chapter 12: the presidency Flashcards by Hope Matheson

The joint listing of the president and Vice Presidential candidates on the same ballot

Presidential ticket

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A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president

Parliamentary system

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Amendment which arranged for the presidential ticket

10th amendment

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A formal, public agreement between the US and one or more nations

Treaty

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Election which revealed the problem with the runner up rule

1796

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What military branches is the president commander of?

Army and navy

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Who appropriates money for the purchase of arms?

Congress

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Who can declare war?

Congress

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The power of the president to make treaties is called

Diplomat in chief

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When do executive agreements expire?

When the executive from either nation leaves office

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The name of the presidential duty of being in charge of day-to-day operation of the federal bureaucracy

Administrator in chief

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The authority to appoint judges and ambassadors

The appointment power

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What three points help presidents choose appointments?

1) party loyalty
2) interest group pressure
3) management ability

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How many appointments has senate ever rejected?

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Where are minor presidential appointments listed?

The Plum Book

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Why can judicial appointments exert a president’s influence beyond their term?

Because judges serve for life

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Where did the pardon power come from?

Traditional powers of the English king

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What percent of presidential vetoes have been overridden?

Fewer than 10%

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What president had the most vetoes? How many?

FDR, 435

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What can the pardon power be used for?

Shortening prison terms, correct judicial errors, address national controversies, and protect citizens from future prosecution

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The constitutional requirement that makes presidents responsible to take care that laws are faithfully executed

Take care clause

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Clause that requires presidents to make sure laws enacted by Congress are implemented, even if he doesn’t personally agree with them

Take care clause

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The President’s annual statement to Congress and the Nation

State of the Union Address

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What does the 25th Amendment secure?

Actions to be taken if the president is unable to perform his duties while in office

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Who is third in line for President?

Speaker of the House of Reps

On what grounds can a president be impeached?

Treason, bribery, or "other high crimes"

What two presidents have been impeached? What were the outcomes?

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton; acquittal

What president avoided impeachment by resignation?

Nixon

Why is there conflict in who has The War Power?

Article 1 grants declaration of war to Congress, but Article 2 gives the power to wage war to the President

Why do presidents usually believe they should have The War Power?

Because they have greater access to secret information that Congress may not

Why was the War Powers Resolution passed?

The Vietnam War was waged almost entirely without Congressional approval

Under the War Powers Resolution, how long does the president have to report to congress after deploying troops?

48 Hours

Under what three circumstances can the president wage war?

1) After a declaration of war from Congress 2) If the US is attacked 3) By specific statutory authorization

Why is the War Powers Resolution ineffective?

It's loophole city

When can a president keep secrets under executive privilege?

When doing so is essential to protect jeopardized national security

What was the first president known to exert executive privilege?

Washington

Where do executive privilege and executive orders come from?

Implicit powers

In what case did claiming executive privilege doom a president?

When Nixon claimed it to protect the Watergate Tapes

Bush's most famous executive order

The creation of The Department of Homeland Security

Law which requires the president to submit annual budgets to Congress

Budget and Accounting Act

What was impoundment originally intended for?

Redirecting money from a Congressional bill in the case of emergency such as war

How was it decided that impoundment was an unfair presidential practice?

Nixon used it to redirect spending based on his ideology

Act which made impoundment illegal

Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act

Recission

Cancellation of congressional appropriations

Proclamations extending the authority for federal spending for up to months, used when a budget cannot be agreed upon by the end of a fiscal year

Continuing resolutions

What president is often considered to be the first "modern" president, using his powers to their fullest impact?

FDR

What was Roosevelt's most notable new lobbying tactic?

Using the media to build public support

What has made the modern president's role in protecting the nation more pronounced?

The threat of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction

The closest advisors, including the first lady

The president's inner circle

How many members of staff does the White House have?

400

Who is the president's most loyal assistant and head of the White House?

The Chief of Staff

Where are the staff member's offices located?

In the West Wing and the Old Executive Office Building

"Survival of the fittest" situation in which the president allows the aides to fight each other for access to the oval office

Competitive

Two presidents who used to competitive approach to assigning aides

Johnson and FDR

When the president encourages aides to work together toward a common position

Collegial approach

What is the critical view of the collegial approach?

It encourages groupthink

When a small group of people stifle dissent in the search for common ground

Groupthink

When the president establishes tight control over who does what in making decisions

hierarchal approach

Presidents who used hierarchal approach in assigning aides

Reagan and George H. W. Bush

Presidents who used the collegial approach in assigning aides

Kennedy and Clinton

What is the chief advantage of hierarchy?

The president has to deal with less staff members but gets maximum work done

The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities

Executive Office of the President

The central presidential staff agency

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Agency which seeks to improve the planning, management, and statistical work of the other agencies. Also advises on how the budget should be allotted.

OMB

The budget is more than just a financial plan. What else does it reflect?

Power struggles and national priorities

What is the historical source of the cabinet?

Tradition; it is not in the Constitution

What is the largest federal agency?

The Department of Defense, which has nearly 1 million employees

What is the one major responsibility of the Vice President?

To be ready to take control of the country at a moment's notice. However, they can also have any list of assignments given to them by The President

Who has been the most visible first lady in the actual political process?

Hilary Clinton, who actually designed legislation and worked closely with her husband

All soldiers and sailors take orders from the one military person elected by all the people: The President

Civilian Control of the Military

When are presidents expected to crisis manage?

In event of natural disasters, attacks, war, etc.

How many times has a vice president taken office following the President's death?

What are the 3 political resources of a president?

1) Their party's seats in Congress 2) The mandate provided by his election 3) The level of public approval

A president's claim of broad public support

Mandate

Which presidents have the highest mandate?

Those elected by large electoral margins

President who won the electoral votes of every state by Mass. and DC.

Reagan. This 98% electoral mandate is the record highest

What are a president's personal resources?

Time, energy, and information

What is the one personal resource that increases over a president's term?

Information

How do president's lobby?

Giving invitations to White House events and helping Congress members with their pork barrel projects

4 Greatest Presidents

Lincoln, Washington, FDR, and Jefferson