Chapter 14The Presidency

Presidential Qualifications

35 years old Natural born citizen Lived in U.S. for 14 years

Male Religious (Christian) Dominantly white Educational backgrounds in political science, law,

History Previous political background experience

(governor, senator, representative, etc.)

Oh hey there Chandler…. I’m

100% sure that I am not old

enough at the moment

Presidency 101 Presidents v. Prime Ministers Prime ministers = elected BY the legislature

(majority party driven) Presidents = elected by the people

Presidents are “OUTSIDERS” Not a part of the “Washington mess” Only 13% were legislators Majority were governors, military leaders, & VPs

Presidency 101 Presidents and Cabinet Members CONSTITUTION no members of congress in cabinet! Personal friends, campaign aides, important constituency

representatives, policy experts

Presidents and the Legislature Divided government:

President party is opposing party to one or both chambers of Congress (often the case) Unified government:

President party is the same party as both chambers of Congress

Divided & Unified Government

White House & Congress

Gridlock:inability of government to act or pass legislation

because of divided govt. and party polarization

1. Gridlock exists in BOTH divided AND unified governments Based off of party ideology (pres. & legislators) Party politicians do not always feel or view the same on issues1. Gridlock is not ALWAYS bad Direct result of representative democracy

* people vote for reps of districts, but not 100% accurate of the represented area

MD in Congress

The Presidents

The Presidents To the Oval Office

o Electoral College (270 to win)- 538 total electoral votes (state reps + 2 senators)- population based

o Term of 4 yearso 1951 - 22nd Amendment limited terms (2)o House of Reps elects president if no majority

o Succession (death, resignation, removal, 25th amend. indications)• Vice president House Speaker Secretary of State

cabinet positions in order.• 25th Amendment: VP becomes acting president if the

VP and president’s cabinet determine that the president is “disabled”

The PresidentsSuccession (death, resignation, removal, 25th amend. indications)

• Vice president House Speaker Secretary of State cabinet positions in order.

• 25th Amendment: VP becomes acting president if the VP and president’s cabinet determine that the president is “disabled”

20th Amendment:- Jan. 20th = end term date of current presidency * lame duck session at end of presidential term where

president lacks ability to persuade Congress to act or pursue new goals

- January 21st = start date of new president

SUCCEEDED PRESIDENTS

The Presidents How They Can Be Removed

o Impeachment • Impeachment = accusation, requiring a majority vote in the

House. • Charges may be brought for “Treason, Bribery, or other

high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”• If impeached, the president is tried by the Senate with the

Chief Justice presiding.• Only two presidents have been impeached: Andrew

Johnson and Bill Clinton** neither were convicted or recalled from office

President: CONSTITUTIONArticle II Section 2: Powers of the President

President: CONSTITUTION

Article II Section 2&3: Roles of the President Commander-in-Chief - key military decisions (troops, use of weapons,

war strategies

Head of State - represents the nation (figure head) and performs ceremonial roles

Economic Planner - creating national budget (program spending)

Chief Diplomat - directs foreign policy, hosts foreign leaders, appoints secretary of state

Chief Executive - director/Authority of running the country

Chief Legislator - propose laws to congress

Party Leader – NOT referenced in Constitution, but PERSUADES/ “influences” his party in Congress!

Presidential Powers The Expansion of Power

o Presidents may develop new roles for and expand power of the office.

o 1973 War Powers Resolution:- notify Congress within 48 hours of troop

deployment- troops in combat 60 days, 30 day withdrawal- must have Congress declare war after time period

Perspectives on Presidential Powero During the 1950’s and 1960’s people favored a powerful

president.o By the 1970’s, presidential power was checked and

distrusted by the public.

RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT:Chief Executive

Vice Presidento Basically “waits” for things to doo Power has grown over time, as recent presidents have

given their VPs important jobso Vote in the Senate in the event if a tie

The Cabineto Presidential advisors, NOT in Constitutiono Made up of 14 cabinet secretaries and one Attorney

General, appointed & confirmed by the Senate

RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT: The Chief Executive

Chief Executive: CABINET

15 “Departments” “Secretaries” Usually “in-and-outers” (rotating between federal govt. jobs) Business leaders, think tanks, university professors, labor unions, law

firms, former congressional members

Former Trend Presidents appt. cabinet members who had strong political following of

the public

Recent Trend Presidents appt. cabinet members who show expertise and experience

instead of a political following Secretaries for the most part operate within their “own” and report to

the president…..

*Often can be tension between cabinet heads who feel empowered and desire a certain amount of attention from the president.

RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT:The Chief Executive

Presides over the administration of governmento Today, federal bureaucracy spends $2.5 trillion a year and numbers more than

4 million employees.o Presidents appoint 500 high-level positions and 2,500 lesser jobs.

President must “PERSUADE”“There's not a liberal America and a conservative America. There's a United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America. There's a United States of America.”

- Washington D.C./Congressional members*support, buy in, and act on bill measures*2/9/14 powerhouse roundtable

- Partisan grassroots activists (outside of Washington)*want president to share their interests & help raise funds

- Public*vast and very different pres. careful not to say too much about issues

and major topics

Bully Pulpit:president’s use of visibility (media, speeches, etc.) to excite, enthuse, and persuade the public

Presidential Popularity & Approval

Obama

Approval Trends “Honeymoon” stage where public enjoys the president

first term in office President ratings drop over term length NOT much connection to presidential favoring &

congressional elections*party weakening & decreasing party loyalty*trend in public’s disapproval of previous party

majority

Presidential Ratings

Presidential Popularity & Approval

Presidential Success & Approval personal character personal popularity influence on

WHAT/HOW MUCH Congress passes and gets done

• Passing of large item bills • NOT taking stances on controversial issues• Passing of favored bills

*handling of crises = can be positive or negative!

