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Gov > Chapter 14: The Presidency > Flashcards

Chapter 14: The Presidency Flashcards

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0
Q

Unified government

A

The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

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1
Q

Divided government

A

One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

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2
Q

Gridlock

A

The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

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3
Q

Electoral college

A

The people chosen to cast each state’s votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect a representative or senator.

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4
Q

Pyramid structure

A

A presidents subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff

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5
Q

Circular structure

A

Several of the president’s assistants report directly to him

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6
Q

Ad hoc structure

A

Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters

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7
Q

Cabinet

A

The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government

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8
Q

Bully pulpit

A

The president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

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9
Q

Veto message

A

A message from the president to congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced by within ten says of the bill’s passage

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10
Q

Pocket veto

A

A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns

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11
Q

Line-item veto

A

An executive’s ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature

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12
Q

Legislative veto

A

The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power

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13
Q

Impeachment

A

Charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives

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15
Q

Lame duck

A

A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection

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16
Q

Who is the chief executive in a parliamentary system and how are they chosen?

A

The prime minister
they are chosen by the legislature
stay in power as long as their party has majority or their coalition holds

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17
Q

Who tends to be outsiders: Presidents or Prime Ministers?

A

Presidents

want to be away form the mess in Washington

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18
Q

True or False: The preisdent most often chooses MoCs to be part of the cabinet

A

False

can’t have sitting members hold office in exec

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19
Q

True or false: Prime ministers most often choose members from parliamnet

A

true

this is how they exert control over Parliament

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20
Q

Do presidents have guaranteed majorities in the legislature?

A

no #dividedgovernment

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21
Q

True or False: when the US has unified government, the pres can often get a lot done

A

false still lots of inability to get things done

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22
Q

True or False: americans say they don’t like divided government

A

true

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23
Q

True or false: Divided governments do about as well in passing important laws, conducting important investigations, and ratifying significant treaties

A

true

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24
Q

Why do divided governments tend to produce as much important legislation as unified ones?

A

unified gov isn’t real [lots of intraparty issues]

constitution set up-pres and Congress rivals for powerrrrrrrrrrrr and in policy-making

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25
Q

When is there [actually] unified government?

A

when the same ideological wing of the same party has control over both branches of gov
ex. FDR LBJ

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26
Q

How could we fix gridlock?

A

change the constituion to be parliamentary

vote in MoCs that always agree with the Pres on everything

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27
Q

Do people split tickets on purpose?

A

maybe

research is unclear

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28
Q

True or false: gridlock needs to of a system of representative democracy

A 
Trueeeee
system causes delays 
instensifies deliberation 
forces comp 
requires creation of broad based coalitions
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29
Q

True or false: gridlock is a necessary consequence of direct democracy

A

falseeeeeee

direct dmeocracy is about efficiency and minimizing fuss

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30
Q

True or false: the framers only feared monarchy

A

falseeeee

anarchy

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31
Q

Did ALexander Hamilton want a strong executive?

A

yes

ger wanted an elective monarchy

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32
Q

Who wanted the executive like we have now?

A

Wilsonnnnn

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33
Q

What were the concerns of the framers over the presidency?

A

President could use militia to overpower state government
others didn’t want him to become a tool of the senate
didn’t want him to stay in office forever because he could like bribe perople

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34
Q

True or false: the framers thought elections would be thrown to the House of Representatives all the time

A

True

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35
Q

Why doesn’t Congress elect the president?

A

Congress could dominate an honest or lazy prez

or a scheming prez could dominate congress

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36
Q

What did the framers would think would happen with the electoral college?

A

people would vote for like their favorite kids and their would be no majority and of course the House of Representatives would decide

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37
Q

How many terms can the president serve?

A

two

22 amendment

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38
Q

True or false: people were originally hostile to parties

A

true

remember Washington’s farewell address

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39
Q

What were the important things the national gov had to do early in history?

A

like currency and debt

hang out with England and France

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40
Q

With the first presidents what was most important in appointments?

A

community status

partisanship rose up but community opinion was super important

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41
Q

Can a president’s likeness appear on a coin or currency at any time?

A

no ,only after death

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42
Q

How did Jackson’s vetoes differ from earlier presidents?

A

they were not just based on constitutionality also policy

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43
Q

True or false: jackson made for a strong presidency

A

true

however, Congress reasserted power after

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44
Q

Who really stepped up the use of presidential powers– especially implied ones?

A

Lincoln

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45
Q

Up until the new deal (from Lincoln minus WIlson and Rooselevlt) what characterized the presidency?

A

a negative force

just in opposition to Congress

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46
Q

In the past, when was the presidency powerful?

A

Personality or war

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47
Q

From Eisenhower to Reagan, who often took the lead in setting the legislative agenda?

