3. US Presidency

Question 1

What specific example are there of the President’s executive powers being obstructed by Congress? (Budget) - The Presidency

Answer 1

Congress refused to approve a budget in 2018, leading to the 35 day government shutdown in 2018-19. They also obstruct the legislation that the federal government wishes to pass, creating gridlock.

Question 2

What instances are there of a President proposing legislation? - The Presidency

Answer 2

Biden used State of the Union to promote ‘Build Back Better’ agenda. Trump has used it to commit to bolstering the nuclear arsenal and cracking down on illegal immigration. Obama used 2010 speech to encourage Obamacare.

Question 3

What examples are there of Presidents signing legislation? What examples are there of Presidents vetoing legislation? - The Presidency

Answer 3

Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Bush signed into law the Patriot Act.
Obama used 12 vetoes during his presidency, while 1500 have been used by all Presidents. George H. W. Bush used 15 pocket vetoes.

Question 4

What examples are there of Presidents making use of formal military powers? - The Presidency

Answer 4

Truman oversaw war in France and North Korea, Johnson oversaw Vietnam, Bush oversaw Iraq and War on Terror, Obama involved in Middle East, Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan.

Question 5

What formal foreign negotiation powers are available to the President? What examples are there of these in use (and of rejected treaties)? - The Presidency

Answer 5

The President has the power to negotiate treaties, subject to a 2/3 majority approval in the Senate. This has included the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty agreed by Reagan and the Chemical Weapons Ban under Bush. The Treaty of Versailles was rejected, as was the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty under Clinton.

Question 6

How many changes did Trump make to his Cabinet in 4 years? How many did Obama make in 8? - The Presidency

Answer 6

In 4 years, Trump made 20 changes to his cabinet, with many of these being his Secretary of Defense. In 8 years, Obama made 3 changes to his Cabinet.

Question 7

How many Cabinet meetings did Obama hold in 8 years? How many did Bush hold each year on average? - The Presidency

Answer 7

Obama held 28 cabinet meetings in 8 years. Bush held 9/year on average.

Question 8

How can the President use Executive Orders to assert direct authority? How many executive orders did Trump issue? - The Presidency

Answer 8

The President can sign Executive Orders, which are official documents with legal force to direct federal government actions. These do not require congressional approval. Trump issued 220 Executive Orders.

Question 9

How can the President use Executive Agreements to assert direct authority? What examples are there of this? - The Presidency

Answer 9

The President can make agreements between foreign powers on matters not requiring a formal treaty without Senate approval. These have included the Paris Agreement and the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Question 10

What are signing statements and how do they assert direct authority? When have these been used? - The Presidency

Answer 10

Signing statements can be issued by a President alongside legislation to address concerns and reservations about a law. These were used by Obama on the 2011 Defense Act over concerns about Guantanamo Bay. Trump also objected to Congressional sanctions on Russian, Iranian ad North Korean officials.

Question 11

How can public approval strengthen/weaken a President’s power? Give examples - The Presidency

Answer 11

After 9/11, Bush had approval ratings of 90% and allowed him to have substantial control over Congress. However, Trump had an average approval of 41% and as such struggled to get the approval of Congress as the delegates of the people.

Question 12

How does an electoral mandate strengthen/weaken the power of a President? Give examples - The Presidency

Answer 12

A strong electoral mandate, as occurred under Reagan in 1984 when he took 49 states, allows a President to control their agenda and become influential over Congress. However, with a questionable mandate, as Trump had after 2016, the President may struggle to legislate.

Question 13

How have national events strengthened/weakened presidential powers? - The Presidency

Answer 13

Strengthened: Bush and 9/11, Obama and Hurricane Sandy
Weakened: Bush an Hurricane Katrina, Trump and COVID pandemic, Clinton and Lewinsky Scandal.

Question 14

Give 3 examples of Executive Orders used by Presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Obama) - The Presidency

Answer 14

Eisenhower: ordered the desegregation of Little Rock School with federal troops.
Kennedy: required affirmative action measures in employment.
Obama: reversed practices of Bush administration which involved interrogation and detention of terror suspects.

