The Presidency 1
Student Essential Knowledge and Skills 2 (USG 9B) The student will analyze the structure and functions of the executive branch of government. Including the Constitutional powers of the president The growth of presidential power And the role of the Cabinet and executive departments. (USG 11B) Analyze and evaluate the process of electing the President of the United States.
Learning Objectives 3 1. Analyze the structure and functions of the executive branch of government. 2. Analyze and evaluate the process of electing the President of the United States 3. Analyze the constitutional powers of the president. 4. Describe the growth of presidential power. 5. Evaluate the role of the Cabinet and departments of the Executive branch.
Introduction: The President 4 Presidents operate in an environment filled with checks and balances and competing centers of power. Other policymakers with whom they deal with have their own agendas, interests and sources of power. Effective presidents must have highly developed political skills to mobilize influence, manage conflict, negotiate, and build compromises. Do presidents persuade, or command?
The Presidents 5 Great Expectations Americans want a president who is powerful and who can do good: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kennedy. But at the same time, they don t want the president to get too powerful since we are individualistic and skeptical of authority.
The Presidents 6 Who They Are Formal Requirements: Must be 35 years old Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years Informal Requirements : White, Male Protestant (except one) All manner of professions, but mostly political ones (former state governors, for example)
The Presidents: How They Got There 7 Elections are the normal road to the White House Once elected, the president gets a term of four years. In 1951, the 22 nd Amendment limited the number of terms to two. Most Presidents have been elected to office.
The Presidents: How They Got There 8 Succession and Impeachment Vice-President succeeds if the president leaves office due to death (McKinley/TR, FDR/HST, JFK/LBJ) or resignation (Nixon) or convicted of impeachment. Impeachment is investigated by the House, and if impeached, tried by the Senate with the Chief Justice presiding. Only two presidents have been impeached: A. Johnson & Clinton- neither was convicted.
The Presidents: How They Got There 9 Presidential Succession The 25 th Amendment (1967) permits the vicepresident to become acting president if the vice president and the president s cabinet determine that the president is disabled or the president declares his own disability. A recuperated president can reclaim his office. Provision is also made for selecting a new vice president when the office becomes vacant. (Ford; Rockefeller)
Constitutional Powers of the President 10 National Security- Commander in Chief of the armed forces Make treaties with other nations Nominate ambassadors Confer diplomatic recognition on other governments
Constitutional Powers of the President 11 Legislative powers Present info on the state of the union to Congress Recommend legislation to Congress Convene & adjourn Congress in certain cases Veto legislation (Congress has a 2/3 override)
Constitutional Powers of the President 12 Administrative powers Must take care that laws be faithfully executed Nominate officials Request written opinions of administrative officials Fill vacancies during congressional recesses
Constitutional Powers of the President 13 Judicial Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses Appoint federal judges with the agreement of a majority of the Senate
Presidential Powers The Expansion of Power Presidents develop new roles for the office Presidents expand the power of the office Perspectives on Presidential Power Through the 50 s & 60 s a powerful President was perceived as good From the 70 s on, presidential power was checked and distrusted by the public 14
Running the Government: The Chief Executive 15 The Vice President Basically just waits for things to do Constitutional job is to be President of the Senate Recent presidents have given their VPs important jobs The Cabinet Presidential advisors, not in Constitution Is made up of the top executives of the Federal Departments, confirmed by the Senate
The Executive Office Made up of several policymaking and advisory bodies Three principle groups: NSC, CEA, OMB 16
Executive Office of the President 17 The National Security Council is the committee that link s the president s key foreign and military policy advisors. The Council of Economic Advisors advises the president on economic policy The Office of Management and Budget has responsibility for preparing the president s budget, which is then sent to Congress.
The White House Staff 18 White House Staff included the key aides the president sees daily Chief of staff, congressional liaison people, press secretary, national security advisor, political assistants. The White House Office is part of the Executive Office of the President 600+ people, provide the president with a wide range of services Presidents rely on their staffs for information, policy options, and analysis.
19 The First Lady No official government position, but many get involved politically Recent First Ladies have focused on a single issue
20 Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Politics of Shared Powers Chief Legislator: the President is the major shaper of the congressional agenda. Veto: Sending a bill back to Congress with his reasons for rejecting it. Can be overridden. Pocket Veto: Letting a bill die by not signing it- only works when Congress is adjourned. Line Item Veto: The ability to veto parts of a bill. Some state governors have it, but not the president. Vetoes are most used to prevent legislation. The threat of a veto can be an effective tool for persuading Congress.
Party Leadership presidents must counter the natural tendencies toward conflict between the executive and legislative. The Bonds of Party The psychological bond of being in the president s party helps pass legislation Slippage in Party Support Presidents cannot always count on party support, especially on controversial issues Leading the Party Because parties are highly decentralized, Presidents can do little to actually lead their party 21
22 Presidents improve their chances of obtaining support for legislation by increasing the number of party members in Congress. Presidential coattails: legislators who are elected because of their support for a president s policies. In midterm elections (between presidential elections, president s parties usually lose seats in Congress.
Public Support: presidents who have the backing of the public have an easier time influencing Congress. Public Approval Operates mostly in the background Impact is important, but occurs at the margins Mandates: confers added legitimacy on the president s character and policies Perception that the voters strongly support the president s character and policies Mandates are infrequent, but presidents may claim a mandate anyway 23
24 Legislative Skills: Presidents influence the legislative agenda more than any other political figure. Influence takes a variety of forms: bargaining, making personal appeals, consulting with Congress, setting priorities, etc. Most important is bargaining with Congress. Presidents should use their honeymoon period (first year in office) President is the nation s key agenda builder
25 The President and National Security Policy Chief Diplomat Negotiates treaties with other countries Treaties must be approved by the Senate Use executive agreements to take care of routine matters with other countries May negotiate for peace between other countries Lead U.S. allies in defense & economic issues (relies on his ability to persuade)
26 Commander in Chief Writers of the constitution wanted civilian control of the military Presidents often make important military decisions Presidents command a standing military and nuclear arsenal- unthinkable 200 years ago
27 War Powers Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but presidents can commit troops and equipment in conflicts without congressional approval (Korea, Vietnam) War Powers Act/Resolution (1973) was intended to limit the president s use of the military- but may be unconstitutional Presidents continue to test the limits of using the military in foreign conflicts
28 Crisis Manager Crisis: a sudden, unpredictable, potentially dangerous event. The role the president plays can help or hurt the presidential image. With current technology, the president can act much faster than Congress to resolve a crisis.
29 Working with Congress Congress has a central constitutional role in making national security policy The Founders divided the powers of supply (Congress) and command (Exec) President has the dominant role in foreign affairs. Presidents still have to work with Congress for support and funding of foreign policies.
30 Power from the People: The Public Presidency Perhaps the greatest challenge to any president is to obtain and maintain the public s support. Because presidents are rarely in a position to command others to comply with their wishes, they must rely on persuasion.
31 Going Public Public support is perhaps the greatest source of influence a president has. Presidential appearances are staged to get the public s attention. They are marketing a product the president s policy agenda! As the head of state, presidents often perform many ceremonial functions- which usually result in favorable press coverage.
32 Presidential Approval Receives much effort by the White House Product of many factors: predispositions ( I only vote Republican ), honeymoon Changes can highlight good / bad decisions
Changes in approval levels appear to be due primarily to the public s evaluation of how the president is handling policy. Citizens seem to focus on the president s efforts and stands on issues rather than on personality. Job-related personal characteristics (integrity, leadership skills) also play a role. rally events are sudden increases in poll ratings: usually do not last. 33
34 Policy Support (using the Bully Pulpit to mobilize public support) Being an effective speaker is important The public may still miss the message Mobilizing the Public The president may need to get the public to actually act by contacting Congress Difficult to do since public opinion and political action are needed The president takes certain risks: what happens if he fails to mobilize the public?
35 The President and the Press The press has become the principle intermediary between the president and the public. Relations with the press are an important aspect of the president s efforts to lead public opinion. Presidents and media tend to conflict: they are often adversaries due to different goals.
36 The President and the Press Many people in the White House deal with the media, but the press secretary is the main contact person. Conducts daily press briefings, gives prepared announcements, answers questions. Media is often more interested in the person, not the policies News coverage has become more negative
37 Understanding the American Presidency The Presidency and Democracy There are still concerns over the president having too much power Is the president a threat to democracy? Concerns over presidential power are generally closely related to policy views Others argue that in this era of divided government, the president can t do enough with all the checks and balances in the system.
38 The Presidency and the Scope of Government Some presidents have increased, while others have sought to decrease, the functions of government. It is often said that the American people are ideologically conservative and operationally liberal.