Taking unilateral action can improve a president's re-election chances, but it may not be good for the country

With Congressional gridlock a now omnipresent force in US politics, recent presidents have often turned to unilateral measures, such as executive orders, to enact policies without Congress. But is taking unilateral action good for a president, and for the country? In new research, Gleason Judd finds that as a form of "showing-off", taking unilateral action can signal a president's competency ...