Another congressional prerogative central to the system of checks and balances is the Senate’s power of “advice and consent” over presidential appointments to the Supreme Court and other key positions. Though stipulated in the Constitution, the actual scope of the Senate’s advice and consent role is open to interpretation and debate. In theory, the Senate could block presidents from appointing any of their preferred cabinet members or justices—an act that, though nominally constitutional, would hobble the government. This has not happened, in part, because of an established Senate norm of
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