Expansion of Presidential Power - AP US Government and Politics

SECTION 1

Historical Context & Motivation

The Constitution's Framers deliberately created a presidency with limited enumerated powers, haunted as they were by the specter of monarchical tyranny under George III. Article II's opening clause—"The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America"—reads with deceptive simplicity, and scholars have debated its scope since ratification. The Vesting Clause has become the textual fulcrum on which expansive and restrictive interpretations of presidential authority pivot. Over two centuries, the office has evolved from a relatively constrained executive—checked by Congress and the courts—into the most powerful single position in American government. Understanding how and why that transformation occurred is essential to analyzing the constitutional balance of power that the AP exam tests repeatedly.

1803 • Louisiana Purchase

Thomas Jefferson exercised unilateral executive authority to double the nation's territory, despite lacking explicit constitutional power to acquire foreign land. This set an early precedent for presidential action beyond enumerated powers.

1861 • Lincoln's War Powers

Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, blockaded Southern ports, and expanded the army—all without prior congressional authorization—citing the necessity of preserving the Union during the Civil War.

1933 • FDR and the New Deal

Franklin Roosevelt leveraged the Great Depression crisis to expand the executive branch dramatically, issuing executive orders, creating new agencies, and establishing the modern administrative state.

1950 • Truman and the Korean War

Harry Truman committed U.S. forces to the Korean conflict without a formal declaration of war, relying instead on a United Nations resolution and his authority as commander in chief.

2001 • Post-9/11 Executive Authority

George W. Bush invoked sweeping commander-in-chief powers to authorize military tribunals, warrantless surveillance, and the detention of enemy combatants, significantly expanding executive national security authority.

This historical arc raises a central constitutional question: how has the presidency grown so powerful when the Framers intentionally placed Congress first in the constitutional order? The answer lies in a combination of formal constitutional mechanisms, informal political practices, and the structural incentives of crisis governance. The sections that follow unpack the principles, mechanisms, and consequences of this expansion.

SECTION 2

Core Principles & Definitions

The expansion of presidential power rests on several interconnected constitutional and political principles. Some derive from the text of Article II itself, while others have emerged through historical practice, judicial interpretation, and the evolving demands of modern governance. Grasping these foundational ideas equips you to analyze any AP exam scenario involving executive authority.

Formal (Enumerated) Powers

Powers explicitly granted in the Constitution, such as the veto, commander-in-chief authority, treaty power (with Senate consent), and the appointment of federal judges and ambassadors. These provide the textual foundation on which broader claims of authority are built.

Informal (Implied) Powers

Powers not explicitly stated but derived from practice, precedent, and broad constitutional interpretation—including executive orders, executive agreements, signing statements, and the power to set the legislative agenda through the bully pulpit.

Inherent Powers

Powers claimed to flow from the very nature of national sovereignty, particularly in foreign affairs. Presidents argue these powers exist because the federal government must act as a unified sovereign on the world stage, as articulated in United States v. Curtiss-Wright (1936).

Congressional Delegation

Congress has frequently delegated broad discretionary authority to the executive branch through enabling statutes, expanding the president's power to act unilaterally within statutory frameworks—particularly in economic regulation and national security.

The Unitary Executive Theory

A constitutional interpretation asserting that the president controls the entire executive branch and that Congress may not limit the president's authority to direct, remove, or supervise executive officials. This theory has been invoked to resist congressional oversight and expand presidential control over bureaucracy.

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of the presidency like a tech startup operating under a broad corporate charter. The charter (Constitution) outlines general powers, but the startup's actual influence grows as the CEO (president) takes bold initiatives, investors (Congress) delegate more authority, and the market (national crises) demands decisive leadership. Over time, the company's power far exceeds what the original charter literally described—just as presidential power has expanded far beyond Article II's sparse text.

SECTION 3

Visual Explanation: Sources of Presidential Power

This diagram organizes presidential powers into three categories: formal (enumerated) powers drawn directly from constitutional text, informal powers that have emerged through practice and precedent, and inherent powers claimed from national sovereignty. The green bar at the bottom represents how congressional delegation and judicial acquiescence amplify all three categories.

