The President exercises a potent and in creasing influence upon legislation. Legislative bills are frequently drafted by the departments directly interested in their passage. Certain attempts under Washington to have his Cabinet officers address the Houses directly were dis couraged and not repeated. President Taft has expressed himself in favor of their appearance in Congress. The President exercises great in fluence through his messages or addresses to Congress, his veto power, his enormous patronage and above all, through his more clearly recog nized position as party leader. Here his in fluence is both direct and positive. His veto power, a negative one, was copied almost ver batim from the Massachusetts constitution of 1780. In theory it means that its exercise equals the votes of a sixth of the senators and repre sentatives, but in reality it is far more potent. The first six Presidents made rare use of the veto. Jackson found it useful in reasserting the co-ordinate power of the Presidency; Hayes used it to prevent "riders" on appropriation bills ; Cleveland, more extensively than any other President, to defeat special pension legislation. The first two Presidents opened each Congress in person by a speech, and President Wilson has revived the practice with the published ap proval of his immediate predecessor. These messages or addresses have often proved in fluential in initiating legislation or in forcing party issues. The growing power of admin
istrative interpretation also makes the executive influential in legislation, especially that of a fiscal character. The judiciary must depend upon the executive or his subordinates for the enforcement of its decisions and in cases when executive discretion is involved must often yield to his immediate control. This interde pendence not merely maintains the chief magis trate in a co-ordinate position, but frequently Oyes him temporary control of affairs. See EXECUTIVE ; VETO ; APPOINTMENTS TO OFFICE; TREATIES; CABINET AND CABINET GOVERNMENT; FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; CONSTITUTIONAL GOV ERNMENT; CONGRESS; UNITED STATES—THE NEW DEMOCRACY AND THE SPOILS SYSTEM.
Bibliography.— Beard, C. A.,