Chapter 12: The Presidency Flashcards
Why do Americans have high expectations of Presidents?
Presidents have to accomplish what they promised. Otherwise, Americans quickly lose favor.
How many Presidents have there been?
47 Presidents, 45 men
How long is a Presidential term?
4 years, as guaranteed by the Constitution
22nd Amendment
- ratified in 1951
- limits Presidents to being elected to only 2 terms
What is the order of succession for Presidency?
- Vice President
- Speaker of the House
- President Pro Tempore of the Senate
- through cabinet members (leaders of executive departments)
Impeachment
constitutional process for removing someone from office (e.g. President, Vice President, Supreme Court Judge)
What are the President’s formal titles?
- Head of Government - has executive powers, per the Consitution
- Head of State - symbolically represents the nation as a whole
How much authority did the framers designate to the President in the Constitution? How have presidential powers changed over time?
- limited authority, only listed few responsibilities for the President
- increased over time, for Presidents have found loopholes to gain power
What is the relation between the President’s expansion of power and checks and balances?
- Congress checks the President’s actions
- sometimes Congress is unable (division among parties) or uninterested (in support the President) to check the President’s power
How much power does the Vice President have?
- overall have little power
- only constitutionally defined job is to be the President’s back up, but modern Presidents delegate more tasks for the Vice President
25th Amendment
- ratified in 1967
- establishes that the President chooses a new Vice President if the position becomes vacant
- permits the Vice President to become the acting President if the President is disabled
Executive Cabinet
- heads of various departments within the Executive Branch, President relies on their advice on key issues
- not mandated in the Constitution, but every President has has one
How many secretaries are in the Executive Cabinet?
15, originally 3
What does the President do as Chief Legislator?
- signs or vetoes bills to check Congress
- recommends policies in the State of the Union address to Congress
What does the President do as Chief Diplomat?
- extends and ends diplomatic relations with foreign governments
- makes executive agreeements with other countries, which are informal agreements and not treaties that require Congressional approval
- negotiates treaties, which are voted on by the Senate
What does the President do as Commander in Chief? Why was this role given to the President?
- expands their power through implied powers, but cannot declare war
- framers of the Constitution wanted civilian control of the military
War Powers Resolution
- voted on by Congress in 1973
- requires the President to consult with Congress prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days or ask Congress for an extension
National Security Council
- links the President’s foreign and security advisors
- formal members: President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Advisor
Council of Economic Advisors
advises the President on economic policy
Office of Management and Budget
- prepares the President’s budget - President requests funding from Congress
- advises the President on proposals from departments and agencies
- reviews proposed regulations
White House Chief of Staff
- not an official government position, President picks person
- in charge of running the President’s staff
- also: gatekeeper to the President - one has to go through them to talk to the President
First Lady
- not an official government position
- advocates important issues
Press Secretary
- not an official government position, President picks person
- President’s spokesperson, briefs the press
What is the relation between the President and their party?
- President is highly dependent on the support of their party members
- unofficial leader of their party, as they are the highest elected official of their party