As the diagram illustrates, the expansion of presidential power is not simply a matter of presidents seizing authority; it reflects a multi-directional process in which Congress delegating broad statutory authority, courts deferring to executive interpretations, and the public expecting decisive leadership during crises all contribute to a reinforcing cycle. Notice how the dashed lines connect all three power categories to the bottom bar—each source of presidential authority is amplified when the other branches acquiesce. This structural dynamic is critical for the AP exam, which frequently presents scenarios in which students must identify whether a presidential action rests on formal, informal, or inherent power and evaluate the checks (or lack thereof) applied by the other branches.

SECTION 4

Mechanisms of Expansion

Executive Orders & Unilateral Action

An executive order is a directive issued by the president to manage operations of the federal government. Though the Constitution does not mention executive orders, presidents have relied on the "take Care" clause of Article II, Section 3, and the Vesting Clause to justify them. Executive orders carry the force of law unless overturned by Congress through legislation (subject to presidential veto) or struck down by the courts. From Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation (1863) to Truman's desegregation of the military (Executive Order 9981, 1948) to Obama's DACA memorandum (2012), presidents have used this mechanism to achieve major policy goals without legislative approval.

Executive Agreements vs. Treaties

While the Constitution requires a two-thirds Senate vote to ratify treaties, presidents have increasingly relied on executive agreements—pacts with foreign nations that do not require Senate ratification. Since World War II, executive agreements have outnumbered formal treaties by a ratio of approximately 10 to 1. Although executive agreements do not supersede existing federal law the way treaties can, their proliferation represents a significant shift of foreign-policy authority from the Senate to the executive, effectively circumventing the Framers' design for shared treaty power.

Signing Statements & Executive Privilege

A signing statement is a written pronouncement issued when the president signs a bill into law, often expressing the president's interpretation of the statute or declaring that certain provisions will not be enforced because they conflict with executive authority. While not legally binding, signing statements signal to executive agencies how the president intends the law to be implemented. Similarly, executive privilege—the claimed right to withhold information from Congress and the courts—has no explicit textual basis but was recognized by the Supreme Court in United States v. Nixon (1974) as constitutionally grounded, albeit not absolute. Both mechanisms illustrate how presidents extend authority through informal institutional practices.

This flowchart shows four key mechanisms of expansion funneling into expanded presidential authority, with congressional and judicial checks shown below. Note the key dynamic at the bottom: checks rarely fully reverse expansion, creating a historical ratchet effect that trends toward greater executive power.

SECTION 5

Key Supreme Court Cases & Doctrines

The Supreme Court has played a pivotal role in both legitimizing and constraining the expansion of presidential power. Several landmark cases define the constitutional boundaries of executive authority and appear regularly on the AP exam. Understanding these cases requires attention not just to their holdings but to the reasoning courts use to evaluate whether presidential action has overstepped constitutional limits.

Case	Year	Key Holding	Impact on Presidential Power
United States v. Curtiss-Wright	1936	The president is the "sole organ" of the nation in foreign affairs, possessing broad inherent powers in the international sphere.	Expands — Provides constitutional basis for inherent foreign-affairs powers beyond enumerated text.
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer	1952	President Truman's seizure of steel mills during the Korean War was unconstitutional; the president cannot seize private property without congressional authorization.	Constrains — Jackson's concurrence establishes the three-zone framework for evaluating presidential power.
United States v. Nixon	1974	Executive privilege exists but is not absolute; a president must comply with subpoenas when criminal proceedings require evidence.	Both — Recognizes executive privilege constitutionally but limits it in criminal contexts.
War Powers Resolution	1973	Congress requires the president to notify it within 48 hours of deploying forces and withdraw within 60 days absent authorization.	Attempts to constrain — In practice, presidents of both parties have largely ignored or circumvented it.