Question 15

What is an example of an Executive Order under Obama that failed due to Congressional actions? - The Presidency

Answer 15

The Senate refused to approve the spending plan as part of Obama’s Executive Order to close Guantanamo Bay, meaning that it has remained open.

Question 16

What examples are there of presidents being unable to pass legislation despite having united government? - The Presidency

Answer 16

In Clinton’s first term, he failed to pass healthcare reforms due to not being able to convince conservative Democrats over his proposals. Trump also failed to reform healthcare by repealing Obamacare.

Question 17

How many presidential vetoes have been used since 1992? How many of these have been overridden? - The Presidency

Answer 17

70 vetoes have been used since 1992, with 8 of these being overridden.

Question 18

How many years of united government did Obama, Trump and Clinton have? How many years of united government did Bush have? - The Presidency

Answer 18

Obama, Trump and Clinton had 2 years of united government, while Bush had 6 years.

Question 19

How can the Supreme Court influence the Presidency? What examples are there of this? - The Presidency

Answer 19

The Supreme Court can declare actions of the president to be unconstitutional through judicial review. This can be seen through Obama’s immigration reforms being overturned in 2016, Clinton being refused immunity from prosecution in 1997 and Nixon being forced to release tapes as part of Watergate.

Question 20

Why do government shutdowns occur? What specific examples are there of government shutdowns occurring? - The Presidency

Answer 20

Government shutdowns occur when federal budgets cannot be approved, meaning that the operation of the Executive must stop. This happened for 35 days under Trump in 2018-19, as well as under Clinton and Obama.

Question 21

Why was one of Obama’s Supreme Court nominations rejected? When? - The Presidency

Answer 21

Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court was rejected by a Republican controlled Senate in 2016 due to the proximity to the Presidential election.

Question 22

Why was Trump forced to withdraw his nomination for Secretary of Labour? - The Presidency

Answer 22

Trump was forced to withdraw his nomination for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, due to concerns over his personal life and business practices.

Question 23

What examples of impeachments have there been since 1992? - The Presidency

Answer 23

Clinton: impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in 1999 over his relationship with Lewinsky.
Trump: first impeached for abuse of power in 2019 after pressuring the Ukrainian government to release sensitive info on Joe Biden. Then again impeached over the Capitol Insurrection on 6/01/2021.

Question 24

How was Bush’s foreign policy subjected to Congressional investigation? - The Presidency

Answer 24

Initially, Congress gave limited oversight to Bush’s foreign policy under united government. However, a Democrat-controlled Congress in 2006 saw much stronger opposition to Bush’s foreign wars from Democrat committee chairs.

Question 25

How was Obama’s foreign policy subjected to congressional scrutiny? - The Presidency

Answer 25

Obama’s presidency saw a terror attack on the US embassy in Benghazi, Libya, which saw 6 committees investigate this. NSA Scandal when people had phone records accessed without wrongdoing under Patriot Act, BUT LITTLE OVERSIGHT ON THIS.

Question 26

How were Trump’s foreign relations subjected to congressional scrutiny? - The Presidency

Answer 26

6 congressional committees were set up to investigate alleged Russian interference into the 2016 US Election, with influence confirmed in 2018/20 reports but could not be conclusively linked to the Trump administration.

Question 27

Describe Bush’s approach to foreign policy. Give examples - The Presidency

Answer 27

Bush aimed to overcome the ‘axis of evil’ that threatened US liberty following 9/11, deciding to take pre-emptive action against those who were believed to want to harm the US. This was seen in Iraq, who were believed to be harbouring terrorists and in possession of WMDs.

Question 28

Describe Obama’s ‘soft power’ approach to foreign policy. Give examples of this in action - The Presidency

Answer 28

Obama aimed to use diplomacy in an attractive and persuasive way to other foreign nations, rather than engaging in coercion and conflict. This can be seen in Obama’s desire to end the Iraq War and stabilise the Middle East.

Question 29

What examples are there of Obama deviating from the use of ‘soft power’ in terms of Afghanistan and the Patriot Act respectively? - The Presidency

Answer 29

Afghanistan: largest military involvement of Obama’s presidency, engaging in continued conflict until he left office in 2017.
Patriot Act: 4 year extension of Patriot Act resulted in the increased use of drone attacks. 300 of these occurred in his first term.

