President and Congress: Executive Hegemony at the Crossroads of American Government

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Foundations of the Presidential-Congressional Relationship Antecedents The Founders' Fears Fear of a Strong Executive Fear of a Strong Legislature Fear of Concentrated Power Fear of Governmental Paralysis The Constitutional Framework Conclusion 2. The Evolving Relationship Case I: The First Congress, 1789-1791 Politics as Usual What's in a Name? The Government Seat Debt Funding and Assumption Assessment The Evolving Relationship The Jacksonian Era Case II: The Twenty-Seventh Congress, 1841-1843 Assessment The Road to a Stronger Presidency The Civil War-Reconstruction Era The Ascendancy of the Modern Strong Presidency Conclusion: Explaining the Changing Relationship 3. The Domestic Realm I: The Legislative Presidency Chief Legislator Why a Legislative President? An Administrative Congress? Setting the Agenda Central Clearance Liaison Lobbying from the White House The President's Full-Court Press Party Leadership Patronage Rallying Public Support Controlling the Endgame: The Veto Presidential Success: Measuring the President's Batting Average Conclusion 4. The Domestic Realm II: Explaining Presidential-Congressional Interactions Political Explanation: Presidential Leadership Leadership and Presidential Power Leadership Qualities and Congress Assessment Historical Explanation: Budgeting From Legislative to Executive Budget Congress Awakens Executive Counterpunch Assessment Legal Explanation: The Legislative Veto Congress Gets a Veto Arguments Pro and Con The Court Rules... ...But the Veto Remains Assessment Policy Explanation: Policy Types The Arenas of Power The Four Presidencies Assessment Conclusion 5. Foreign Affairs I: Who Steers the Ship of State? The Executive-Legislative Balance and the Constitution Are There "Two Presidencies"? Why Presidential Ascendancy? War Powers and Military Force The Founders and War Imperfect Wars The Evolution of the War Power The War Powers Resolution The War Powers Resolution in Operation... ...or, "Oh, What a Lovely War" Presidential War Making Conclusion: Pacificus Prevails 6. Foreign Affairs II: Ah, Diplomacy! Treaties and Executive Agreements Ending Treaties Treaty-Making Success: The Panama Canal Treaties Treaty-Making Failure: The SALT II Treaty Assessment: Treaties, the President, and Congress Executive Agreements Arms Sales and the Changing Role of the United States in the World The Saudi Arms Deal Foreign Aid "Intermestic" Issues The President, Congress, and Intelligence Iran-Contra Conclusion 7. Conclusion: Is the Separation of Powers Obsolete? The Presidential-Congressional Relationship: Marginal or Hegemonic? The Ineffectual Congress/Ascendant President Argument Terms and Parties The End of Congressional Lawmaking Is Change Desirable? The Imperial Congress/Weak President Argument The "Legalism" Critique The "Imperial " Congress Executive Absurdism Were the Founders Wrong? Separation of Powers and Alternatives Retaining and Executive-Hegemonic Separation of Powers The Rules and Outcomes The Presidency and Democracy Appendix A: The Politics of the Modern Presidency Appendix B: The Politics of the Modern Congress Selected Bibliography Index