The three branches of U.S. government often find themselves in tension.
White House, Eric Kiser; Capitol, John Xavier; Supreme Court, Architect of the Capitol
When presidents have tried to address pressing issues through executive action, members of Congress are quick to ask the courts to step in.
A picture of Andrew Jackson hung in the Oval Office during Trump’s tenure.
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
For decades, presidents routinely replaced large swaths of the government workforce, often requiring them to pay fees to political parties in exchange for their jobs.
Joe and Jill Biden attend Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle before the inauguration.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
St. Matthew is the patron saint of civil servants – making the Washington, D.C., church bearing his name a fitting venue for presidents, both past and present.
Joe Biden delivering his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and his inauguration mark an important change for the roughly 3 million people in the United States who stutter.
Statue of George Washington in front of Federal Hall in New York City.
Getty Images
The term can be traced back to the Founding Fathers.
President-elect Joe Biden introduces his foreign policy and national security team on Nov. 24 in Wilmington, Del.
Mark Makela/Getty Images
In order to establish his legitimacy, President-elect Joe Biden has to accomplish several big tasks.
President-elect Biden promises a new White House agenda and style.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Scholars of race, foreign policy and the Supreme Court give their informed predictions of what to expect under a Biden administration.
The US is facing a crisis of democratic legitimacy.
Clemens Bilan/EPA
The political and social crisis in the US has its roots in twin challenges.
Biden accepts the Democratic nomination on Aug. 20, 2020.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
Two scholars react to Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Friends no longer: US president Donald Trump with his then national security adviser John Bolton in 2018.
EPA-EFE/Justin Lane
The former national security adviser seems likely to be sued and could face criminal liability.
Global Climate Strike NYC in New York, Sept. 20, 2019.
Rainmaker Photo/MediaPunch /IPX via AP Photo
Declaring an issue is a national emergency lets presidents act quickly and with few constraints. But once they get this kind of power, it’s hard to take it back – and it can produce bad policies.
Meh.
EPA/Shawn Thew
It was remarkable to see Donald Trump stay on script for a full 80 minutes. It also proved what a gruelling tradition the State of the Union is.
Dan Kitwood/PA Wire/PA Images
It’s quite possible that neither the US nor the UK will ever return to normal when it comes to political and constitutional balance.
Trump’s first walk to the White House, inauguration day 2017.
EPA/Evan Vucci
Never mind a “Muslim ban”, Obamacare repeal or a wall on the Mexican border – Donald Trump’s only real agenda is himself.
Genius at work.
EPA/Michael Reynolds
There are just enough people who need Donald Trump to keep his excruciating presidency going.
EPA/Kevin Dietsch
Historians, commentators and thinkers have written endless books on how the US presidency works. None of them applies to the incumbent, Donald Trump.
Then-candidate Donald Trump hugs his son Donald Trump Jr. at a campaign rally in 2016.
Reuters/Aaron Josefczyk
Presidents past have used this nearly limitless power to halt criminal prosecutions before. What’s to stop Trump?
The Sun King (seated) could decide someone’s fate with a nod of the head.
Wikimedia Commons
At the Versailles court, a well-directed glance could decide a person’s fate. Imagine if Donald Trump were so subtle.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Laws that limit presidential power won’t enforce themselves – Congress must act.
How much longer?
EPA/Michael Reynolds
A president has more than one route out of office – voluntarily or otherwise.