3. US Presidency Flashcards
Examples of recent presidents, their parties and dates they were in office?
- Roosevelt - 1932 - 1945
- Harry Truman - 1945 - 1952
- Eisenhower - 1952 - 1960
- John F Kennedy (Democrat) - 1960 - 1963
- Lidon Johnson - 1963 - 1968
- Richard Nixon - 1968 - 1974
- Gerald Ford (Republican) - 1974 - 1976
- Jimmy Carter (Democrat) - 1976 - 1980
- Reagan (Republican) - 1980 - 1988
- George H. W. Bush Sr - 1988 - 1992
- Bill clinton 1992 - 2000
- George W. Bush Jr - 2000 - 2008
- Barack Obama (democrat) - (2008 - 2016)
- Donald Trump - 2016 - 2020
Biden - 2020 - Ongoing
Examples of recent vice presidents?
- Joe Biden - Kamala harris
- Donald Trump - Mike Pence
- Barack Obama - Joe Biden
- George W. Bush Jr. - Dick Cheney
- Bill Clinton - Al Gore
- George H. W. Bush Sr. - Dan Quayle
What are the qualifications to become President?
- A natural-born US citizen
- At least 35 years old
- A US resident for at least 14 years
What are the powers of the president?
- Prepares the federal government’s budget
- Is commander in chief of the armed forces
- Can pardon those guilty of crimes against the federal government
- Conducts U.S. foreign relations, makes treaties, and receives foreign ambassadors
- Appoints cabinet members, ambassadors, and federal judges
- Keeps Congress informed about the state of the country and the economy
- Proposes laws and programs to Congress
- Approves or vetoes all bills passed by Congress
What is the role of the head of state?
- Head of State (like the King in the UK)
- Performs diplomatic and ceremonial duties, represents the nation
- Opportunity to direct both national and international policy
- Can use the national media to exert influence over both public opinion and Congress
What specific powers does the Constitution confer on the President?
- Commander-in-chief of the armed services (but he cannot declare war)
- Negotiates and signs treaties with other countries
- In charge of diplomatic relations with other countries
- Has the power to issue pardons to anyone convicted of a crime
What did prominent American scientist Richard Neustadt argue about presidency?
- (specialises in the U.S. presidency and has been adviser to several presidents)
- Argues that presidents are so constrained by the system of check and balances that they have only ‘the power to persuade’
What are the features of ‘Head of Government’?
- Art II, S.1 of the constitution- ‘the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America’
- Ultimate decision maker in the executive branch and responsible for all department and agencies
- 15 cabinet departments- NOT equal to the President, he makes the final decisions
- Can use the Executive Office of the President (established in (1939)
What posts does the President make appointments to?
- Cabinet and junior Cabinet posts
- Ambassadors
- Agency heads, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Members of regulatory commissions, for example, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC)
- All federal judges (supreme, federal district and circuit courts)
What was the difference between Trump and Obama when they were Head of the Executive branch?
- Obama was more about trying to pacify minority groups. Whereas Trump was making changes for his own benefit.
- Trump was not in control of the executive branch when he was in charge
- Obama used his position to create new initiatives whereas Trump has used his position to tear down previous initiatives (executive orders) created by Obama and other previous ones
What are the formal resources/ powers of the presidency?
- Veto
- Executive orders
- Nominations
- Recommendations
- Commander-in-Chief
- Head of State and Head of Government
What are the informal resources/ powers of the presidency?
- Staff in the executive branch
- Party ties
- Mass media
- International Contracts
- The ‘bully pulpit’
What are the roles of the President?
- Head of State
- Head of Government
- Chief legislator
- Chief diplomat
- Commander-in-chief
- Party leader
- The president shall ‘from time to time give to Congress information on the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient’.
- As the State of the Union Address is delivered annually at the end of January, the president takes a leading role in shaping national policy for the year.
- Has the power to veto bills that have been passed by Congress (found in Article 1, Section 7).
- The Constitution gives the president the broad responsibility of ensuring that the laws of the USA are ‘faithfully executed’.
How important is the electoral mandate?
- One informal source of the president’s power lies in the size of his electoral victory.
- The bigger the win, the more he can claim authority and popular support for his agenda.
- This is part of the reason (along with ego) why Trump disputes the result of the popular vote in 2016.
- A president can usually get most of his agenda carried in his first 2 years when he is usually support by united government.
- Midterm losses can usually result in a hostile congress who are less likely to support the president’s programme.
What are some recent examples of electoral mandates?
- Bush (Republican) (2001-09):
-Mandate = 47.9% popular and 271/538 ECV
-House of Control = R 2000-06 and D 2006-08
-Senate Control = R 2000-06 and D 2006-08 - Major issues:
-9/11 and the ‘war on terror’
-Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
-Hurricane Katrina
-Banking crisis - Obama (Democratic) (2000-17):
-Mandate = 52.9% popular and 365/538 ECV
-House Control = D 2008-10 and R 2010-16
-Senate Control = D 2008-14 and R 2014-16 - Major issues:
-Healthcare reform - the Affordable Care Act Budget crisis and stimulus package
-Osama bin Laden
-Government shutdown
What is a electoral mandate?
The election of a candidate who stood in elections and who thereby got an authorization to act in a certain manner on behalf of his or her electorate and claim more authority.
What are executive orders and their features?
- Implied power, not specific.
- Most are non-controversial. E.g. Obama’s creation of a White House Council on Native American affairs.
- Others more so. Obama’s order for the CIA to stop using methods of torture for interrogation
- Immediate effect
- Published in Federal Register, numbered
- There are limitations: can be challenged in the courts and blocked (Trump travel ban in 2017) and there can be strong public and congressional outcry
What are the effects of national events happening while a presidents in office?
- Sometimes national events, most of which are unexpected can force a president to prioritise this issue over his key priorities.
- Can be beneficial or the opposite.
What are examples of national events and their impacts on presidents and the government?
- 2008 banking crisis and economic crash – Economic Stimulus Package led to ACA being put on ice for a while. This led to opposition to ACA increasing and the final policy being watered down (removal of the ‘public option’).
- Natural disasters - can backfire - hurricane Katrina in 2004, destroyed New Orleans and George Bush was very slow and little aid getting through
- 9/11 attacks led a surge in GW Bush’s authority and carried through to the Republicans winning both chambers of congress in 2002.