Americans think a president's power should be checked, AP-NORC poll finds — unless their side wins
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research finds that while Americans say they respect the Constitution’s checks and balances and don’t want a president to have too much power, that view shifts if the candidate of their party wins the presidency
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and LINLEY SANDERS
Published - Apr 05, 2024, 12:12 AM ET
Last Updated - Apr 05, 2024, 12:12 AM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Like many Americans, Richard Bidon says he'd like to see the U.S. government “go back to its original design” — a system of checks and balances developed nearly 240 years ago to prevent any branch, especially the presidency, from becoming too powerful.
But that's mainly when Republicans are in power.
Bidon, an 84-year-old Democrat who lives near Los Angeles, said if President Joe Biden is reelected, he doesn't want him to have to get the approval of a possibly Republican-controlled Congress to enact policies to slow climate change. He wants presidents to have the power to change policy unilaterally — as long as they're from the right party.
