Toward a More Responsible and Effective Presidency (Day One)
William Antholis, Don Baer, Peter Baker, Laura Barrón-López, Bob Bauer, Joshua Bolten, Meena Bose, Valerie Smith Boyd, Robert Bruner, Stephen Burns, Barbara Comstock, Mary Vee Connell, John Dickerson, Thomas Donilon, Eric Edelman, Mike Emanuel, Joseph Erdman, Barbara J. Fried, John Georges, Pete Geren, Susan B. Glasser, John Harris, Tricia Hoefling, William Howell, John C. Jeffries Jr., Doug Jones, Elaine Kamarck, Kyle Kondik, Jennifer Lawless, Frances Lee, Chris Liddell, J. Michael Luttig, George K. Martin, Fred McClure, Guian McKee, Dan Meyer, Sidney Milkis, Terry Moe, Michael Nelson, L.F. Payne Jr., Sarada Peri, Barbara Perry, Rachel Potter, Saikrishna Prakash, Leah Wright Rigueur, Russell Riley, Andrew Rudalevige, Mara Rudman, Larry Sabato, Kim Malone Scott, Marc Selverstone, Kristen Silverberg, Allan Stam, Kathryn Tenpas, Louisa Terrell, Frances Fragos Townsend, Hatsy Vallar, Walter F. Walker, Peter Wehner, Sarah Wilson, Judy Woodruff, Sally Yates, Philip Zelikow
The American presidency, as a distinctly democratic institution, is in crisis, both unleashed and under strain. Presidents are more powerful, and they are more prone to fail.
Presidential power has grown across administrations. Increasingly, presidents set the agenda with Congress yet also avoid Congress entirely by using the president's exclusive powers unilaterally. And yet presidents struggle. As measured by public opinion and their ability to forge bipartisan compromise, presidents from both parties face great constraints.
This two-day conference brings together leading experts on the American presidency, including scholars, journalists, and key practitioners drawn from Democratic and Republican administrations.
Day One: Diagnosing the Problem
9:00 AM–10:30 AM Session I: Framing the Problem
- How responsible? Executive action and the administrative state
- How effective? Performance successes and failures
10:45 AM–12:15 PM Session II: Presidency and Congress
- Presidency v. Congress: What’s working and what’s not?
1:00 PM–2:30 PM Session III: Presidency, the Courts, and the People
- Presidency and the courts: Who judges a president? Who enforces the law?
- Do presidents drive polarization or vice versa?
Hosted and produced by the Miller Center of Public Affairs
Speakers
Don Baer
Former White House Director of Strategic Planning and Communications
Administration of President Bill Clinton
Guian McKee
Co-Chair, Presidential Recordings Program, Miller Center of Public Affairs
University of Virginia
Barbara Perry
Professor in Presidential Studies, Miller Center of Public Affairs
University of Virginia
Russell Riley
Co-Chair, Presidential Oral History Program, Miller Center of Public Affairs
University of Virginia
Marc Selverstone
Director, Presidential Studies, Miller Center of Public Affairs
University of Virginia
Louisa Terrell
Former President and Director, White House Office of Legislative Affairs
Administration of President Joe Biden
Peter Wehner
Former Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives
Administration of President George W. Bush
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