Power Chart
Congress/Legislative | President/Executive | SCOTUS/Judiciary |
-Sponsoring, debating and passing legislation -Override a presidential veto with ⅔ of both chambers -Introduce legislation to counteract executive orders -Propose a constitutional amendment to counteract SCOTUS decision or limit Court’s jurisdiction -Initiate impeachment hearings (House) and trial (Senate) if individual commits treason, bribery, or “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” -Oversight: Initiating investigative hearings and subpoenaing exec. branch officials to testify before congressional committees -Senate: Advice and Consent/confirmation power (after hearings) for Presidential appointees -“Power of the purse” - increase or decrease budget appropriation for a bureaucratic agency or an executive order/directive | Formal: -Selecting Cabinet secretaries with similar ideological concerns and directing the bureaucracy -Vetoing bills -Nominating federal judges who will rule favorably on ideological issues -Grant a pardon for ideological or political reasons Informal: -Threaten to withhold federal funds from city/state/jurisdiction -Issuing executive orders as directives to bureaucratic agencies in order to circumvent the need for congressional approval -Negotiating executive agreements with foreign countries -Using troops for up to 90 days in emergency situations Bureaucrats: -Craft specific rules and regulations to implement legislation | -Grant a petition for certiorari (through rule of 4) and agree hear a case on a particular issue -Declare a state/federal law or regulation unconstitutional through judicial review -Reinterpret a (specific) constitutional clause to expand/limit federal power or individual rights -Remand a case back to a lower court for further consideration of facts |
Interest Groups | Individual Citizens | |
-Donating money to support candidates to encourage them to support legislation the IG wants -Encouraging members to vote for candidates that will support legislation the IG wants -Asking members to contact their congressman (Senator) and express support/disapproval for law/nominee (Grassroots) -Stage protests or events to draw public attention to the issue that will be addressed the legislation -Bringing lawsuits against those who are violating constitutional rights -Submitting amicus curiae briefs in support of lawsuits -Using funds to run advertisements in support of legislation/nominees | -Vote for a candidate -Volunteer for a candidate (phone-banking or door-knocking GOTV efforts) -Run for office -Join or form an IG to multiply their influence -Donate to a candidate or IG -Contact lawmaker directly to express support/disapproval for legislation/nominee -Pressure lawmaker to formally propose a constitutional amendment -Pressure lawmakers to refuse to enforce an unpopular policy -Propose initiative to be placed on the ballot (state policies only) |