Evaluate The View That There Is An Imperial Presidency.

Introduction

imperial presidency = a dominant presidency with ineffective checks and balances from other branches

Paragraph Focus

• Para 1 = Foreign Policy

• Para 2 = Executive Orders

• Para 3 = Supreme Court

Para 1 = Weaker - Imperilled

• eg. 2026, Congress passed resolutions directing the president the remove armed forces from Iran unless granted authorisation or declaration of war

• this shows imperilled president - work across party lines - bipartisanship

• this means it is fulfilling its function + holding the exec to account

Para 1 = Stronger - Imperial

• eg. Jan 2026, Senate failed to pass a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting the President’s ability to use military force against Venezuela without approval from Congress

• this shows that the president is imperial because congressional oversight powers have not been used to check the power of the president, indicating the constitutional principle of checks and balances

• it sia unified govt as well

• this means that the president is now acting beyond their powers, breaking separation of powers and lacking accountability

Para 2 = Weaker - Imperilled

• eg. April 2025, senators including Rand Paul defied the white house by adcancing a resolution to block Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act

• this is a direct demonstration of congressional independence, even in unified government

• checks and balances

Para 2 = Stronger - Imperial

• eg. Biden signed 17 executive orders on the first day of his office incl. Paris Climate Agreement, similarly issued numerous executive orders, including tariffs

• these actions exemplify how presidency is imperial by using executive orders to bypass the legislative process and implementing policies unilaterally

• separation of powers denied - concentration of power in the executive

Para 3 = Weaker - Imperilled

• learning resources inc vs trump 2025

Para 3 = Stronger - Imperial

• mahmoud vs taylor - 6-3 decision - conservative judges such as gorsuch who trump appointed in 2017 - ideological compatibility