US Politics: would you rather control Congress or the presidency for 20 years?

In My Humble Opinion
1

A genie or similarly powerful magic being will grant you one specific wish: your political party of choice can control either the presidency or congress for the next twenty years. The other party will maintain control of the other branch of government for the same period of time.

You, yourself, are not in control of your party. You don’t get to pick the nominees with any greater power than you’ve ever had.

Free elections for the next twenty years will be held, but people will magically vote your party in, guaranteed.

After that, your party won’t necessarily lose control, but no magic will be in effect.

Do you choose to put your party in control of congress or the presidency?

Would your answer change if the party controlling Congress had a two-thirds majority in both houses?

2

Congress. Regardless of the size of the majority. Congress decides how much will be spent on what. Congress decides who will sit on the federal bench and in the Cabinet. Congress has the power pretty much to stop the president from doing almost anything. Congress is definitely the way to go.

3

A second for the congress. BTW, is this a wish or a curse :wink:

4

If you are talking about republicans and democrats, I dont think it makes any difference, there is really not much difference between them.

If you mean a third party, then definitely the congress- assuming you had enough votes to over ride vetos.

If you dont have the votes to override presidential vetos- then definitely the presidency.

5

I’m a damn big supporter of Congress, but give me the White House any day.

I can only think of one Congress in recent history that really led the way in setting a national agenda, and that was the Gingrich Contract With America session that swept in in 1994. At all other times, the President has such an overwhelming ability to set the national agenda, it is more influential than any power found in the Constitution.

6

This is probably my own leaning. I remember the Reagan years – solid Democratic majority in both houses, but Reagan called the shots and set the national agenda. Obviously Congress wasn’t useless, but I think the executive (under a strong-willed president) has more power.

I’m talking about whomever you like, really. I thought about limiting it to the big two, but figured responses would be more interesting if other parties weren’t written out.

7

Mine is a party of one, so I’d have to do a little more than bilocating to get elected more than once:D

I’ma hafta go with Otto’s answer, though … the President can’t exactly vote legislation in (he can approve or veto, but his veto can be overriden). The House has more power than the President … at least in theory.