Question 30

What examples are there of Trump’s hawkish approach to foreign policy in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran? - The Presidency

Answer 30

Afghanistan: bombed ISIS militants here.
Syria: Bombed Syrian government in 2017.
Iran: Bombed in 2020, killing Iranian General Soleimani.

Question 31

What examples are there of Trump’s pragmatic approach to diplomacy in his foreign relations with North Korea and the Middle East? - The Presidency

Answer 31

North Korea: Trump was the first President to engage in diplomacy with a North Korean leader.
Middle East: brokered a deal between the UAE and Bahrain which normalised their relationships with Israel.

Question 32

What examples are there of Trump being confrontational through his diplomacy with NATO and China? - The Presidency

Answer 32

NATO: Trump came close to quitting the NATO alliance, criticising the excessive US funding of this body.
China: engaged in a trade war which damaged the US as it imposed tariffs on trade with the country.

Question 33

What are examples of House and Senate committees with foreign policy expertise? What investigations have both committees launched? - The Presidency

Answer 33

The House has the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee, while the Senate has the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committee. Both committees conducted investigations into the Iraq War.

Question 34

How has the 1973 War Powers Act impacted the President’s powers over FP? - The Presidency

Answer 34

The 1973 War Powers Act has made it so that Congress must be notified of military action within 48 hours of it being taken.

Question 35

What example is there of Clinton being ineffective in achieving reforms of healthcare? - The Presidency

Answer 35

Clinton got his wife, Hillary, to work out the reforms despite her relative inexperience. The proposals were too divisive and could not convince Congressional Democrats that they were value for money and effective. It was an ambitious aim, which was not helped by a poorly organised effort.

Question 36

What examples are there of Clinton growing the economy and reducing the deficit? - The Presidency

Answer 36

Clinton made economically effective decisions and moved the Democrats to a more moderate position which helped their chances of election. He increased tax on the wealthy, reduced unemployment rates and saw 4% economic growth every year.

Question 37

What example is there of Clinton being ineffective at growing the economy? - The Presidency

Answer 37

The gap between the richest and poorest arguably widened under the Presidency of Clinton, as economic benefits were not evenly distributed.

Question 38

What evidence is there of improved representation and a protection of rights under Clinton? - The Presidency

Answer 38

Clinton appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, wanting one which ‘looked like America’. More black judges were appointed by Clinton than in the previous 6 years, allowed gay service in the army under ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

Question 39

What examples are there of limited protection of civil rights under Clinton? - The Presidency

Answer 39

Gay people were still effectively gagged from discussing their sexuality in the military due to ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’.

Question 40

What examples are there of the effectiveness of Clinton’s FP in Russia, Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland? - The Presidency

Answer 40

Russia: began positive relationship with Yeltsin and stabilised country in post-Soviet era. Secured Yeltsin in power.
Yugoslavia: used NATO forces and sent US troops to bomb Yugoslavia.
NIR: played key role in negotiating Good Friday Agreement and concluding troubles.

Question 41

What examples are there of the ineffectiveness of Clinton’s foreign policy in terms of Russia and Yugoslavia? - The Presidency

Answer 41

Russia: political and economic reforms failed to materialise to fully secure Yeltsin in power and promote security.
Yugoslavia: did not involve himself soon enough in Yugoslavian conflict.

Question 42

What examples are there of Bush’s effectiveness in dealing with the ‘War on Terror’? - The Presidency

Answer 42

Bush passed the Patriot Act to expand powers in pursuing terror suspects, created the Homeland Security Department, increased US security and defended Western democratic values.

Question 43

What examples are there of Bush being ineffective in handling the ‘War on Terror”? - The Presidency

Answer 43

Iraq War was fought on false pretences as it was not in possession of WMDs, struggled to establish and Iraqi government based on Western values and created instability in this region, Iraq cost $2tn/War on Terror cost $6.4tn

Question 44

What examples are there of Bush improving education? - The Presidency

Answer 44

Bush passed the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ in 2002, expanding the federal government’s role in education and created standardised testing. 2% funding increase for poorest schools. Bipartisan support from EDWARD KENNEDY.

