The Presidency. The Presidents Great Expectations – Americans want a president who is powerful and who can do good: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt

The PresidencyThe Presidency

The PresidentsThe Presidents

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.

Nixon Clinton

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NBC News Time Capsule Nixon Resigns August 9, 1974 - AOL Video.url


Who They Are– Formal Requirements:

Must be 35 years old Must be a natural-born citizen Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years

– Informal “Requirements”: White, Male, Protestant (except one JFK)

– All manner of professions, but mostly political ones (former state governors, for example)

22nd amendment established 2 terms/10 years

Govn’t experience (law)$$$Moderate viewpointsMaleLonely job

Salary and BenefitsSalary and Benefits

Determined by Congress $400,000 salary/$50,000 expenses/$120,000 travel

& entertainment Air Force One Free medical, dental, healthcare White House (132 room mansion) swimming

pool, bowling alley 80 domestic staff Retirement = Pension - $151,800; office staff -

$150,000 (former first ladies - $20,000)

25th amendment (1967) Order

– VP– Speaker of the House– Pres. Pro-temp of the Senate– Cabinet Offices (secretaries)– Garfield, FDR, JFK, Harding all died in office

Disability– Pres informs Congress (vp takes over)– VP and majority of Cabinet indicate if president is

disabled

Vice-PresidentVice-President

2 duties:– President over Senate (vote in case of tie)– Helps decide if pres is disabled and acts as pres

should that happen

Other duties varyRecently given more power and

responsibility (ex: Cheney)



How They Got There– Elections: The Normal Road to the White

House Once elected, the president gets a term of four years. In 1951, the 22nd Amendment limited the number of

terms to two. Most Presidents have been elected to office.


How They Got There– Succession and Impeachment

Vice-President succeeds if the president leaves office due to death, resignation, or removal.

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 25th Amendment clarifies what happens if the president becomes disabled.


System of Electing the PresidentSystem of Electing the President

Elector - a member of a political party chosen by a popular vote in each state to formally elect the pres and vp

Electoral vote - official vote for pres and vp by electors in each state

# of electors per state = # of representatives + # of senators per state

Must win 270 of 538 votes (majority)– Elections 2000

If no one candidate wins majority than outcome determined by House of Rep. (ex: 1800 - Jefferson, 1824 - John Quincy Adams)

Winner take all system Widely debated

– Electoral votes vs. popular votes

BUSH/

CHENEY

271

electoral vote

50,456,062

popular vote

GORE/

LIBERMAN

266

electoral vote

50,996,582

popular vote

Presidential OfficePresidential Office

20th amendment– Changed the month the president takes office

from March to January– Noon on January 20th

From Table 13.3

Presidential PowersPresidential Powers

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIPPRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP

Head of State– Represent nation– Ceremonial duties

Light tree Host dignitaries Meet public figures

Chief Executive– Carries out laws of Congress– Executive orders - rules that have the force of law– Grant reprieve– Grant pardon– amnesty

Chief Legislator– Propose legislation to Congress– State of Union address– Work with members of Congress– Veto power

Economic Planner– Employment Act of 1946 (annual economic report,

council of Economic Advisors)– Prepare federal budget

Party Leader– Help in election of members– Fund raising– Appointing party members (patronage)– Conflict of interest?

Chief Diplomat– Directs foreign policy– Struggle with Congress over power– Make treaties– Make executive agreements– Recognition of foreign governments

Commander in Chief– Power to make war– Military operation and strategy– Operations at home

Limitations on powerLimitations on power Congress - override veto by 2/3 vote (Ex: War Powers

Act - Nixon’s veto 1973) Congress - impeach pres (Andrew Johnson, Bill

Clinton - acquitted) Supreme Court - Marbury v. Madison 1803

– Some of FDR’s new deal legislation was ruled unconstitutional

Schechter Poultry Corp vs. U.S.– Richard Nixon’s White House Tapes

Bureaucracy - intentional and unintentional– Fail to provide info, misinterpret instructions

Public opinion– War, economic state, moral character

Mass media

Executive PrivilegeExecutive Privilege

Right of pres to refuse to testify before, or to provide info to Congress or a court

US v. Nixon (1974)– Nixon secretly taped conversations with key

aides about Watergate coverup– SC ruled that Nixon had to surredner tapes to

special prosecutor investigating scandal– Question remains: How far does executive

privilege extend?

Presidential PowersPresidential Powers

The Expansion of Power– Presidents may develop new roles for the office– Presidents may 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.

