How do the formal and informal powers of the president, as set out in Article II and developed over time, enable the executive to influence policy?
Topic 2.4 Roles and Powers of the President: explain how the president can implement a policy agenda.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.4: the formal (Article II) and informal powers of the president, including the veto, commander-in-chief, appointments, treaties, executive orders, and how a president implements a policy agenda.
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What this topic is asking
Topic 2.4 introduces the presidency and how a president actually advances a policy agenda. The College Board distinguishes the formal powers written into Article II from the informal powers presidents have developed in practice. Knowing which is which, and how each lets a president govern, is the core of this topic.
Formal powers from Article II
The most important formal lever in the policy process is the veto: the president can reject a bill passed by Congress, and overriding the veto requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers, which is hard to muster. Even the threat of a veto shapes what Congress passes.
Informal powers that have grown over time
How a president implements an agenda
Putting the powers together, a president advances policy by:
- Working with Congress where possible, using the veto threat and persuasion to shape legislation.
- Acting alone through the bureaucracy when Congress will not move, via executive orders and directives to agencies.
- Shaping the courts through judicial nominations that outlast the president's term.
- Mobilizing public opinion through the bully pulpit and direct communication.
The trade-off is that informal, unilateral actions are also the least durable: an executive order can be undone by the next president, struck down by a court, or undercut by Congress.
Why this matters for the exam
Topic 2.4 is heavily tested in Concept Application (a president acting around Congress) and Argument Essays on whether presidential power has grown too large. The formal-versus-informal distinction is the key analytic move.
Try this
Q1. Name three formal powers of the president. [Recall]
- Cue. The veto, commander-in-chief, and the power to nominate judges and officials (also treaties and pardons).
Q2. Explain why a president might prefer an executive order to legislation. [Short explanation]
- Cue. An executive order lets the president act unilaterally through the bureaucracy without congressional approval, useful when Congress is divided or uncooperative.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of College Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AP 2019 (style)3 marksA president, unable to pass a bill through a divided Congress, issues an executive order directing federal agencies to change how they enforce an existing law. A. Identify whether the action described is a formal or informal power. B. Explain why a president might use this power instead of seeking legislation. C. Explain one limit on this power.Show worked answer →
A Concept Application FRQ, 3 points (A, B, C).
A. Identify: an informal power (executive orders are not listed in Article II but derive from the president's duty to execute the laws).
B. Explain the why: facing a divided or uncooperative Congress, a president can act unilaterally through the bureaucracy to advance the agenda without passing a law.
C. Explain a limit: a later president can reverse the order, Congress can pass a contrary law or cut funding, and courts can strike it down if it exceeds executive authority.
Markers reward correctly classifying the power and naming a real limit.
AP 2021 (style)6 marksDevelop an argument about whether the president's informal powers have become more important than the formal powers granted in Article II. Use at least one piece of evidence from one of the following: the Constitution of the United States or Federalist No. 70. Provide a defensible thesis, evidence and reasoning, and a response to an opposing perspective.Show worked answer →
An Argument Essay FRQ, 6-point rubric. (Federalist No. 70 defends a single energetic executive.)
Thesis (1): e.g. "Informal powers have become more important, because executive orders and the bully pulpit let presidents act when a polarized Congress will not legislate."
Evidence (up to 3): the veto and appointment powers in Article II; Federalist No. 70 on energy in the executive; the modern use of executive orders.
Reasoning (1): explain how informal tools let presidents lead amid gridlock.
Alternative perspective (1): concede that formal powers like the veto and appointments remain decisive, then argue informal powers fill the gaps.
Related dot points
- Topic 2.5 Checks on the Presidency: explain how the president's agenda can create tension and frequent confrontations with Congress.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.5: how Congress, the courts, and the Constitution check the president through the override, power of the purse, confirmation, impeachment, and judicial review, and why the president's agenda clashes with Congress.
- Topic 2.6 Expansion of Presidential Power: explain how presidents have interpreted and justified their use of formal and informal powers.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.6: how presidential power has expanded over time, the argument of Federalist No. 70 for an energetic executive, and the debate over limited versus expansive interpretations of the office.
- Topic 2.7 Presidential Communication: explain how communication technology has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency and the other branches.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.7: how presidents use the bully pulpit, the State of the Union, and modern media to shape opinion and pressure Congress, and how changing communication technology has reshaped the office.
- Topic 2.1 Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives: describe the different structures, powers, and functions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.1: the different structures, terms, and powers of the House and Senate, why Congress is bicameral, and the unique constitutional roles of each chamber under Article I.
- Topic 2.15 Policy and the Branches of Government: explain the extent to which governmental branches are responsive and accountable to the public when making policy.
A focused answer to AP US Government Topic 2.15: how Congress, the president, the courts, and the bureaucracy interact across the policymaking process, the tension between responsiveness and gridlock, and how to synthesize the whole unit.
Sources & how we know this
- AP United States Government and Politics Course and Exam Description — College Board (2020)