Suchergebnisse

AbstractThis essay examines and assesses the dynamics of the White House and broader executive branch under President Donald J. Trump. It probes the performance of key institutional responsibilities, focusing on selected areas of policy and of administration. Evaluated on the effectiveness of achieving the administration's goals and on implications for governance, the Trump presidency receives at best a mixed review. Its accomplishments included boosting conservative presence on the federal courts and moving from multilateral to more dyadic relations in international affairs. Yet, it achieved considerably fewer of its deregulatory goals while neglecting pressing problems and reinforcing concerns with presidential capacity and loss of trust in government.

Like the U.S. political system as a whole, the presidency has grown far more open to members of the public and, especially, to organised interests. Over roughly the same period, the presidency has become less permeable to much of the expertise and experience available within the executive branch. Together, these two features have contributed to weaknesses in the decision‐making capacity of the institution, with implications for policy effectiveness and perceived legitimacy. This article sketches the bases for the claim of attenuated decision capacity and its implications. After arguing that changes in rules and structuring may help strengthen presidential decision‐making capabilities, the article goes on to propose several such alterations.