Donald Trump Is A Dangerously Weak President

[PJMcK]

This is a serious and detailed article in Vox by Matthew Glassman explaining the dangers of Trump's fundamental weaknesses. While it's a bit long, I highly recommend reading it.

Here are a couple of excerpts.

Political scientists generally measure a president’s power according to his ability to influence public policy outcomes compared to past presidents or contemporary actors, like Congress. A strong president sets the legislative agenda, passes policies reflecting his preferences, and secures bureaucratic action on his governing priorities. A weak president has difficulty achieving these things, as competing political actors impede his goals and jockey to assert their own influence.

In his classic 1960 book Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents, Richard Neustadt famously defined presidential power as “the power to persuade.” A president must convince other political actors that their own interests lie in going along with him, or at least not standing in his way, Neustadt suggested.

Above all, Neustadt argued, strong presidents set agendas and influence policy outcomes. In the legislative realm, Trump has done neither. Despite unified government, almost no major legislation has passed. Many observers have noted the high rates at which Republican members vote with Trump, but such stats are misleading. As with tax reform, such correlations usually involve Trump having adopted the position of the congressional Republicans, not the other way around.

What fraction of Trump’s agenda (distinct from the GOP agenda) has Congress even considered? Not a border wall or other immigration restrictions. Not major protectionist legislation. The president did submit a budget for fiscal year 2018, which was declared dead on arrival by Democrats and Republicans. It has been almost totally ignored by appropriators, just as Trump’s suggested 2017 budget numbers were. One important bill that was approved was a trade measure Trump opposed, reducing his discretion to adjust sanctions against Russia. That one passed almost unanimously.

More: https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/12/4/16733450/donald-trump-weak-president-neustadt