Matt Beat
Spring 2025
Matt Beat is a former middle and high school educator who taught history and civics across various grade levels. His in-depth lessons inspired him to launch his YouTube channels, Mr. Beat and The Beat Goes On, which have accumulated over 1 million subscribers and nearly 300 million views from around the world. He has also published two books, including The Power of Our Supreme Court, that highlight the powers and dynamics of governmental institutions.
Discussion Group Topic
Exactly How Much Power Does an American President Have?
The American Presidency: An Introduction
What does the American presidency look like? In the first program of his series, Dole Fellow Matt Beat will look at how the power of the presidency is limited within the executive branch, specifically highlighting administrations across the nation’s history and the most influential executive departments.
The President and Congress
As the nation’s lawmaking authority, the United States Congress has taken steps to limit the power of the president by denying appointments, overriding vetoes to pass legislation, limiting how much money is appropriated, and even impeaching the president. This session will look at the steps Congress has taken over the years in addition to exploring how the president has gained powers through acts of Congress.
The President and the Judiciary
No constitutional power has proven to be greater in American history than that of judicial review. This discussion will focus on how the United States Supreme Court has used this unique power to limit the power of the president by highlighting specific cases, in addition to exploring the president’s role in judicial appointments.
Federalism in Action: The President and the States
The relationship between the federal government and the states is unique when compared to other nations. This discussion will look at how the states have limited the power of the presidency through our federalist system, in addition to touching on the ways in which states distanced themselves from the federal government.
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