(05-27-2025, 09:53 AM)mikesez Wrote:

(05-27-2025, 08:46 AM)Caldrac Wrote: It's true that the balance of power between the branches of government has shifted over time, and executive orders have become more prominent—but it's an oversimplification to say that Congress has only adjusted budgets and tax rates since 2010.

Congress has passed major legislation even in recent years—such as the Affordable Care Act (2010), the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017), the CARES Act (2020), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022). These are not minor tweaks—they shape healthcare, taxes, economic recovery, climate policy, and infrastructure.

As for executive orders, they often fill in gaps where Congress is deadlocked. While the concern about executive overreach is legitimate, it’s worth noting that many executive actions—like DACA—stem from real-world policy challenges that Congress has repeatedly failed to resolve. DACA, for example, came after years of failed bipartisan efforts to pass the DREAM Act. It didn’t come out of nowhere—it addressed the reality of undocumented children brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own, in the absence of congressional action.

Moreover, agencies like the EPA or CDC need some level of interpretive authority to function effectively, especially as science, technology, and society evolve faster than legislation. Executive appointees aren’t just inventing policy—they're implementing broad congressional mandates.

The deeper issue is gridlock and polarization in Congress, not just executive ambition. If we want less policymaking by executive order, we need a Congress willing and able to legislate on tough, often politically risky issues—not just a better balance of power, but a better functioning legislature.

I was including the 2010 Affordable Care Act as major, and I wouldn't include the others as major because they didn't really change regulatory structures or law.  Even though they were long and took a lot of effort to pass, they were more about taxes and spending.  But to your main point, you're absolutely right.
How do we get a better functioning legislature?

That's the million dollar question. A combination of electoral reform and getting away from zero-sum politics might be a good starting point. Easier said than done though. Especially with how polarizing everything is today.

We as voters can always demand more accountability and effectiveness from our representatives and start rewarding cooperation over obstruction, recognizing compromise as a sign of progress rather than a sign of weakness, an overall effort to secure partisan victories shouldn't be the goal. 

Not an easy lift for sure. However, not completely impossible.

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