Describe the powers that Congress and the president share. Do you think this shared power leads to effective government? Why or why not? Discuss what factors make the president and Congress more or less cooperative with one another

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1, Describe shared powers. For example, presidents propose legislation, but both houses must pass any laws; presidents can veto a law, but Congress can override the veto; presidents can nominate federal judges, but the Senate must approve them; presidents appoint ambassadors and make treaties, but both need Senate approval; and presidents administer the executive branch, but Congress holds the purse strings.
2, Note the differences in the president's power depending on whether the government is divided or unified: When the president and the majority in Congress belong to different parties, the president has less success in promoting his agenda, but when the president's party controls both houses, he is more likely to get his way.
3,. Identify that divided government can lead to gridlock, where not much gets done, which is not efficient; however, note also that our constitutional structure prevents one branch from gaining too much power.
4, Detail that presidents and Congress tend to work together better on foreign policy issues in order to display a unified front internationally; that in situations involving vetoes, the president is likely to prevail; and that the president's popularity can encourage Congress to be more cooperative because voting against a popular president might impact them in their own elections.