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Essential Question
What basic powers of the presidency directly affect the other two branches of government—the legislature and the judiciary?
Section 1
Constitutional Powers
• The Founders had two reasons to give the national government a strong executive:
– One of the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was its lack of an independent executive to carry out the acts of Congress.
– Many of the Founders distrusted direct participation by the people in decision making.
Section 1
Constitutional Powers (cont.)
• Article II, Sections 2 and 3 define the president’s powers:
– The president is commander in chief of the armed forces, responsible for national security.
– The president appoints, and the Senate confirms, the heads of executive departments.
Comparing Governments
Section 1
Constitutional Powers (cont.)
– The president conducts foreign policy—making treaties (with the Senate’s approval) and appointing ambassadors.
– The president appoints federal court judges, can pardon those convicted of federal crimes and can reduce a person’s jail sentence or fine.
Comparing Governments
Section 1
Constitutional Powers (cont.)
– The president ensures that the laws Congress passes are “faithfully executed.”
– The president delivers an annual State of the Union message to Congress, proposes legislation, and can call Congress into special session when necessary.
Comparing Governments
A. A
B. B
C. C
Section 1 – DQ1
Which of the following is NOT a reason the Founders cited for giving the national government a strong executive?
A. Articles of Confederation lacked a strong executive
B. Desire to return to a monarchy like England
C. Distrust of direct participation by the people
A B C
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Section 1
Informal Sources of Power
• A number of presidents have expanded the powers of the executive because of their beliefs about the office.
– Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France.
– Theodore Roosevelt said that the president has the right and duty to “do anything that the needs of the Nation demanded, unless such action was forbidden by the Constitution or by the laws.”
Section 1
Informal Sources of Power (cont.)
• Some presidents expand their power based on the immediate needs of the nation:
– During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus and jailed opponents of the Union without trial or the legal authority to do so.
– During the Great Depression Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the role of the federal government in the economy.
Section 1
Informal Sources of Power (cont.)
– Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, George W. Bush gained sweeping authority from Congress to fight terrorism.
• A mandate—the expressed will of the people, often in an election—is one of the greatest sources of political power.
• Major newspapers, magazines and the Internet provide a forum, or medium for discussion, for presidential messages.
Section 1
Limits on Executive Power
• Congress can limit the president’s authority.
– Congress can pass legislation even after a president has vetoed it.
– The Senate must confirm a president’s appointees.
– The House of Representatives must approve the budget.
– The House and the Senate can use the impeachment process to remove the president from office.
Section 1
Limits on Executive Power (cont.)
• In Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court said that it had the right to the final interpretation of whether an act of the legislature or the president violates the Constitution.
• The federal bureaucracy can obstruct presidents’ programs unintentionally by failing to provide needed information, by misinterpreting instructions, and by not completing a task properly.
Section 1
Limits on Executive Power (cont.)
• Public opinion can also affect a president. Without favorable public opinion, no president can carry out a political program.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
Section 2-Polling Question
Which role of the presidency is most important in the context of modern government?
A B C D
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A. head of state
B. chief executive
C. commander in chief
D. economic planner
Section 2
Head of State
• President represents the nation and performs many ceremonial roles
•Nation’s Chief Diplomat.
•Provides the image of the United States.
Section 2
Chief Executive
• Ensures laws of Congress are carried out.
• Influences how laws are carried out by…
• Executive Orders: Rules that have force of law
• Power to Appoint: Executive Branch jobs
• Right to fire officials
•Impoundment of funds: Refusal to allow a federal department or agency to spend money Congress has appropriated
•Grants reprieves (postponement) and pardons (release)
Section 2
Chief Executive (cont.)
