal government. The authors of the Constitution expected the greater power to lie with Congress as described in Article One.[1][2] The influence of Congress on the presidency has varied from one period to another; the degree of power depending largely on the leadership of the Congress, political influence by the president, or other members...

Under the first half-dozen presidents, power seems to have been evenly divided between the president and Congress, in part because early presidents largely restricted their vetoes to bills that were unconstitutional. In 1863, New York governor Horatio Seymour believed Congress to be the "most influential branch."[3] The impeachment of Andrew Johnson made the presidency much less powerful than Congress.[4] During the late 19th century, President... Discover how the U.S. Congress employs its constitutional authority to ensure accountability and balance within the executive branch. The U.S. Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances, dividing governmental powers among three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

This design prevents any single branch from accumulating excessive power, safeguarding individual liberties and promoting a balanced government. Within this framework, Congress plays a significant role in limiting and overseeing the executive branch, led by the President. This system ensures accountability and prevents abuses of authority. Congress holds the primary authority to create and pass federal laws. Once both the House and Senate approve a bill, it is presented to the President for signature. The President can veto legislation, returning it to Congress with objections.

However, Congress can check this presidential veto power through an override. If two-thirds of both the House and Senate vote to approve the bill again, it becomes law without the President’s signature. This provision, outlined in Article I, Section 7, ensures presidential disapproval does not unilaterally halt the legislative process when there is broad congressional consensus. Congress possesses the exclusive “power of the purse,” meaning it controls all federal spending. No money can be spent from the U.S. Treasury without an act of Congress, known as an appropriation.

This authority is rooted in Article I, Section 9. Despite the fact that the American constitution gives the legislative branch a major role in guiding the nation’s foreign policy, the executive branch has been exerting major control of foreign policy from the Cold... This is hardly the first moment in American history where the president has guided foreign policy, and while the challenges presented by terrorism and non-state actors might occasionally require the sort of immediate response... Congress’s failure to live up to its constitutional responsibilities, even when specifically called upon to do so in Syria, has led to prolonged and sometimes vaguely defined wars with no end in sight. Not only should congress work to limit the more activist (and sometimes shortsighted) impulses of the executive branch, but when congress and the president work together on foreign policy decisions the country can act... Congress played a strong role in determining how the United States entered both of the two World Wars.

The legislature showed prudence in waiting to join those wars until pivotal moments, and in the aftermath of these conflicts, the United States emerged as an unquestioned global power. The Cold War brought on a new series of challenges, however, and the gridlock of Congress was considered a poor tool for dealing with non-state actors and other fast moving threats. Some of these conflicts, most notably in Vietnam, weakened America’s role and prestige in the world. Though the War Powers Act was intended to limit the president’s ability to go to war without congressional approval, that law, especially when combined with the vague Authorization to use Military Force Against Terrorists,... There is also little doubt that it has helped bring about bad outcomes in Iraq, Syria, Libya and beyond. The one significant modern example of the legislative branch working effectively with the president to use force comes in the Persian Gulf War.

The United States acted in a coalition with many other nations, and successfully repelled Saddam Hussein’s attempt at territorial expansion in Kuwait. The congressional involvement and the international accountability that often comes with it kept the conflict relatively brief. As a consequence of these restraints on mission creep, the Persian Gulf War did not lead to the sort of regional instability that followed American military action in Iraq. The vague guidelines set out by the Authorization to use Military Force Against Terrorists are long overdue for a dramatic overhaul, as American involvement in the Syrian Civil War makes all too clear. In addition to its role in influencing America’s military face abroad, the legislative branch has an important role to play in keeping the diplomatic service in top shape. Even notoriously bullish (ex) members of the current Trump administration understand the importance of a fully funded State Department, as General Jim Mattis once claimed that if Congress didn’t fully fund the State Department...

Congress’s constitutionally designated power over America’s purse strings gives the legislative branch all of the authority it needs to ensure that the diplomatic branch of U.S. foreign policy can operate at full effectiveness even in the face of an unpredictable executive branch. This is important to the extent that it ensures that America has a steady hand guiding its public face, and offers the whole world a sense of stability and predictability. Congress can also assert itself diplomatically by working with the executive branch to craft international treaties and work with international institutions in combination with the strength of executive branch non-treaty agreements. While the executive branch has opted out of both the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Paris Climate Accord, and while both of those deals are imperfect, congress has shown the capacity to play a... Even if these efforts are sometimes in vain, they put an executive branch that might opt out of them into a more difficult position than they otherwise might be in, which again promotes global...

Balance Of Power Congress And The Presidency

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