How much power does a progressive president actually have?
April 11, 2015 5:35 AM   Subscribe

Do people think that if Elizabeth Warren became the next president, she would be able to enact progressive change beyond Obama, or would she be thwarted? I guess the question is, how much power does a president actually have?

Are the powers that control the country actually something else altogether, a la “the deep state” (which I don’t think is really too far fetched to believe)…

Very interested in any thoughts of people who have a deeper understanding of American politics.
posted by beccyjoe to Society & Culture (1 answer total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, but this is chatfilter -- taz

 
A progressive president has just as much power as any other president -

1. They can suggest laws to congress. They can veto the laws congress gives them to sign. But they cannot WRITE these laws.

2. They can appoint justices to the Supreme Court. But they cannot influence how those justices rule on or use existing laws.

3. They can command troops to go into areas where we have declared war. But they cannot declare war itself.


This is all basic Civics, something that most people learn about in 6th grade. But most people forget it all, and the Presidency is the position which everyone votes on nationally so people come to expect the president has powers he doesn't actually have, and forget how much power Congress has to put up roadblocks.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:42 AM on April 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


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