• Amnesty:
• Group pardon to people for an offense against the government (military situation – Civil War)
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
Section 2 – DQ2
A B C D
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A presidential rule that has the force of law is called
A. a presidential ruling.
B. an executive order.
C. an executive law.
D. a presidential veto.
Section 2
Chief Legislator • Executive branch proposes legislation it wishes to see
enacted
• State of the Union:
•Legislative program presented to Congress
•Power to Veto:
•Important tool President holds over Congress
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
Section 2 – DQ3
In the annual State of the Union message, the president lays out his legislative program by addressing
A. the Supreme Court.
B. his cabinet.
C. Congress.
D. the United Nations.
A B C D
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Section 2
Economic Planner• Employment Act of 1946:
Directs the president to submit an annual economic report to Congress
Council of Economic Advisers:
Created to study the economy
Prepare economic report for the president
Makes federal government responsible for promoting high employment, production, and purchasing power.
• President prepares the Annual Budget
Section 2
Party Leader
• Chief executive is also the party leader.
• Appoint members of their party to government jobs
•Patronage: Appoint to political office as a reward for helping getting a president elected
Section 2
Chief Diplomat• President directs the foreign policy of the U.S.
• Congress and the President often conflict over which branch controls our country’s foreign policy
• Presidential power has expanded by allowing the president to make decisive action in times of crisis
• President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties
• 2/3 of the Senate must approve all treaties
Section 2
Chief Diplomat (cont.)
• Executive Agreement:
• Pacts between the president and the head of a foreign government.
• Executive agreements have the same legal status as treaties but do not require Senate consent.
• The president decides whether the U.S. will recognize a foreign government
Section 2
Commander in Chief
• President shares with Congress, power to make war.
• President is responsible for the key military decisions and overall policy and strategy.
• President has the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons.
• During war, Congress is likely to give the president special powers at home as well as abroad.
Section 3
Increased Responsibilities
• The Founders originally intended for the Congress, not the president, to lead the nation.
• Instead the powers and duties of the president have grown steadily over the years.
• Public opinion surveys clearly show that Americans look to the president to keep the peace and to solve economic and social problems.
Section 3
Leadership Qualities and Skills
• President must…
• Know what the American people want
• Have public support for Congress to support Presidential proposals and policies
• Present their ideas in a way that gain public support
• Be flexible, be able unite Democrats-Republican
• Have political courage…to go against public opinion and do what is right for the nation (long-term)
Section 3
Presidential Isolation
• Dependency on White House staff has created presidents that are increasingly more isolated. Differing viewpoints are limited.
• Easy to be surrounded by “Yes Men”
• Top staffers can limit the president’s exposure to other voices (of dissent)
• Example: Reagan’s Chief of Staff James Baker often made decisions as if he were president (de facto president)
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
Section 3 – DQ3
A B C D
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As presidents rely more on White House staff, there is an increased danger of presidential
A. conflict.
B. isolation.
C. misunderstanding.
D. distrust.
Section 3
Executive Privilege• Executive privilege:
• Right of the president and other high-ranking executive officers, with the president’s consent, to refuse to provide information to congress or a Court.
• Presidents claim executive privilege is necessary to protect their communication with executive branch staff.
• The constitutionality and limits of executive privilege have become controversial over time
Section 3
Executive Privilege (cont.)
• As more policy has been made in the Executive Office of the President, the constitutionality and limits of executive privilege have become controversial.
Chapter Summary start
Presidential Powers
• Formal powers are granted in Article II of the Constitution.
• Informal sources of power include the president’s personal exercise of power, the immediate needs of the nation, and public mandates.
• Powers can be limited by Congress, the federal courts, the bureaucracy, and by public opinion.
Chapter Summary
Roles of the President
• Head of State—Performs ceremonial roles
• Chief Executive—Sees that laws of Congress are carried out
• Chief Legislator—Proposes legislation
• Economic Planner—Prepares federal budget
• Party Leader—Supports party members
• Chief Diplomat—Directs foreign policy
• Commander in Chief—Commands armed forces of the United States
Chapter Summary
Presidential Leadership Skills
• Understanding of the public
• Ability to communicate
• Sense of timing
• Openness to new ideas
• Ability to compromise
• Political courage
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