A

Congress

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48
Q

True or False: generally, congress proposes, the presidents disposes, and the two struggle it out

A

true

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49
Q

Powers of the president alone

A 
serve as commander in chier 
commission officers of the armed forces
grant reprieces and pardons for deferal offenses (expect impeachment) 
Convene Congress in Special sessions 
receive ambassadors 
take care that laws are faithfully executed 
wield executive power 
appoint officials to lesser offices
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50
Q

Powers of the President That are shared with senate

A

make treaties

appoint ambassadors judges, and high officials

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51
Q

Powers of the President shared with Congress in general

A

approve legislation

52
Q

Does the list of presidential powers look impressive?

A

ig intrepreted alone and narrowly, nope

53
Q

What did Woodrow Wilson say a president needed to do to succeeed?

A

obey Congress and not die

54
Q

What is one of the most elastically interpreted phrases in the Constitution>

A

duty of “take care that the laws be faithgully executed”

55
Q

Where is greatest source of presidential power found>

A

oublic opinion

56
Q

rule of propinquity

A

power is wielded by people who arei n the room when a decision is made

57
Q

What are the three degrees of propinquity?

A

White House Office, Executive Office, and the cabinet

58
Q

Do members of the white house staff need to be confirmed?

A

no

59
Q

Evaluation of Pyramid Structure

A

orderly flow of info and and decisions

may isolate prezzzz

60
Q

Evaluation of Circular Method

A

pres gets info but there may confusion and conflict amongst others

61
Q

Evaluation of ad hoc structure

A

flexibility and less bureaucratic inertia

can cut prez off from gov officials who are responsible for things

62
Q

where are members of senior white house staff usually from?

A

campaign (sometimes exprets)

63
Q

are special assistants to the prez high status?

A

nope

64
Q

Is access to the president important?

A

yesss

influence policy and things like that

65
Q

Executive Office of The Pres

A

agencies report directly to the President

members may be bffs with hhim or her

66
Q

Principal agencis in the executive office

A 
Management and Budget
National Intelligence 
Economic Advisers
Personal Management 
US Trade Representatives
67
Q

What is the most important agency in the Executive Office?

A 
Office of Management and Budget OMB
look at figures in Budget
studies the executive branch 
looks at ways of getting better info
reviews proposals 
more than 500 people
nonpartisan in past
68
Q

Do the president and cabinet meet all the tiem?

A

nope

they used to

69
Q

Who are cabinet members?

A

generally heads of major executive departments

70
Q

What does the age of agencies affect?

A

protocol

71
Q

Who appoints/controls more members of the Cabinet prez or PMs?

A

prez

has to make up for separation of powers

72
Q

Are cabinet members more representatives of the president to the agency or of the agency to the prez?

A

agency to the president

73
Q

What are the advantages of making appointments?

A

reward friends

74
Q

What are the differences and similarities between an executive and independent agency?

A

similarity: can appoint to both
executive- serve at pleasure of pres, removed at discretion
independent- fixed terms of office, can only be removed for cause

75
Q

acting appointee

A

holds office until senate acts on nomination

76
Q

Where do cabinet officers and deputies come from?

A

like think tanks and wherever
some prior fed experience
generally alternate between public and private sector #revolvingdoor
in past, strong political followings of their own, now, expertise.administrative exp
need to recognize politically important groups regions and organizations

77
Q

Why is there tension between White House staff and department heads?

A 
politics comes into appointments and heads of organizations adopt organizations ideas 
staff- extension of president 
deaprtment- expert knowledge  
president wants this- staffer
be quiet youth- cabinet
I have an idea - cabinet
prez is bust - staffer
78
Q

Does personality plat a role in explaining the presidency?

A 
yes 
Eisenhower- organized
Kennedy- bold
Johnson- deal maker 
Nixon- intelligent, suspicion 
Ford- chatty
Carter- detail personality outsider 
Reagan- broad picture 
HW Bush- hands on manger 
clinton- informal 
Bush- tight ship
79
Q

Does the president need to rely on presuasion?

A

yes

80
Q

What audiencse does the prez aim persuasive powers at?

A

wash DC leaders and politicians
party activists- partisan grassroots want pres to like roll out their agenda
the public

81
Q

True or false; to avoid messing up, presidents tend to speak less

A

true

82
Q

Why wouldn’t a MoC support the president?

A

most secure in seats
don’t need to fear bosses
can’t reward or penalize MoCs

83
Q

Are Congress members affected by prez pop?

A

yess
in passing lefislation
more popular, more stuff gets done
but this is just correlational (after all, big v small bill)

84
Q

Is it easy to predict presidential popularity?

