ABSTRACT
Relations between Congress and the executive branch have always been an uneasy mixture of mutuality and autonomy, cooperation and conflict. The Republic has survived and prospered under one of the most humane, enlightened, and stable systems of government the world has ever known. It is true that Congress and the executive have been at odds, sometimes bitterly, and the balance of power has swung too far in one direction or the other. The growing frustration of many policymakers with the difficulties facing both the executive branch and Congress has been increasingly evident in the process itself. The executive branch has often found that its foreign policy initiatives have been reshaped by an assertive Congress. The Congress has come to rely heavily on the legislative veto to regain authority in its dealings with the executive branch, only to see the veto overturned by the Supreme Court. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
