A president can sign an executive order in seconds — but what makes it survive the courts, Congress and the next election? Roger Porter, who worked under three U.S. presidents, explains why the fastest way to announce a policy may not be the best way to make it last.

In this “Deseret Voices,” conversation, Jane Clayson Johnson explores presidential power, President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the checks and balances built into the U.S. Constitution. Porter discusses the role of Congress and the Supreme Court, the limits of executive authority, and disputes involving tariffs, mail-in voting and student loan forgiveness.

Drawing on his experience with Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Porter explains how presidents set priorities, hear competing arguments and turn decisions into results. He shares Ford’s memorable approach to winning support from advisers who disagreed — and examines why bipartisan legislation can accomplish what an executive order cannot.

You’ll learn how presidential decision-making works, why implementation matters and what leaders outside the White House can learn about listening, judgment and building trust.

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