What are the powers of the US president and what determines presidential power?
The formal and informal powers of the president, the relationship with Congress, the role of the cabinet and the executive office, the limits on presidential power, and the factors affecting how powerful a president is.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Politics on the formal and informal powers of the US president, the relationship with Congress, the cabinet and executive office, the limits on presidential power, and the factors affecting how powerful a president is.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to explain the formal and informal powers of the president, the relationship with Congress, the role of the cabinet and the Executive Office of the President, the limits on presidential power, and the factors that determine how powerful a particular president is.
Formal powers
Informal powers
The president's persuasive power matters because, in a separated system, the president cannot command Congress and must bargain, cajole and use public pressure to move their agenda (Neustadt's classic argument that presidential power is "the power to persuade"). The cabinet advises but is far weaker than its UK counterpart: members are appointed experts and administrators, not elected legislators, and there is no collective responsibility. The Executive Office of the President (EXOP), including the White House Office, the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget, is the main source of advice, coordination and control over the federal bureaucracy, and its growth is central to claims of expanding presidential power.
Limits on presidential power
The president is checked by Congress (overriding vetoes by two-thirds, controlling funding, confirming or rejecting appointments, ratifying treaties, and impeachment and removal), the Supreme Court (judicial review can strike down executive action, as with rulings against executive overreach), federalism (states retain substantial powers the president cannot direct), and public opinion and the media. The two-term limit (22nd Amendment) and the fixed four-year term are further structural constraints, and a lame-duck president loses leverage.
What determines presidential power
The imperial presidency thesis (Schlesinger) warns of an over-mighty executive, especially in foreign and military affairs where the commander-in-chief role and executive agreements give wide latitude. The counter-thesis points to an imperilled or constrained presidency under divided government, when Congress and the courts can frustrate the president. In practice, power varies with the electoral mandate and political capital, whether the president's party controls Congress (unified or divided government), approval ratings, events (a crisis such as 9/11 can hugely expand power), and the president's personal political skill at persuasion and coalition-building. The same office can therefore be powerful or hamstrung depending on circumstances, which is the key analytical point AQA rewards.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 201912 marksExamine the factors that determine how powerful a US president is. (Paper 3, Section C-style, USA essay rescoped to 12.)Show worked answer →
A focused essay with developed analysis and some evaluation.
Develop three factors. One: unified versus divided government, since a president whose party controls Congress can pass an agenda far more easily. Two: the electoral mandate and approval ratings, which shape political capital and persuasive power. Three: events and circumstances (war, crisis, the economy) that expand or shrink the room for action.
Evaluate by noting that informal powers (executive orders, persuasion) let presidents act even when Congress is hostile, but the courts and Congress can still check them.
Markers reward accurate detail on formal and informal powers, analysis of each factor, and a judgement on what most determines power.
AQA 202120 marksEvaluate the view that the US presidency has become an imperial presidency. (Adapted from Paper 3, Section C essay; 25-mark essay rescoped to 20.)Show worked answer →
A balanced essay with a sustained judgement and developed arguments on both sides.
For an imperial presidency: the growth of executive orders and agreements, dominance of foreign and military policy as commander-in-chief, and a powerful Executive Office bypassing Congress.
Against: Congress checks through funding, confirmation and override, the courts strike down overreach, federalism limits reach, and the two-term limit and approval ratings constrain presidents (an "imperilled" rather than imperial presidency under divided government).
Markers reward accurate detail, weighing of the two sides across different presidencies, and a judgement that power is contingent on circumstances. AO3 (evaluation) carries the most weight.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA A-level Politics (7152) specification — AQA (2017)