The strongman presidency and the two logics of presidential power

Abstract

The strongman presidency presents an acute threat to democracy. Two logics underpin its emergence, both of which implicate the administrative state. Under the fi rst, presidents have sought to deploy the vast resources of the administrative state in pursuit of power and legacy. This logic is symmetric, shaping the behavior of Republican and Democratic presidents alike. The second logic, however, sets them apart. Because most of the administrative state is the embodiment of progressive values, Democratic presidents have approached presidential power in ways that are largely compatible with its well ‐ being, whereas Republican presidents have laid claim to increasingly extreme powers in order to retrench and sabotage it. Layered on the fi rst, this asymmetric logic is the main driver of the strongman presidency — and, ultimately, a major threat to American democracy.