ABSTRACT
Congress and the president are rivals for political power generally, and legislative power in particular. To a considerable extent, this rivalry is a ‘zero-sum’ game: any increase in the power of one player inevitably means a corresponding loss of power for the other. Nevertheless, as a responsible national legislature, Congress cannot simply devote itself to institutional self-preservation. It must pass laws to advance the national interest and, to do this, it needs to cooperate with the president. In this chapter, we trace the origins and development of this ambiguous relationship with the presidency and assess the contemporary balance of power between the two. We also examine the main structures, processes and procedures that determine the way that Congress works, in order to understand both the strengths and weaknesses of the national legislature.
