Question

Discuss the concept of the Presidential Mandate (as discussed in the assigned video). Do you agree with the idea of the Presidential " mandate" or should the President simply execute laws as passed by Congress ? Justify your answer .

Answer 1

If you attached assigned video link, then it would have been more easier for us.

What Is a Presidential Mandate?

In his 1990 article, “The Myth of the Presidential Mandate,” political scientist Robert A. Dahl notes how the presidential mandate is based on two lofty claims:

1. A majority of voters prefer the winner’s policies.

2. Because the people prefer the president’s policies, the president’s policies should triumph if Congress and the president disagree.

A majority of voters never prefer a specific policy.

In other words, the presidential mandate derives from a sycophantic view of the presidency and the significance of elections. It claims that a majority of all voters prefer all of the new president’s policies. It presumes that the President is some sort of special representative of the people, and that unique position grants him special powers — powers that transcend the Constitution.

The latter claim is, of course, not true, and we should denounce any president who seriously claims that Congress should bow to his or her will. But it’s the former claim that is most interesting. While no one would seriously argue the strong version of this claim — the president isn’t even directly elected — there is a sense that Congress should put special effort into passing a president’s signature campaign promises.