4. the executive branch of government: president Flashcards
1
Q
What are the sources of presidential power?
A
- constitution - constitutional powers, e.g. power to propose legislation or e.g. commander in chief of the armed forces, e.g. Bush used in Iraq war
-Congress - delegated powers, e.g. power to determine detailed regulations for Congress’s laws e.g. 2018 Trump announced introduce tariffs on steel imports - implicit authority from the constitution or congress - implied powers e.g. the power to use emergency powers if required e.g. FDR used emergency powers to force Japanese-Americans into internment camps
- role as head of the executive - inherent powers e.g. after 9/11 Bush argued that is was is constitutional war powers gave him authority to detain terrorist suspects for indefinite period of time
2
Q
What are the formal powers of the president?
A
- executive powers: chief of fed gov, prepares annual federal budget
- legislative powers: proposes legislation to congress, signs legislation into law, veto legislation
- appointment powers: nominate all federal judges including USSC judges
- Foreign affairs power: commander in chief of armed forces, initiate military action, negotiate treaties
- Pardons: can pardon someone who has acknowledged that they are guilty of a federal crime
3
Q
What are the informal powers of the president?
A
- power to persuade: use personal influence to convince political figures to support them
- deal making: win support from politicans by making deals
- agenda setting: set political agenda
- executive influence: use VP, cabinet officers and lobbyist to push forward agenda
- De Facto party leader: head of the part
- direct authority and stretching of implied powers: FDR 3,721 executive orders, Obama and nuclear deal 2015
- Bureaucratic power: EXOP supports the president
4
Q
What are the checks and balances on the president by Congress?
A
- amending, delaying or rejecting legislation: e.g. Obama failed to pass gun control legislation
- override veto: Congress overrode 1 of Obamas 12 veto’s
- power of the purse: can lead to gov shutdown e.g. Trump had 2 in 2018
- refusing to confirm presidential appointments e.g. Robert Bork, Merrick Garland
- investigations: 2016 Trump and Russia colluding during the elections
- impeachment: Clinton 1997, Trump 2019&2021
5
Q
What are the checks and balances on the president by the judiciary?
A
- courts declared the gov’s actions unconstitutional
- judicial review e.g. 2017 Trumps ban on travellers from certain Muslim majority countries was halted by federal courts
6
Q
What are the other constraints on the presidents powers?
A
- party support in Congress: more difficult for the president to pass legislation when their is divisons
- state governors: they can work against presidents agenda e.g. Jerry Brown campaigned against Trumps decision to withdraw from 2015 Paris Climate agreements
- media: Trump and ‘fake news’ by liberal news articles
7
Q
What is the relationship between the cabinet and the president?
A
- cabinet members are policy specialists and usually give advice on their specific departments - president does not have to listen to the advice
- relationship varies from president to president:
+ Regan held more cabinet meetings than other presidents
+ Obama met with his around 3 times a year
+ some individual cabinet members may have a close relationship with the president e.g. Hillary Clinton with Obama
8
Q
What is EXOP?
A
- Executive Office of the President
- Around 3,000 staff
- headed by the white house chief of staff
9
Q
What is the NSC?
A
- National Security Council
- chaired by the president
- the relationship between the president and his chief of staff:
+ Obama worked closely with Rahm Emanuel while Trump’s first chief of staff Reince Priebus resigned after 6 months
10
Q
What is the relationship between the federal bureaucracy and the federal agencies with the president?
A
- some presidents (usually Dems) aim to increase the scope of the federal bureaucracy while Reps try to reduce the size e.g. 2018 Trump tried to abolish 22 gov agencies
11
Q
Waxing and Waning of Obamas presidential power?
A
- Obama had a productive first 100 days and received the highest approval since 1970s (waxing) as he was able to implement economic stimulus and the Obama care policy was popular
- BUT midterms 2010 Reps won majority in house and Obama has an increasing divided gov
- 2012 Reps won Senate as well - Obamas power started to Wane and started to become a lame duck president
12
Q
What is an imperial presidency?
A
- modern presidency has an imperial (emperor-like) character
- president dominates Congress and conducts foreign policy independently
13
Q
What is an Imperilled presidency?
A
- presidency was actually imperilled - presidency’s effectiveness was limited by an overly assertive Congress and an excessively large federal bureaucracy
14
Q
Does the US have an imperial presidency?
A
- Nixon - authorised military intervention in Cambodia and Loas without telling Congress
- 1972 Watergate showed Nixon was corrupt to advance himself
- most modern presidents have taken military action without Congressional approval e.g. Obama and Guantanamo Bay detention centre 2011
- Trump - tweeted that he had an absolute right to pardon himself, effectively claiming impunity from the law
15
Q
Does the US have an imperilled presidency?
A
- Congress responded to Nixon’s presidency, by passing new laws restricting powers of the presidency 1973 War Powers Act
- Gridlock makes it difficult to pass legislation
- Obama’s weakness was evident when Senate refused to discuss his USSC nomination
- Bush, Regan and Trump have blamed Congress for forcing them to sign budgets that would increase deficit
