Progressive Presidents Should Emulate Trump's Bold Executive Action Strategy
Source: Branko Marcetic. "The Left Could Learn Something From Trump’s Tariff Gambit." March 1, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that left-wing politicians should copy Trump's playbook of using executive power to quickly implement policies, even if courts might later overturn them. Since it takes time for legal challenges to work through the system, these policies can have real impact for months or years before being struck down.
Conclusion
Future progressive presidents should adopt Trump's strategy of acting quickly through executive power to implement policy, even if it faces later legal challenges, because it can achieve transformational effects during the time it remains in place.
Premises
- Trump's tariffs remained in effect for an entire year while working through the legal system, demonstrating that executive actions can have significant impact even when eventually struck down
- The president already has existing statutory authority for bold actions (like expanding Medicare during health emergencies) that could be used more aggressively
- Trump's presidency has proven that the executive branch has substantial power to affect change without congressional approval
- The political benefits of bold executive action outweigh the risks, especially when serving popular economic interests rather than authoritarian ends
- Institutional norms that constrain presidential action have already been broken by Trump, removing the obligation for future presidents to respect them
- A more strategic implementation of executive power (unlike Trump's chaotic approach) could achieve positive results while the policy remains in effect
Assumptions
- The legal system's slow pace creates opportunities for temporary policy implementation
- Progressive policies would face less political backlash than Trump's authoritarian measures
- Executive power can be used selectively and strategically without leading to constitutional crisis
- The transformational effects of temporary policy implementation justify the constitutional risks
- Congressional gridlock makes executive action necessary for meaningful policy change