President Obama has made little mystery of what he wants from Congress in the lame-duck session before the end of the year. Less clear — and more central to his long-term standing with both the public and lawmakers — is just how much he wants to flex his executive authority.

In the closing weeks of 2014, the president has called on lawmakers to approve additional spending to fight Ebola in West Africa, a budget for the rest of the fiscal year and authorization to use military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.