But pushing major legislation through Congress could prove to be a challenge.
Although the Democrats will hold a narrowed majority in the House, the final makeup of the Senate is not yet clear. That will be decided on Jan. 5, with two runoff elections in Georgia. Democrats would need to win both races to effectively have control of the Senate — with Vice President Kamala D. Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote — while Republicans would retain a narrow advantage by winning at least one.
"The policy team, the transition policy teams, are focusing now very much on executive power," said a Biden ally who has been in touch with his team who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. "I expect that to be freely used in a Biden administration at this point, if the Senate becomes a roadblock."
A Republican-held Senate — or even one with a narrow Democratic majority — probably will affect Biden's Cabinet picks given the Senate's power to confirm nominees.
One option being discussed is appointing Cabinet members in an acting capacity, a tactic that Trump also used.
"Just by virtue of the calendar and how many positions are filled, that's always a possibility," the person said. "Because the Senate moves so slowly now, so much more slowly than it used to."
