chapter 12: the presidency Flashcards
The joint listing of the president and Vice Presidential candidates on the same ballot
Presidential ticket
A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president
Parliamentary system
Amendment which arranged for the presidential ticket
10th amendment
A formal, public agreement between the US and one or more nations
Treaty
Election which revealed the problem with the runner up rule
1796
What military branches is the president commander of?
Army and navy
Who appropriates money for the purchase of arms?
Congress
Who can declare war?
Congress
The power of the president to make treaties is called
Diplomat in chief
When do executive agreements expire?
When the executive from either nation leaves office
The name of the presidential duty of being in charge of day-to-day operation of the federal bureaucracy
Administrator in chief
The authority to appoint judges and ambassadors
The appointment power
What three points help presidents choose appointments?
1) party loyalty
2) interest group pressure
3) management ability
How many appointments has senate ever rejected?
8
Where are minor presidential appointments listed?
The Plum Book
Why can judicial appointments exert a president’s influence beyond their term?
Because judges serve for life
Where did the pardon power come from?
Traditional powers of the English king
What percent of presidential vetoes have been overridden?
Fewer than 10%
What president had the most vetoes? How many?
FDR, 435
What can the pardon power be used for?
Shortening prison terms, correct judicial errors, address national controversies, and protect citizens from future prosecution
The constitutional requirement that makes presidents responsible to take care that laws are faithfully executed
Take care clause
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
The President’s annual statement to Congress and the Nation
State of the Union Address
What does the 25th Amendment secure?
Actions to be taken if the president is unable to perform his duties while in office
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?
8
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
