.... Though executive unilateralism theories predict whether a given status quo will change, empirical studies rely on aggregate analyses of executive productivity and second-order predictions based on assumptions about the spatial distribution of policies. I fail to find support for unilateral action theory...

..., our model yields starkly different conclusions and establishes that incumbents, far from tying their opponents’ hands, may want to free them. Political authority electoral incentives unilateral action Elected politicians, particularly elected executives, seek power at nearly every turn. So...