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 Two: Exploring Solutions 

9:00 AM–10:30 AM Session I: Rules, Norms, Parties, and the Selection Process

• Understanding previous reforms: The evolution of rules, norms, and practices.
• Fixing the parties and the presidential selection process.

10:45 AM–12:15 PM Session II: Repairing Presidency-Congress Relations: Legislative Outcomes and Confirmations  

• Encouraging greater legislative effectiveness and executive­-legislative collaboration
• Resetting the appointment bottleneck: navigating vacancies and acting appointees

1:00 PM–2:30 PM Session III: Emergency Powers and Presidential Constraint

• Fixing emergency powers: Can we balance the needs of the presidency with congressional and judicial oversight?
• Fixing presidential accountability: Who should police the president?

Hosted and produced by the Miller Center of Public Affairs 

Learn About Day One