Formal vs Informal Powers

Where are the formal powers listed

Article 2 of the constitution

What are some formal powers

• Veto

• Pocket veto

• Commander in chief of armed forces

• Appoint people

Define Veto

Can stop a bill that congress has given which sends it all the way back into congress

• congress hates this so sometimes even if a president threatens a veto they'll change the bill

• veto can be overridden with a congressional majority

Define pocket veto

when a president has 10 days to sign a bill into law

• if congress adjourns before then he just goes “oops! No law for you!” (this method is a lot easier)

Where are the informal powers listed

Not listed, just the nature of the role of the president

What are the informal powers?

• Bargaining and persuasion

• Signing statement

• Executive Order

• Executive agreement

Define bargaining and persuasion

• Everyone knows the president, he can persuade people to vote certain ways and to make certain legislation happen because congress makes legislation, not the president

• He can bargain with congress to change/make legislation (like with the veto thing)

Define signing statement

• When president signs a law they can create an additional document saying how they interpret and plan to implement the law

Define executive order

• President can send their little bureaucracy gremlins on missions basically (emancipation proclamation and trump's wall)

Define executive agreement

• when president makes an agreement with another head of state on his own authority, this is not a formal treaty as the senate is not involved

• Therefore it is more political then legislative and usually dies when the presidency ends (like Obama’s paris accord that trump left and biden reentered)