Presidential Powers and the Evolution of Polycentric Governance Systems

The early days of President Donald Trump's second administration have witnessed an onslaught of executive orders and other administrative actions designed to weaken environmental policy, punish political opponents, and consolidate executive power. This perspective compares Biden's and Trump's administrative strategies from the perspective of polycentric governance. We argue that administrative strategies can destroy, create, and change policy forums to pursue the President's political agenda. These changes in the structure of polycentric governance often focus on intergovernmental coordination and must be considered in light of the constitutional constraints of the judicial and legislative branches of government. It remains to be seen the extent to which Trump's administrative strategies will be successful—or cause a constitutional crisis by eroding democratic norms and guardrails.