Roles and Powers of the President 

Explain how the president can implement a policy agenda. 

Presidents use powers and perform functions of the office to accomplish a policy agenda.

 Formal and informal powers of the president include: 

 Vetoes and pocket vetoes—formal powers that enable the president to check Congress 

 Foreign policy—both formal (commander-in-chief and treaties) and informal (executive agreements) powers that influence relations with foreign nations 

Bargaining and persuasion—   The bully pulpit    informal power that enables the president to secure congressional action 

Executive orders—implied from the president’s vested “executive power,” or from power delegated by Congress, executive orders allow the president to manage the federal government 

Signing statements—informal power that informs Congress and the public of the president’s interpretation of laws passed by Congress and signed by the president 

REQUIRED FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT § The Constitution of the United States