The Myth of the Imperial Presidency

How Public Opinion Checks the Unilateral Executive

Dino P. Christenson, Douglas L. Kriner

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780226704364, 9780226704227
• eBook ISBN: 9780226704531
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Throughout American history, presidents have shown a startling power to act independently of Congress and the courts. On their own initiative, presidents have taken the country to war, abolished slavery, shielded undocumented immigrants from deportation, declared a national emergency at the border, and more, leading many to decry the rise of an imperial presidency. But given the steep barriers that usually prevent Congress and the courts from formally checking unilateral power, what stops presidents from going it alone even more aggressively?  The answer, Dino P. Christenson and Douglas L. Kriner argue, lies in the power of public opinion.

With robust empirical data and compelling case studies, the authors reveal the extent to which domestic public opinion limits executive might. Presidents are emboldened to pursue their own agendas when they enjoy strong public support, and constrained when they don't, since unilateral action risks inciting political pushback, jeopardizing future initiatives, and further eroding their political capital. Although few Americans instinctively recoil against unilateralism, Congress and the courts can sway the public's view via their criticism of unilateral policies. Thus, other branches can still check the executive branch through political means. As long as presidents are concerned with public opinion, Christenson and Kriner contend that fears of an imperial presidency are overblown.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1. An Imperial Presidency?
• 2. How Americans Think about Unilateral Action
• 3. Congressional Pushback in the Public Sphere
• 4. Rethinking the Role of the Courts
• 5. A Popular Check on Unilateralism
• 6. Pathways of Political Constraint
• 7. Democratic Decline?
• Notes
• References
• Index