Key Supreme Court cases and legislative acts shaping presidential power

Jackson's Three-Zone Concurrence (Youngstown)

Justice Robert Jackson's concurrence in Youngstown is the single most important analytical framework for evaluating presidential power on the AP exam. Jackson proposed three zones of presidential authority. In Zone 1, the president acts with explicit or implicit congressional authorization—executive power is at its maximum because it includes all presidential powers plus all delegated congressional powers. In Zone 2 (the "zone of twilight"), Congress has neither authorized nor prohibited the action, and the president relies on independent constitutional authority—the legality depends on the "imperatives of events." In Zone 3, the president acts contrary to the express or implied will of Congress—executive power is at its "lowest ebb," and the action is sustainable only if the president's constitutional authority is exclusive and conclusive. This framework remains the dominant judicial lens for separation-of-powers disputes.

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AP EXAM TIP

FRQs and MCQs frequently present a scenario and ask you to identify which Jackson zone applies. Always ask: (1) Has Congress spoken on this issue? (2) If yes, does the presidential action align with or contradict Congress's position? Your answer to these two questions determines the zone.

SECTION 6

Worked Example: Analyzing a Presidential Action

The following worked example mirrors the kind of analysis an AP free-response question might require. We apply Jackson's three-zone framework and the formal/informal power distinction to a real-world presidential action.

Scenario: President Obama's DACA Executive Action (2012)

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Step 1 — Identify the Presidential Action

In June 2012, President Obama issued a memorandum directing the Department of Homeland Security to exercise prosecutorial discretion and defer deportation proceedings for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children ("Dreamers"), granting them work permits. Congress had failed to pass the DREAM Act through legislation multiple times.
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Step 2 — Classify the Power Type

DACA was not based on an enumerated (formal) power. Instead, it relied on the president's informal power of executive action—specifically, the authority to direct how executive agencies enforce existing immigration law. The constitutional justification rested on the Article II "take Care" clause, which grants the president discretion in how laws are faithfully executed.

Classification: Informal power (executive memorandum / prosecutorial discretion)
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Step 3 — Apply Jackson's Three-Zone Framework

Congress had not authorized DACA, but neither had it explicitly prohibited the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in immigration enforcement. However, Congress's repeated failure to pass the DREAM Act could be interpreted as implicitly rejecting the policy. Depending on interpretation, this places DACA in either Zone 2 (congressional silence) or on the border of Zone 3 (contrary to implied congressional will). This ambiguity is exactly the kind of analytical tension the AP exam tests.

Jackson Zone: Zone 2 (twilight zone) — possibly Zone 3 depending on interpretation of congressional inaction
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Step 4 — Evaluate Checks and Balances

Multiple states sued to challenge DACA's legality (judicial check). The Trump administration attempted to rescind DACA (executive reversal). In Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California (2020), the Supreme Court held that the rescission was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act—not that DACA itself was constitutional. Congress also retained the power to pass or reject immigration legislation (legislative check). This case illustrates how checks on presidential power often operate indirectly and incompletely.

Checks applied: Judicial review (limited), legislative inaction, subsequent executive reversal (blocked by courts)
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Step 5 — Broader Significance

DACA exemplifies the modern pattern of presidential power expansion: when Congress is gridlocked, the president acts unilaterally using informal powers, and the resulting policy becomes politically entrenched, making it difficult for subsequent administrations or Congress to reverse. This "ratchet effect" means that even temporary executive actions can have lasting policy consequences, reinforcing the trend toward executive dominance in the American political system.

Key Lesson: Congressional gridlock fuels unilateral executive action, creating precedents that persist beyond any single administration.

SECTION 7

Checks on Presidential Power: Strengths & Limitations

The Framers' system of checks and balances provides multiple mechanisms for constraining executive power, but the effectiveness of those mechanisms varies significantly depending on political conditions, institutional will, and the nature of the presidential action in question. The table below evaluates each major check across two dimensions: its theoretical strength and its practical effectiveness in modern governance.