Bush and 9/11 (57% initial approval 90% 9/11 approval)

Presidential Popularity & Approval

Influences on Popularity & Approval

INCREASE (+) “good” economy

• low unemployment, high GDP, consumer spending peace time law passing congressional behavior = active

DECREASE (-) scandals “bad” economy* high unemployment, low GDP, low consumer spending war congressional behavior = gridlock and “do nothing”

Presidential Influence Constitution power of the presidential veto Veto message:

president rejects a bill within 10 days Pocket veto:

president does not sign a bill within the 10 days and Congress has adjourned (no law) Line-Item-Veto:

rejecting certain/specific measures of a bill(NOT allowed by president)

Washington – Clinton = 2,500+ vetoes & only 4 were overridden!

Presidential Influence “Executive privilege” NOT in Constitution Presidential withholding of information & communication from Congress Watergate (U.S. v. Nixon 1974 ) president can receive secret advice, but

is not excused under criminal investigation.

Impoundment of Funds NOT in Constitution that presidents must spend all money allocated by

Congress. Traces back through most presidents Nixon 1972 – attempted to reduce federal spending Budget Reform (Control) Act 1974:

President MUST spend all appropriated funds or notify Congress for them to make changes in 45 days

President can delay funds, but Congress can order the immediaterelease of funds

Presidential Influence Signing statements:

presidential writings & expression of feelings on a new law and HOW it should be implemented

Obama Signing Statements

Reagan 71H.W. Bush 141Clinton 105G.W. Bush 150+ and challenged 1,200 sections of legislation

Congress views just as unequal as line-item-vetoes Allows president to influence the parts he likes about it and parts

that he views unconstitutional

Presidential Influence Executive Order:

order/demand madeby president that helpagencies and officerswith operations in the federal government

NOT in Const. (president shall"take care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Art. II, Sec 3) have force of law cannot be unconst. (reviewby S.C.)

*Expand presidential power!

Obama Executive Orders

Office of the President Executive office = HUGE and hard to manage

Structure of White House Office West Wing and Chief of Staff = closest people to the

president (very small offices) Hired and fired at presidents will

G.W. Bush = 400+ staff members and $34.5 million Cabinet members must be confirmed by Senate

Office of the President- Pyramid: assistants report to hierarchy chief of staff president

*orderly flow *can cause loss of info.

Circular:assistants & cabinet secretaries directly to president

*president gets proper info *confusion/chaos

Ad hoc:assistants, cabinet secretaries, groups, committees discuss directly to president

*flexibility & more ideas *can cut president off from heads

Office of the Presidency

Reorganizing the Executive Branch EVERY president has known to do Caused by the “overwhelmingness” of the

number of agencies and the chaos that gets reported to him

President’s attempts to get things done*put the right people into position*easier to create new agency than abolish

another or pass a law Must have congressional approval (reorg. plan)

within 60 days

Office of the President Agencies NOT located in the White House Report directly to the president and perform staff

services Appointed by president, confirmed by Senate

OMB (Office of Management and Budget)DNI (Director of National Intelligence)CEA (Council of Economic Advisors)OPM (Office of Personnel Management)Office of U.S. Trade Representative

* Many agencies tend to be their own bureaucracies!Ex. OMB = 500+ members

Office of the President Executive Agencies Appointed by president, confirmed by Senate Can be removed by president at any time No terms

Independent Agencies Appointed by president, confirmed by Senate Serve for fixed terms (varied)

President’s Platform/Program

PRESIDENT HAS BEEN ELECTED……. NOW, WRITE A PROGRAM!

Interest Groups Specific plans/ideas Can be biased/narrow minded

Aides & Campaign Advisors Can test new ideas to see public reaction Not many ideas to test & inexperience

Federal Bureaucracies & Agencies Will know what is “doable” Agencies promote own interests

Outside, Academic, Specialists, & Experts General ideas and can critique existing programs May not know policy details

How Powerful is the President?

ExpansionVarious influences as chief legislator, commander-in-chief, chief executive (signing agreements, command of troops, executive orders, & appointments)

Limitations Checks and balances (override veto, judicial review, impeachment) Congress = “power of the purse” and can defund programs Congress = declare war Congress = pure lawmaking power Legislative veto:Originated as simple AND concurrent resolutions (1 chamber or 2 chambers approved)Power of congress to reject presidential action

*first intended to limit president’s reorganization of branch (creation and abolishment of executive agencies)

*expired 1981 & declared unconstitutional in 1983 because it violated the “bicameralism” of the lawmaking nature of congress!

President’s Platform/Program

How to Develop1. Program on “Everything”

- research and learn issues, develop a position on, state position on large number of issues

2. Program on 3-4 Initiatives- leave all other issues up to the executive

office

*importance of “leaks” and trial balloons*president must be careful to not take specific stands on the controversial issues risk of disapproval

President’s Platform/Program

Constraints Time and Attention Span Limits

*hard to “do it all” and determine WHAT issues to focus on

*must communicate and spend time with Congress*average of 400-600 bills that Congress passes that

need president’s attention

Unexpected Crisis*forces president to respond and take action

Federal Govt., Federal Budgets = hard to change*requires congressional approval