As presidents gain power, who keeps government accountable?

The Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, a 6-3 decision that overturned Humphrey's Executor, significantly limits statutory protections that prevent the president from removing certain independent agency heads without cause. This marks a major shift from longstanding precedent in the American administrative state and paves the way for broader changes in the relationship between the executive branch and independent agencies.

Good government has never depended solely on a president. Like many important elements of our democracy, responsibility is distributed across an engaged electorate, principled leaders, effective oversight bodies and individual public servants committed to the Constitution. As presidential powers expand and the balance of authority evolves, the strength of American government will increasingly rely on its institutions, particularly the people entrusted to lead them.

Civil servants and institutional leaders must act with integrity and stand firm in their principles of leadership, especially when facing potential political pressure.

Supporters of the Slaughter ruling argue that it restores constitutional accountability and will allow future presidents to more effectively implement the policy agendas on which they were elected and better fulfill the promises made to voters. Critics caution that reducing the independence of agencies is likely to increase politicization and weaken important institutional safeguards. Regardless of where one stands, the decision places greater importance on democratic accountability.

Congress has an increasingly important role to play. Congressional leaders should fully embrace their oversight responsibilities and reinvigorate the legislative branch's role as an essential constitutional check on executive power.

The decision also places renewed emphasis on whom we elect as president, whom we send to Congress and whom the Senate confirms to lead our nation's institutions. We the people, particularly civil servants, should recommit ourselves to strengthening the institutions that nurture and preserve accountability, transparency and the rule of law. We should also want, expect and empower our duly elected president to lead within these boundaries.

Our institutions are resilient and purpose-built. We should not lose faith in our system of governance because of the outcomes it sometimes produces.

We rely heavily on the judgment, courage and ethical leadership of individuals. Laws and institutions are important, but they have always depended on people willing to uphold and enforce them.

Independent agency heads have significant discretion. They can risk termination and demonstrate strength by resigning when circumstances require it. Some already have. These institutional leaders must be able to manage their agencies in unbiased and apolitical ways.

Throughout our history, politically appointed leaders and career civil servants alike have spoken truth to power, upheld the public trust and reminded us that leadership is an act of character.

While presidents wield enormous constitutional authority, that authority remains subject to our system of separated powers. Congress possesses immense oversight and accountability powers, provided it chooses to exercise them. Our elected and appointed leaders must possess both a strong moral compass and a steadfast commitment to the Constitution and the public they serve.

Presidential actions depend on leaders to implement them and are subject to oversight by Congress, review by the courts and accountability to the American public. Ultimately, the integrity of agency leadership will continue to shape our independent institutions. Likewise, the reach of executive authority will continue to be influenced by Congress, the judiciary and what the American people are willing to accept through the democratic process.

Whether one celebrates this decision or views it with concern, we should carefully monitor what happens next, mindful of personal responsibility and institutional accountability.

The strength of our constitutional republic has never rested with one branch or one individual. It is kept by principled leaders, institutions worthy of public trust and citizens who are willing to exercise both their rights and their responsibilities in defense of good government.

James-Christian Blockwood is president and chief executive officer of the National Academy of Public Administration, a congressionally chartered nonprofit that helps leaders build more effective, efficient, accountable and transparent organizations. He previously held roles at the Partnership for Public Service and the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Government Accountability Office, and is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. He is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.