Green Lantern theory

proper noun

The misconception that the president of the United States can achieve any political or policy objective by trying hard enough or using the right tactics.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proper nounthe Green Lantern theory
  1. USgovernmentThe misconception that the president of the United States can achieve any political or policy objective by trying hard enough or using the right tactics.

Origin

Introduced by political scientist Brendan Nyhan in 2009 https://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2009/12/the-costs-of-green-lanternism.html; named after the comic book character Green Lantern.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Green Lantern theory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Green%20Lantern%20theory

MLA

“Green Lantern theory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Green%20Lantern%20theory. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Green Lantern theory,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Green%20Lantern%20theory.

Source: Green Lantern theory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.