As Donald Trump settles into the Oval Office, his first executive orders have reignited a longstanding debate: just how much power does the president really hold?
While many Americans believe the president wields sweeping authority over issues like gas prices, inflation and the economy, the reality is more complex. A 2020 Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 60% of Americans mistakenly think the president directly controls gas prices and inflation.

Trump’s initial executive orders, which include directives on energy policy and federal regulations, showcase the influence of the executive branch — but also highlight its limits. Experts, including a political analyst from the University of Indianapolis, stress that factors like global markets and congressional actions play a larger role in shaping economic conditions, including the rising inflation and fluctuating gas prices that voters feel most acutely.
As Trump stated in his inaugural address, “We are going to take back our country and restore our greatness” — a promise that will depend not only on executive actions but also on a broader, more complicated web of national and global forces.
The president’s role and powers
Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis, described how one of the largest jobs of the president is coming into play this week — as Trump appoints his cabinet positions and confirmation hearings are taking place.
“People will come and leave the office, but the (high cabinet) appointments for a president are pretty important,” Wilson said. “It establishes who he will be working with.”
More broadly, the president plays a large role in policy, Wilson explains. Executive orders and legislation in Congress are two main powers the president has.

“For these first two years, President Trump will have the benefit of enjoying a unified government where the House and Senate are both controlled by republicans, but the challenge is that unified government just means it’s the same party controlling the three elected branches of office, it does not mean that everyone from any given party feels the exact same way on all the issues,” Wilson said.
In terms of power abroad, foreign policy and international issues are also main components of Trump’s role.
“How the United States plays a role or doesn’t play a role in what’s going on in the Middle Eastern conflict and what’s going on with Russia and Ukraine, those are all in the purview and interest of the president as well,” Wilson said.
Checks and balances on presidential power
Vetoing legislation and appointing those who serve the courts are two major powers the president holds in the checks and balance system.
These powers are not all-encompassing, however. Congress can override presidential vetoes, and the Supreme Court can determine executive authority to have been overreached, two checks and balances that have power over the president.

“About half the country is always excited and half the country is very upset after any given election, especially for those who are worried about unrestrained power,” Wilson said. “There’s a checks and balances system intricately drawn into the constitution to try and prevent that from happening or any power form being abused.”
Gas prices and inflation: who is to blame?
Many have argued the president is to blame for rising gas prices or the cost of eggs at the store, but, as Wilson explains, the system is more complicated, and the president doesn’t have ultimate control over it.
“The president has very limited control over (gas prices and inflation),” Wilson said. “This is probably true for many policy areas that Americans will subscribe blame or credit towards the president. The president has more control over issues of inflation, but those are still not absolute.”
The system is complicated, Wilson explains. The international innerworkings of oil pricing and economic systems does not come down to the president and is not within his scope of powers.
Local government versus federal government
In terms of gas prices and inflation, Americans are right that those issues are at a federal level, but they cannot be attributed to the president.
“It’s not necessarily wrong to focus on the federal government for these issues because that’s largely where the decisions play out, but it involves multiple levels, multiple branches, multiple actors, multiple agencies that oftentimes aren’t necessarily on the same page and can’t act very quickly,” Wilson said.
On a smaller scale, the everyday lives of Hoosiers are most impacted by local government.

Education, public safety, infrastructure, zoning and land use and utilities are all run by local government. Education funding, health care, criminal laws, driver’s licensing and voting laws come from the state. As Wilson describes, however, many local elections ride on misconceptions about the president and parties.
“People don’t like the current president so they’re not going to vote for that person’s party, even though the state legislature may have nothing to do with that,” Wilson said.
Understanding how federal power, presidential power, congressional power and local powers interact is an essential step in understanding how the next four years might play out as Trump takes office, Wilson explains. The misconceptions about presidential powers can muddy the waters of policies and government that help voters make informed decisions.
“It’s a great time for Americans to remember that there is limited executive authority,” Wilson said. “I think it provides an opportunity for people who either love or hate the leadership to re-examine. The president really isn’t responsible for that many things, but, in conjunction with other people, the president does play a large role.”
To read a full list of Trump’s executive orders, visit whitehouse.gov/news.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.