# What will happen to the presidency under an Obama Administration? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 14, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086 "2008-12-14T03:50:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/1 "2008-12-14T03:50:34Z")
As discussed in [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455418) the Bush Administration has made a very sustained and impressive effort to expand the presidency’s power over the “permanent government” of career civil servants, and to expand its power relative to and independence of oversight from Congress and the judiciary. At least on Dick Cheney’s part, this was actually a matter of principle; he’s been arguing for an imperial presidency since he served under Nixon. Now whatever precedents they have been able to set and whatever institutional changes they have made to expand the presidency’s power and autonomy will pass into the hands of Obama, who, AFAIK, has never much commented publicly on this whole set of issues one way or another. What will he do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/2 "2008-12-14T04:09:06Z")
The vast majority of Bush’s actions toward the institution of the presidency itself were based on a constitutional separation of powers basis, and many of them had precedent in previous administrations. As a general rule presidents will protect presidential power - I see no reason to suspect Obama will be notably different in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/3 "2008-12-14T04:27:49Z")
One thing I worry about is how Presidential Power seems to be a one way ratchet. Bush kept expanding and expanding his powers. Obama may show a lot of restraint compared to Bush, but what could he possibly do to keep a future President from looking to Bush’s actions as a precedent and possibly even expanding it _more_? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/4 "2008-12-14T04:37:19Z")
The U.S. Constitution should prevent the future presidents from unilaterally expanding their own powers. However, Bush/Cheney seemed very successful at ignoring provisions of the Constitution they didn’t like. As always, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. The people being governed are ultimately the ones who will have to put a stop to mad power grabs. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/5 "2008-12-14T05:17:55Z")
History show no matter which party is in power and increases the power of the presidency, when the presidency changes power, they keep the existing power. They may not add, or try to add power, but they never give up anything they have gained. Remember not only is there a division between Democrats and Republicans, there is a division between Congress and the President, and between the Representatives and Senators. So everyone has to do deals with every divison in national politics to get anything done. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/6 "2008-12-14T05:38:48Z")
For power to slide back to congress requires a strong congress and weak president. I don’t make Obama for a weakling nor Nancy Pelosi for a Iron Maiden, so don’t expect a rolllback to presidential powers anytime soon. Clearly, you need to reelect Jimmy Carter ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/7 "2008-12-14T13:43:50Z")
I join the chorus. Since at least the Civil War, the history of the Republic has been an almost uninterrupted transfer of power from the Legislative to the Executive. I don’t expect President Obama to cede much of the authority his predecessor arrogated to himself illegally. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/8 "2008-12-14T18:25:47Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > One thing I worry about is how Presidential Power seems to be a one way ratchet. That’s **exactly** how [Charlie Savage](http://www.amazon.com/Takeover-Imperial-Presidency-Subversion-Democracy/dp/0316118044) puts it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/9 "2008-12-14T21:31:45Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Clearly, you need to reelect Jimmy Carter ASAP. Here’s hoping we didn’t. The difference will be between bold, decisive action to unify the country in the face of a crisis and deal with an immediate threat, and whatever Obama does Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/10 "2008-12-14T21:36:28Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Here’s hoping we didn’t. > > The difference will be between bold, decisive action to unify the country in the face of a crisis and deal with an immediate threat, and whatever Obama does > > Regards, > Shodan No, the difference will be between action that relies on the president’s sole authority as W has expanded it, and action that attempts to restore Congress to a greater role in the decisionmaking. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/11 "2008-12-14T21:40:18Z")
> [@](#): > > What will happen to the presidency under an Obama Administration? There is every possibility of a truly, truly funkadelic Presidency. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/12 "2008-12-16T00:20:47Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > There is every possibility of a truly, truly funkadelic Presidency. 😃 Getting this image of Obama in an Afro, bell bottoms, platform shoes . . . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/13 "2008-12-16T01:41:21Z")
I agree with the posters who say Obama’s not giving up any power the presidency may have gained in the last eight years, regardless of its provenance. Further, given all the other crises swirling around, large-scale action is going to be asked for and expected both for Obama and his appointees. He’s going to have a lot of opportunities to make big moves and I expect he’ll use those whenever he thinks he has a solution. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/14 "2008-12-16T01:56:44Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I agree with the posters who say Obama’s not giving up any power the presidency may have gained in the last eight years, regardless of its provenance. Further, given all the other crises swirling around, large-scale action is going to be asked for and expected both for Obama and his appointees. He’s going to have a lot of opportunities to make big moves and I expect he’ll use those whenever he thinks he has a solution. I expect that with this reservation: He has a Dem-controlled Congress and, therefore, can afford to work with it. And probably will, just to distinguish himself from his predecessor. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/15 "2008-12-16T03:51:19Z")
I agree with the consensus: Obama isn’t going to formally renounce any of the expanded Presidential power that Bush created even if he has to invoke it less. But as a related issue, if Obama did want to reduce Presidential power, how exactly would he do it? Issue an Executive Order declaring that he can’t do something? If the limitation of his power is authorized by Executive Order, then it could be reversed by a future Executive Order. The only way presidential power can really be reduced is if it’s done by some other authority like Congress of the Supreme Court. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/16 "2008-12-16T19:40:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I agree with the consensus: Obama isn’t going to formally renounce any of the expanded Presidential power that Bush created even if he has to invoke it less. > > But as a related issue, if Obama did want to reduce Presidential power, how exactly would he do it? Issue an Executive Order declaring that he can’t do something? If the limitation of his power is authorized by Executive Order, then it could be reversed by a future Executive Order. The only way presidential power can really be reduced is if it’s done by some other authority like Congress of the Supreme Court. That raises another point: Congress is at present controlled by the Democrats, but [the Supreme Court is very definitely Republican](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_court_of_the_united_states#Current_membership) (in theory, of course, it’s nonpartisan and extrapolitical, and you believe that as much as I do). I wonder if we can expect a lot of head-butting between the Obama Admin and the SCOTUS? (Yet another way Obama’s tenure might resemble FDR’s . . .) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-to-the-presidency-under-an-obama-administration/477086/17 "2008-12-16T19:59:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But as a related issue, if Obama did want to reduce Presidential power, how exactly would he do it? Issue an Executive Order declaring that he can’t do something? If the limitation of his power is authorized by Executive Order, then it could be reversed by a future Executive Order. I think he should reverse the attemped power play of signing statements by signing a signing statment that he does not recognize the power of a president’s signing statments 🙂