Question 45

What examples are there of Bush being ineffective in improving education? - The Presidency

Answer 45

Democrat and teacher support for the policies gradually fell away as it began to feel as though it was imposed on schools. Republican conservatives feared an increase in role of federal government and it was later argued that this was a failed attempt at reform.

Question 46

What evidence is there of Bush succeeding in creating tax cuts? - The Presidency

Answer 46

Bush encouraged $1.3tn of tax cuts, increased economic growth. Passed Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act to ‘return’ tax revenues from budget surplus through low tax.

Question 47

What examples are there of Bush failing to create social security reforms? - The Presidency

Answer 47

Bush would have tied pension contributions to stock market values, making this volatile. Republicans would not commit to Bush’s proposals due to public discontent with the idea. Democrats also opposed to this.

Question 48

What examples are there of Obama succeeding in creating affordable healthcare? - The Presidency

Answer 48

Obama worked extensively with House leadership to persuade Congress to support measures. 7% drop in % of uninsured adults by 2016, required compromise with Democrat factions.

Question 49

What examples are there of Obama being inefficient in creating affordable healthcare? - The Presidency

Answer 49

Obama was unable to create a more ambitious public health option, was burdened by extreme bureaucracy, could not encourage conservative Democrats to favour many of his proposals.

Question 50

What examples are there of Obama being effective in handling the financial crisis? - The Presidency

Answer 50

Passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create a $787bn stimulus package. Passed Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms to regulate the banks and prevent excessive risk-taking.

Question 51

What examples are there of Obama being inefficient in handling the financial crisis? - The Presidency

Answer 51

The level of government intervention to handle the crisis was criticised by conservative Democrats and Republicans alike.

Question 52

What examples are there of Obama being successful in creating immigration reform? - The Presidency

Answer 52

Obama passed the DAPA executive order which allowed the delaying of deportations of undocumented immigrants within the US to support illegal immigrants who had attempted to come to the US for opportunities.

Question 53

What examples are there of Obama failing to reform immigration? - The Presidency

Answer 53

Obama failed to pass the Dream Act due to extent of Republican and conservative Democrat opposition, could not gain support for pro-immigration policy during job scarcities. Also saw DAPA executive order overturned by the Supreme Court, meaning undocumented immigrants could be deported.

Question 54

What examples are there of Obama being effective/ineffective in ending the Iraq War? - The Presidency

Answer 54

Effective: removed US troops from Iraq and ended US involvement in this conflict.
Ineffective: criticised for hawkish approach in placing troops in Afghanistan and Libyan/Somalian campaigns.

Question 55

What examples are there of Trump succeeding in getting tax cuts for individuals and corporations? - The Presidency

Answer 55

Trump passed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, slashed corporate tax rates from 35% to 21%, created booming economy due to low tax, saw 2019 have lowest unemployment since 1969.

Question 56

What evidence is there of Trump being ineffective at reducing taxes for individuals and corporations? - The Presidency

Answer 56

Trump himself was largely a bystander to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, tax cuts did not pay for themselves through GDP or economic growth, did not translate into full time jobs.

Question 57

What evidence is there of Trump failing to repeal Obamacare? - The Presidency

Answer 57

Murkowski, Collins and McCain all voted against Obamacare repeal in the Senate due to the lack of a viable alternative, Trump could not create a coherent plan to alter healthcare which led to little change.

Question 58

What evidence is there of Trump succeeding in his immigration policies? - The Presidency

Answer 58

Trump managed to begin the construction of 221 miles of wall, 157 miles under pre-construction. He also ended the DACA scheme to prevent undocumented immigrants from remaining, introduced policy of those awaiting immigration hearings staying in Mexico.

Question 59

What are examples of Trump being ineffective in his immigration policies? - The Presidency

Answer 59

Trump did not succeed in building 2000 mile border wall or making Mexico pay for this. Any wall built was mainly steel fencing, and only 15 miles of new border was constructed. Criticised for separation of immigrant families.

