Brendan Nyhan writes in the Washington Post:
Research shows members of Congress with experience in state legislatures are more effective at getting federal legislation passed than those who lack this background.
Historical evidence suggests inexperienced presidents face similar obstacles. Consider the case of Donald Trump, who has less experience in governing than any prior occupant of the White House. Every president struggles to overcome the limited powers of the office, but Trump stands out among modern presidents as especially weak and ineffective. For example, though congressional Republicans fear his tweets, they continue to largely control the legislative agenda. The federal bureaucracy and even Trump’s own staff often seek to manipulate him and ignore or undermine his directives. In short, being an “outsider” has significant downsides and few direct benefits.