A

nopeee it can be influenced by factors that people don’t know about

85
Q

Doe s popularity increase or decrease with time in office

A

decrease highest at the beginning

86
Q

Presidential honeymoon

A

president’s love affair with the people and Congress can be consummated
most popular
ex. FDR

87
Q

How would you describe the presidential power of persuasion>

A

qimportant but limited

88
Q

executive privilege

A

the right to withhold information that Congress may want to obtain from the president or his subordinates

89
Q

Does a bill need a president’s signature to become law?

A

no, if it isn’t signed or vetoed in ten days and Congress is in session it becomes law

90
Q

Does the president have the power of a line item veto?

A

nope

91
Q

enhanced recission

A

cancel parts of a spending bill without vetoeing the whole bill
but unconstitutional

92
Q

Can Congress often overturn vetoes?

A

no

93
Q

What often happens to vetoed bills?

A

they are revised and passed

94
Q

Does the Constitution say whether or not the president needs to divulde private communications?

A

nope

95
Q

What is the basis for executive privilege?

A

separation of powers
MYOB Congress
statecraft confidential advice couldn’t be obtained if it would be exposed to the public
no challenge for like 200 years

96
Q

United States v Nixon

A

is a basis for executive privilege but no absolute immunity
still judicial processes
can’t mess up court function

97
Q

Impoundment of Funds

A

prez doesn’t spend money allocated

98
Q

Clinton Law suit

A

prez can be sued
other officials can’t claim executive privilege in defense
weakened the officials with whom prez can speak

99
Q

Budget Reform Act of 1974

A

President has to spend appropriated funds unless he tells congress what he doesn’t want to spend and Congress is fine with it
if he wants to delat spending, he just needs to Congress (but Congress can say no)

100
Q

What sources will a president use to put together a program?

A

intrest groups
aides and campaign advisers
Federal bureaus and agencies
Outside, academic, and other specialists and experts

101
Q

Pros and cons of using interest groups to put together a program

A

pro: specific plans and ideas
weakness: narrow view of pub interest

102
Q

Pros and cons of using aides and campaign advisers to put together a program

A

pro test ideas for political soundness

con not too may ideas to test/not experienced in gov

103
Q

Pros and cons of using federal bureaus and agencies to put together a program

A

pro know what is feasible for gov
reality princriple
con will propose plans that promote own agencies
don’t know whether they will work

104
Q

Pros and cons of using outside, academic, and other specialists and experts to put together a program

A

pro: many general ideas and criticisms of programs
con: won’t know details of policy or what is feasible

105
Q

What are the two ways to develop a program?

A

have a policy on everything
or
concentrate on a couple initiatives or themes and let others handle everything else

106
Q

How do presidents assess opinion?

A

leak things and float ideas

107
Q

What are the constraints a president faces in planning programs?

A

limit of time and attention span
unexpected crisis
fed gov and budget can only be changed marginally except in special cirumstances

108
Q

Do presidents have to be selective about what they want?

A

yess
only so much politcal capital
have to be ready for crisis

109
Q

What resources do the presidents have to devote most time to>?

A

economy and foreign affairs

110
Q

Trustee approach

A

do what do what the public good requires, even with skeptical voters

111
Q

Delegate model

A

do what your constituents want

112
Q

What is another use of polls besides deciding on policy?

A

coming up with language to sell policies and explain it

113
Q

What item has been on like every presidential agenda since hoover?

A

reorganizing executive branch

114
Q

Why do presidents reorganize?

A

it easier to get something done by creating new agencies or reorganizing old ones than by abolishing programs or firing people or passing laws

115
Q

When does Congress have to give permission for reorganization?

A 
when it is for important ways of the larger Executive office or departments or agencies 
#ReorganizationAct
wait nvm this is no longer valid
116
Q

Does the president truly act as a president when they assume their power?

A

yes

117
Q

Is the Vice Presidency a good vehicle to the presidency>

A

no

118
Q

What is the Vice Presidency?

A

“an empty job”

119
Q

What is the job of the VP?

A

preside over senate and vote in case of a tie but like Pres pro temp often presides
at best, adviser to Pres

120
Q

What are the problems with having a secretary of state take over in line succession?

A

could choose own successor

121
Q

What are the issues with having Speaker of Pro Temp?

A

may not have exec skill/ may be in opp party

122
Q

25 Amend

A

Vp acting pres when pres is unable to do the stuff or VP and cabinet say they can’t
if there is disagreement, congress decides
Vp nominates a new VP, who is confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress

123
Q

How can a president be removed?

A

impeached offiver convicted by a 2/3 senate vote presided by Chief Justice

124
Q

Independent Counsel`

A

investigated high ranking officials

125
Q

How do presidents deal with political problems?

A

move it or lose it: do things early in term
avoid details: focus on priorities
cabinets don’t get much done, people do dinf capable subordinates, give them clear jobs, and watch

Gov (13 decks)

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