Check on Presidential Power	Theoretical Strength	Practical Limitations
Congressional legislation	Congress can pass laws overriding executive orders or restricting executive action, exercising its Article I authority.	Requires supermajority (⅔) to override a presidential veto; partisan polarization and gridlock make passage difficult.
Power of the purse	Congress controls federal spending; it can defund executive programs or agencies.	Appropriations bills require presidential signature; government shutdowns create political risk for Congress, not just the president.
Impeachment	The ultimate constitutional remedy for presidential abuse of power ("high crimes and misdemeanors").	Requires ⅔ Senate vote for conviction; partisan loyalty has prevented removal in all historical cases to date.
Judicial review	Courts can declare executive actions unconstitutional or in violation of statute.	Cases take years; standing requirements limit who can sue; courts show deference in national security and foreign affairs.
War Powers Resolution	Requires notification within 48 hours and troop withdrawal within 60 days absent authorization.	Presidents of both parties have questioned its constitutionality and rarely complied fully; Congress has been reluctant to enforce it.
Public opinion & media	Presidents depend on public approval for political capital; investigative journalism and media scrutiny can constrain overreach.	Media fragmentation and partisan information ecosystems mean scandals that would have constrained earlier presidents may not reduce modern presidential approval among co-partisans.

Theoretical vs. practical effectiveness of checks on presidential power

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KEY TAKEAWAY

The checks on presidential power function like a series of circuit breakers in an electrical system: each is designed to trip under certain overload conditions, but if the political current (partisan loyalty, public fear, crisis urgency) overwhelms the breaker's threshold, the circuit remains live and executive power flows unimpeded. The AP exam rewards students who can explain not just that checks exist but why specific checks fail in specific political contexts.

SECTION 8

Modern Debates & Advanced Connections

The expansion of presidential power connects to several advanced debates in constitutional law and political science that frequently appear on the AP exam. These debates reflect unresolved tensions in the American system—tensions between democratic accountability and executive efficiency, between constitutional originalism and living constitutionalism, and between domestic governance norms and the demands of America's global role.

Concept	Traditional View	Modern/Expansive View
War powers	Only Congress can declare war (Article I, §8); the president commands forces only after congressional authorization.	Modern military operations rarely involve formal declarations; the president uses AUMFs, NATO commitments, and inherent commander-in-chief authority to deploy forces globally.
Unitary executive theory	Congress may create independent agencies insulated from direct presidential control (e.g., the Federal Reserve, FTC).	The president must control all executive functions; independent agencies with "for cause" removal protections may violate Article II's vesting clause.
Emergency powers	The Constitution makes no provision for emergency suspension of rights beyond the habeas corpus clause (Art. I, §9); emergencies do not create new powers.	The National Emergencies Act (1976) gives the president access to 100+ statutory provisions upon declaring an emergency; presidents have used these broadly (e.g., border wall funding).
The imperial presidency vs. the impossible presidency	Arthur Schlesinger's "imperial presidency" thesis: unchecked executive power threatens democratic governance and civil liberties.	Modern scholars argue that public expectations exceed presidential capacity—the "impossible presidency" where the president is simultaneously too powerful (in war) and too constrained (in domestic policy) to govern effectively.

Traditional vs. modern/expansive views of presidential authority

For the AP exam, these debates matter because free-response questions may ask you to take a position on whether presidential power has expanded too far or whether the current system adequately preserves the separation of powers. The strongest responses will acknowledge the tension between competing values—national security effectiveness versus democratic accountability, swift executive action versus deliberative legislative process—and use specific evidence (cases, historical examples, constitutional provisions) to support a nuanced argument.

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

Which of the following best explains why presidential power has expanded beyond the Framers' original design?

A. The Constitution explicitly grants the president authority to expand executive power during national emergencies.
B. Constitutional amendments have steadily added new enumerated powers to Article II.
C. Presidents have used informal powers, congressional delegation, and crisis governance to extend executive authority beyond the Constitution's enumerated text.
D. The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that the president's authority is unlimited in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Show answer (C)

C is correct. The expansion of presidential power results primarily from informal powers (executive orders, executive agreements, signing statements), congressional delegation of broad statutory authority, and the political dynamics of crisis governance—not from constitutional amendments or explicit textual grants. A is incorrect because the Constitution does not explicitly grant emergency expansion powers. B is incorrect because no amendments have added significant new enumerated powers to Article II; the key changes have been informal. D is incorrect because the Supreme Court has placed significant limits on presidential power, as demonstrated in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer and United States v. Nixon.

