President and Congress

Examining trends that have led to the rise of the modern strong presidency and the apparent decline of Congress, Robert Spitzer discusses the evolving relationship between the executive and legislative branches and its implications for the constitutional separation of powers. He focuses on historical, legal, and political perspectives that shape the interaction of the two branches and challenges much of the recent criticism directed at that relationship. As the best hope for effective national governance, Spitzer argues for the acceptance of presidential dominance, a renewed commitment to the separation of powers, and an active and vigorous role for Congress. Unlike other books on the subject, this book focuses attention on foreign policy issues, such as war powers, treaty-making and executive agreements, foreign aid, arms sales, and intelligence. The author examines U.S. military actions since the enactment of the controversial War Powers Resolution of 1973, including the recent Iraqi crisis. Spitzer cites current timely examples to illustrate broader trends, such as post-Gramm-Rudman-Hollings budget reforms, Iran-Contra as an example of unilateral executive decision-making, and the ascendance of politics over law in the continued use of the legislative veto in the face of the Supreme Court ruling striking it down. This lively, comprehensive account of the current state of presidential-congressional relations illuminates the dynamics of the balance of power and demonstrates how contemporary controversies are grounded in law, history, and politics. Robert J. Spitzer is Professor of Political Science at the State University of New York, College at Cortland.