Running the Government:Running the Government:The Chief ExecutiveThe Chief Executive

The Vice President– Basically just “waits” for things to do– 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

Pres, VP, 14 secretaries (dept. heads), top officials– President Bush's Cabinet

Running the Government: The Running the Government: The Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

Cabinet Secretary CharacteristicsCabinet Secretary Characteristics

Presidential advisors “secretaries” head each major executive dept Must please many (political party, Congress,

interest groups) Experience in area Satisfaction of interest groups (ex: education:

NEA)– NEA: About NEA

Administrative skills (large departments)Background (college grads, advanced

degrees, leaders in field)– Salary $161,200 (often sacrifice $$ for public

service)

Nomination and ConfirmationNomination and Confirmation

List made by presNames may be leaked to assess views of

public, Congress, interest groupsConfirmation hearings before committee

that oversees particular dept2/3 vote of Senate

Role of CabinetRole of Cabinet

Head of deptAdvisor to presMost Cabinet’s are sounding boards more

than advisorsInner cabinet (state, defense, treasury,

Attorney General) more influential

Limits of CabinetLimits of Cabinet

Conflicting loyalties (pres, career employees, Congress, interest groups)

Internal disputes (between secretaries - fight for control; disagree with pres)

Secrecy and trust issuesPres often turns to Executive Office instead

Figure 13.1


The Executive Office– Made up of several policymaking and advisory bodies– Three principle groups: NSC, CEA, OMB


The White House Staff– Chief aides and staff for the president - some

are more for the White House than the president– Presidents rely on their information and effort

The First Lady– No official government position, but many get

involved politically– Recent ones focus on a single issue

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT (EOP)PRESIDENT (EOP)

Individuals and agencies that directly assist the pres

Gather info; advise pres; help implement decisions

Executive Office AgenciesExecutive Office Agencies

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)– Largest– Prepares pres budget to Congress– Reviews budgets of agencies– Central clearance - review all legislative

proposals

National Security Council (NSC)– Created in 1974– Coordinate military and foreign policy– Pres, vp, sec of state, sec of defense, other

advisors– National security advisor directs staff– National Security Council

National Economic Council– Created in 1946– Helps pres formulate nat’l economic policy– 3 top economists - 60 other economists, attorneys,

political scientists– Assesses econ health, future econ conditions, aids other

agencies– Proposes solutions to problems– Lawrence B. Lindsey

Running the Government: The Running the Government: The Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

Principal Offices in the White House (Figure 13.2)

White House OfficeWhite House Office

Pres appoints (withOUT approval of Senate) Often long time personal supporters Inner circle

– Chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, White House counsel, press sec

Press staff (headed by press sec)– Handles relations with White House press corp– Press conferences– Public statements

Presidential Leadership of Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Politics of Congress: The Politics of

Shared PowersShared PowersChief Legislator

– 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.

Presidential Leadership of Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Politics of Shared Congress: The Politics of Shared

PowersPowers


Shared PowersShared Powers Party Leadership

– The Bonds of Party The psychological bond of being in the president’s party

– Slippage in Party Support Presidents cannot always count on party support, especially on

controversial issues– Leading the Party

Presidents can offer party candidates support and punishment by withholding favors.

Presidential coattails occur when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president’s party because they support the president.


PowersPowers


PowersPowers


Shared PowersShared PowersPublic Support

– Public Approval Operates mostly in the background Public approval gives the president leverage, not

command

– Mandates Perception that the voters strongly support the

president’s character and policies Mandates are infrequent, but presidents may claim a

mandate anyway


Shared PowersShared PowersLegislative Skills

– Variety of forms: bargaining, making personal appeals, consulting with Congress, setting priorities, etc.

– Most important is bargaining with Congress.– Presidents can use their “honeymoon” period to

their advantage.– Nation’s key agenda builder

The President and National The President and National Security PolicySecurity 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


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


War Powers– Constitution gives Congress the power to

declare war, but presidents can commit troops and equipment in conflicts

– War Powers Resolution 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


Crisis Manager– A crisis is a sudden, unpredictable, and 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. Working with Congress

– President has lead role in foreign affairs.– Presidents still have to work with Congress for support

and funding of foreign policies.

Presidential IsolationPresidential Isolation

Staff members are reluctant to voice criticism of the pres

Disagreement with the pres can sometimes lead to limited access to the pres

Top staffers control access to the pres

Power from the People:Power from the People:The Public PresidencyThe Public Presidency

Going Public– Public support is perhaps the greatest source of

influence a president has.– Presidential appearances are staged to get the

public’s attention.– As head of state, presidents often perform many

ceremonial functions, which usually result in favorable press coverage.

Figure 13.3


Presidential Approval– Receives much effort by the White House– Product of many factors: predispositions, “honeymoon”– Changes can highlight good / bad decisions

Power from the People: The Power from the People: The Public PresidencyPublic Presidency

Average Presidential Approval for Entire Terms in Office (Figure 13.4)


Policy 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 and the PressThe President and the Press

Presidents and media are often adversaries due to different goals

Many people in the White House deal with the media, but the press secretary is the main contact person

Media are often more interested in the person, not the policies

News coverage has become more negative

Understanding the American Understanding the American PresidencyPresidency

The Presidency and Democracy– There are still concerns over the president

having too much power.– Others argue there are too many checks and

balances on the president.The Presidency and the Scope of

Government– Some presidents have increased the functions

of government.

Documents

The Presidency. The Presidents Great Expectations – Americans want a president who is powerful and who can do good: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt