1. The President and Congress:
A Strategic Relationship
Part II

2. You will turn in notes for participation credit.
What should the relationship between the president and Congress look like?
To what degree should Congress look to the president for policy leadership?
To what degree should partisanship govern the president’s relationship with Congress?
Under what circumstances do you think the president and Congress should compromise?
You will turn in notes for participation credit.

3. Unified and divided government
To what degree does partisanship govern the president’s relationship with Congress?
Unified and divided government
Mayhew’s argument

4. Passage of major legislation, 1947-1990
Number passed…
Unified Government
Divided Government
By partisan majority in both houses 14
By bipartisan majority in both houses 73

5. Passage of major legislation, 1947-1990
Number passed…
Unified Government
Divided Government
By partisan majority in both houses 14 10
By bipartisan majority in both houses 73
123

6. Unified and divided government An advantage… Not a total advantage
To what degree does partisanship govern the president’s relationship with Congress?
Unified and divided government
Mayhew’s argument
An advantage…
Not a total advantage

7. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress compromise?
Logic of compromise:
When a party to a negotiation prefers any improvement over the status quo to the status quo itself.

8. Under what circumstances will we see the president and Congress compromise?
Unified government
Issue is good for one party and bad for the other
Long time until the next election
Major legislation

9. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress fail to compromise?
Logic of the failure to compromise:
Hard to explain to enthusiastic supporters
Parties wish to maintain differences
Reduces chances of getting more later

10. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress fail to compromise?
Divided government
Issue is subject of intense interest by active pressure groups
Issue is good for one party and bad for the other
Elections are close

11. Veto bait Divided government only
Congress passes an uncompromising bill
Veto imposes costs on the president
Can lead to game of successive approximations
How can the president win?