Question 2: BASIC

In Justice Jackson's concurrence in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952), presidential power is at its "lowest ebb" when the president:

A. Acts with explicit congressional authorization in a domestic policy area.
B. Acts in a policy area where Congress has been silent and has neither authorized nor prohibited the action.
C. Takes measures incompatible with the expressed or implied will of Congress.
D. Exercises commander-in-chief authority during a formally declared war.

Show answer (C)

C is correct. Jackson's Zone 3 describes presidential power at its "lowest ebb"—when the president acts contrary to the expressed or implied will of Congress. In this zone, the president can only prevail if the Constitution grants exclusive executive authority on the matter. A is incorrect because acting with congressional authorization describes Zone 1, where presidential power is at its maximum. B is incorrect because congressional silence describes Zone 2 (the "zone of twilight"), not the lowest ebb. D is incorrect because exercising commander-in-chief authority during a declared war would place the president squarely in Zone 1, with maximum authority supported by both constitutional text and congressional authorization.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

3 pts

The president issues an executive order directing federal agencies to implement new environmental regulations after Congress fails to pass climate legislation. (a) Identify the type of presidential power being exercised. (b) Explain how one specific check by Congress could limit this presidential action. (c) Explain why that congressional check might be ineffective in practice.

Show answer

Rubric (3 points): Part (a) — 1 point: The student must identify this as an informal power—specifically, an executive order. The president is using the authority to direct the operations of the executive branch (rooted in the Article II "take Care" clause) rather than exercising an enumerated constitutional power. Credit is earned for identifying the action as an informal/implied power and naming executive order as the mechanism. Part (b) — 1 point: The student must explain a specific congressional check. Acceptable responses include: Congress could pass legislation explicitly prohibiting the regulations and override a presidential veto with a ⅔ vote in both chambers; Congress could use the power of the purse to defund the agencies tasked with implementing the regulations; Congress could use the Congressional Review Act to overturn the specific regulatory action. The explanation must describe how the check would actually constrain the executive order, not merely name the check. Part (c) — 1 point: The student must explain a specific reason why the identified check would be practically difficult to deploy. For legislation: achieving a ⅔ supermajority to override a veto is extremely difficult in a polarized Congress, especially when the president's party controls at least one chamber. For the power of the purse: defunding an agency risks a government shutdown, which is politically costly for Congress. For the Congressional Review Act: it still requires presidential signature unless Congress can override a veto. The explanation must connect the political dynamics to the specific institutional mechanism.

Question 4: APPLIED

3 pts

The following data shows the number of executive orders issued per year by selected presidents: Franklin Roosevelt (1933–1945): 307 per year average Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961): 60 per year average Richard Nixon (1969–1974): 62 per year average Ronald Reagan (1981–1989): 48 per year average Barack Obama (2009–2017): 35 per year average Donald Trump (2017–2021): 55 per year average (a) Describe a trend in the data. (b) Draw a conclusion about whether the frequency of executive orders is an accurate measure of the expansion of presidential power. Explain your reasoning. (c) Explain how a factor not reflected in the data could account for the expansion of presidential power even as the number of executive orders has declined.

