US Voters Comfortable With Increased Power In Their Presidential Candidate

A new survey from AP-NORC has found that Democrat and Republican voters alike are increasingly comfortable with their preferred presidential candidate taking unilateral action and bypassing Congress to pass legislation. A shift which may foreshadow a move towards more power invested in the executive and bring the risk of fewer checks and balances.

• AP: “Overall, only about 2 in 10 Americans say it would be “a good thing” for the next president to be able to change policy without waiting on Congress or the courts. But nearly 6 in 10 Republicans say it would be good for a future President Donald Trump to take unilateral action, while about 4 in 10 Democrats say the same if Biden is reelected.”
• AP continues: “The sentiment comes amid escalating polarization and is a sign of the public’s willingness to push the boundaries of the political framework that has kept the U.S. a stable democracy for more than two centuries.”

Figure 1: “Percent who say it would be a good or bad thing if ____ takes action on the country's important policy issues without waiting for Congress or the courts.”

Source AP-NORC