Question 60

What example is there of Trump successfully handling the COVID crisis? - The Presidency

Answer 60

Trump passed the CARES Act, creating an economic stimulus package worth $2.2tn

Question 61

What evidence is there of Trump being ineffective in handling the COVID crisis? - The Presidency

Answer 61

58,000 deaths recorded, slow to recognise the dangers of the illness and respond with public health measures, forced state governors to coordinate majority of response due to absence of federal action, stopped funding WHO.

Question 62

How has Congress withdrawn influence from the President through legislation in the 1970s? (2) - The Presidency

Answer 62

Case Act 1972 - made so that Congress had to be informed about all executive agreements.
War Powers Act 1973 - Congress had to authorise all uses of troops.

Question 63

What evidence is there of imperial presidencies? - The Presidency

Answer 63

Nixon and war in Cambodia (expanded from Vietnam), Bush and the Patriot Act/War on Terror, Obama in Syria, Trump and funding for his wall, low levels of scrutiny under united government due to partisanship.

Question 64

What evidence is there of imperilled presidencies? - The Presidency

Answer 64

Case Act, War Powers Act, power of the purse and government shutdowns, divided government/gridlock and lame duck presidents all indicate imperilled presidencies.

Question 65

What evidence is there of Clinton acting imperially? - The Presidency

Answer 65

Clinton wished to launch a 20,000 troop invasion of Haiti without Congressional approval, he did not ask Congress to declare war when committing troops to the Serbian War, use of counter-terrorism strikes to detract from the Lewinsky affair.

Question 66

What evidence is there of Clinton acting as an imperilled President? - The Presidency

Answer 66

Clinton’s proposed Haitian invasion never materialised, with Jimmy Carter mediating the crisis and gaining credit. Clinton also failed to pass healthcare reforms despite united government.

Question 67

What evidence is there of Bush acting imperially? - The Presidency

Answer 67

Bush came to the Presidency in controversial fashion, having won <50% of the vote. He led the War on Terror and increased homeland security measures, although war in Iraq was fought on false pretences. Dominated Congress for 6/8 years, held terror suspects at Guantanamo.

Question 68

What evidence is there of Bush acting in an imperilled fashion? - The Presidency

Answer 68

Bush was unable to pass his social security reforms, faced a Democrat-controlled Congress in his final 2 years, faced scrutiny and poor approval ratings following Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Question 69

What evidence is there of Obama acting imperially? - The Presidency

Answer 69

Obama extended the Patriot Act for 4 years, led drone strikes in the Middle East, launched attacks on Afghanistan, sanctioned death of alleged terrorist (US Citizen) without trial, execution of Bin Laden, passed Obamacare and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Question 70

What evidence is there of Obama acting as an imperilled President? - The Presidency

Answer 70

Obama served 6 years of divided government, could not close Guantanamo Bay due to budgetary restrictions, Obamacare was diluted by compromise, faced Supreme Court cases against recess appointments and his DREAMERS programme for immigrants that overturned each.

Question 71

What evidence is there of Trump acting imperially? - The Presidency

Answer 71

Trump overturned many EAs such as the Iran Nuclear Deal, NAFTA and the Paris Agreement, assassinated General Soleimani without Congressional approval, unable to be impeached by Senate, nominated 3 SC Justices including Coney-Barrett when RBG died.

Question 72

What evidence is there of Trump acting as an imperilled President? - The Presidency

Answer 72

Trump was twice impeached by the House, unable to repeal Obamacare due to opposition within his own party, 35 day govt shutdown was longest in history, could not coordinate COVID response, had reputation damaged by allegations of collusion with Russia.

Question 73

What example is there of Biden persuading on behalf of Obama? Why? - The Presidency

Answer 73

Obama used Biden to persuade various members of Congress to support crucial legislation and aspects of his agenda as a result of Biden being depended upon by people in the Senate especially following Biden’s long tenure in this House prior to being VP.

Question 74

What was the significance of the National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning (2014) case to recess appointments?

Answer 74

The National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning (2014) ruling declared that Obama’s appointments of 3 individuals to the NLRB in a Senate recess had been unconstitutional and had exceeded his formal powers.