How Congress Lost, Part V: Politics and Presidential Power Under Adams and Jefferson, 1797-1809

Jay Cost, How Congress Lost, Part V: Politics and Presidential Power Under Adams and Jefferson, 1797-1809, American Enterprise Institute, February 2025.

This report by Jay Cost, the fifth in a series, highlights a key source of executive power: presidential party unity in Congress. President John Adams struggled to achieve some policy goals because legislators in his Federalist party were split between supporting Adams and Alexander Hamilton. In contrast, Thomas Jefferson, his successor, had an easier time getting things done thanks to more robust Republican party support on Capitol Hill.