Show answer

Rubric (3 points): Part (a) — 1 point: The student must describe a clear trend supported by the data. The most obvious trend: the average annual number of executive orders has generally declined from the FDR era to modern presidents. FDR averaged 307 per year, while recent presidents have averaged between 35 and 62 per year. Credit is earned for a specific, accurate description referencing at least two data points. Part (b) — 1 point: The student must conclude that the frequency of executive orders alone is NOT an accurate measure of the expansion of presidential power and explain why. The reasoning should note that the scope, significance, and policy impact of individual executive orders matter more than raw quantity. A single executive order (e.g., DACA or the travel ban) can have far greater policy impact than dozens of routine administrative orders. Additionally, modern presidents rely on other informal mechanisms—executive agreements, signing statements, presidential memoranda, national security directives—that do not appear in executive order counts. Part (c) — 1 point: The student must identify a specific factor not reflected in executive order frequency and explain how it contributes to the expansion of presidential power. Strong responses include: (1) the growth of the administrative state and congressional delegation of rulemaking authority to executive agencies, which expands presidential power through bureaucratic control rather than executive orders; (2) the expansion of military and national security authority through classified directives and Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs), which grant the president broad war-making discretion without a formal declaration of war; or (3) the increasing use of executive agreements in foreign policy that bypass the Senate treaty ratification process. The explanation must logically connect the identified factor to the expansion of presidential power despite the decline in executive order frequency.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

4 pts

Develop an argument about whether the expansion of presidential power has strengthened or weakened the American constitutional system. In your essay, you must: • Articulate a defensible claim or thesis • Support your claim with at least TWO pieces of specific evidence (cases, historical examples, or constitutional provisions) • Explain how the evidence supports your argument • Respond to an opposing perspective

Show answer

Rubric (4 points): Point 1 — Thesis (1 point): The student must articulate a defensible thesis that takes a clear position on whether the expansion of presidential power has strengthened or weakened the constitutional system. A thesis that merely restates the prompt or is vague ("it has both strengthened and weakened") without indicating which effect predominates does not earn this point. Sample thesis (strengthen): "While the expansion of presidential power raises legitimate concerns about the separation of powers, it has ultimately strengthened the American constitutional system by enabling the executive to respond decisively to national crises that a gridlocked Congress cannot address." Sample thesis (weaken): "The expansion of presidential power has weakened the American constitutional system by concentrating authority in a single individual, undermining the deliberative legislative process the Framers envisioned as the primary check on tyranny." Point 2 — Evidence 1 (1 point): The student must provide one specific piece of evidence and explain how it supports the thesis. Examples: Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus preserved the Union during the Civil War (strengthen); Truman's steel seizure in Youngstown demonstrates executive overreach that the Court properly checked (weaken); FDR's New Deal executive actions created the modern administrative state (strengthen or weaken depending on argument); the 2001 AUMF enabled open-ended military commitments without congressional accountability (weaken). Point 3 — Evidence 2 (1 point): The student must provide a second, distinct piece of evidence with explanation. The evidence must be specific (not a general claim) and must be logically connected to the thesis. Using two examples from the same event/president is acceptable only if they illustrate different dimensions of the argument. Point 4 — Opposing Perspective (1 point): The student must acknowledge and respond to an opposing perspective. If arguing that expansion has strengthened the system, the student should address the "imperial presidency" concern and explain why it is mitigated (e.g., judicial review in United States v. Nixon demonstrates that checks still function). If arguing that expansion has weakened the system, the student should acknowledge the efficiency argument and explain why it is insufficient (e.g., emergency powers become normalized and outlast the crises that justified them). Simply acknowledging the other side without refuting or contextualizing it does not earn this point.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

Summary

The expansion of presidential power represents one of the most significant structural transformations in American government since the founding. Presidents have leveraged formal (enumerated) powers like the veto and commander-in-chief authority, informal powers such as executive orders, executive agreements, signing statements, and executive privilege, and inherent powers claimed from national sovereignty to extend executive authority far beyond the Constitution's sparse Article II text. Key catalysts include national crises, congressional delegation of broad statutory authority, and judicial acquiescence in foreign affairs.

The Supreme Court has both legitimized and constrained executive power through landmark cases: Curtiss-Wright (1936) recognized broad inherent foreign-affairs powers; Youngstown (1952) and Justice Jackson's three-zone framework remain the dominant lens for evaluating presidential authority; and United States v. Nixon (1974) established that executive privilege is constitutionally grounded but not absolute. Checks on presidential power—including congressional legislation, the power of the purse, impeachment, judicial review, and the War Powers Resolution—are theoretically robust but practically limited by partisan polarization, political costs, and institutional inertia, producing a historical ratchet effect that trends toward greater executive power over time.