Congressional Midterm Losses Don't Matter Because Executive Power Has Replaced Legislative Governance
Source: Joseph Addington. "Who’s Afraid of Losing Midterms? - The American Conservative." April 24, 2026. www.theamericanconservative.com
The Gist
The author argues that Republicans shouldn't fear losing Congress in the midterms because Congress doesn't really matter anymore. Since the president can do most things through executive orders and neither party can get enough votes to override vetoes, losing seats won't actually hurt Republican policies or help Democrats pass their agenda.
Conclusion
Republicans shouldn't worry about losing the midterms because Congress has become largely irrelevant to actual governing, which now happens primarily through executive action
Premises
- The White House doesn't have much of a legislative agenda and relies primarily on unilateral executive action to implement policy
- Neither party can achieve veto-proof majorities under current political alignment, limiting legislative impact
- Congressional oversight and impeachment proceedings, while potentially embarrassing, don't accomplish concrete policy changes
- The GOP consistently supports Trump regardless of congressional investigations or pressure
- Executive officials can be replaced without affecting policy since the White House is the sole center of executive policymaking
- Congress has actively shirked power and responsibility, contrary to Madison's expectations about institutional self-interest
Assumptions
- Executive governance through unilateral action is the dominant mode of modern American government
- Political parties are roughly equal in size and strength, preventing decisive legislative majorities
- Congressional members prefer avoiding responsibility over exercising institutional power
- Policy implementation doesn't require legislative cooperation or statutory foundation
- The current system of executive-dominated governance will continue unchanged