Chapter 3 - 1/5 - Formal sources of presidential power Flashcards
What did President Johnson say about presidential power?
“The only power I’ve got is nuclear, and I’m not allowed to use that.”
“The Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America”
Article II, Section I
What did President Truman have on his desk?
A sign that read ‘The buck stops here’.
Which article of the Constitution is the executive branch?
Article II
F.D.R. years in office and party?
1933-45; Democrat
Harry Truman years in office and party?
1945-53; Democrat
JFK, years in office and party?
1961-63; Democrat
Lyndon B Johnson years in office and party?
1963-69; Democrat
Richard Nixon years in office and party?
1969-74; Republican
Gerald Ford years in office and party?
1974-77; Republican
Jimmy Carter years in office and party?
1977-81; Democrat
Ronald Reagan years in office and party?
1981-89; Republican
George H. W. Bush years in office and party?
1989-93; Republican
Bill Clinton years in office and party?
1993-2001; Democrat
George W. Bush years in office and party?
2001-2009; Republican
Barack Obama years in office and party?
2009-17; Democrat
Donald Trump years in office and party?
2017-2021; Republican
What does the role of head of state allow the president to do?
Exert their authority as the position commands a cultural respect.
What did F.D.R. do that changed the relationship between the president and the nation?
He held ‘fire-side chats’ broadcast on the radio between 1933 and 1944.
Who gave the first ever televised presidential address and when?
President Truman in 1947
What formal executive powers does the president have?
- chief executive of the federal government.
- they prepare the annual budget.
What formal legislative powers does the president have?
- they propose legislation to Congress.
- they sign legislation passed by Congress.
- they can veto legislation.
What formal appointment powers does the president have?
- they nominate officials to the executive branch.
- they nominate federal judges and Supreme Court Justices when vacancies arise.
What formal foreign affairs powers does the president have?
- as commander-in-chief they initiate military action.
- they negotiate treaties.
What formal judicial power does the president have?
- they can pardon someone.
What do the opening 15 words of Article II grant the president?
All executive power.
Who draws up the annual budget for the president?
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Article II, Section 3
The president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”
How many regular vetoes did Obama make?
12
Which Obama veto did Congress manage to overturn?
September 2016, Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
Which Trump veto did Congress manage to overturn?
National Defence Authorisation Act 2020 (NDAA)
How many pocket vetoes did George H. W. Bush use?
15
What are the two types of veto?
- Regular
How many heads of executive departments are there?
15
Who is Biden’s Secretary of the Treasury?
Dr Janet Yellen
Who is Biden’s Secretary of State?
Anthony Blinken
What is needed to confirm a presidential nomination to the executive?
A simple majority in the Senate.
What is needed for a Supreme Court Justice nomination to pass?
A simple majority in the Senate.
Who did Trump nominate to the Supreme Court?
- Neil Gorsuch
- Brett Kavanaugh
- Amy Coney Barrett
When was the last time Congress declared war?
1941 against Japan
What treaty did George H. W. Bush negotiate?
Chemical Weapons Accord 1990 with Russia
What is needed to ratify a treaty?
2/3 of the Senate
When did the Senate reject the Treaty of Versailles?
1920
What treaty did Clinton fail to get through the Senate and when?
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 1999
What criteria did people have to meet for Obama’s clemency initiative?
- Low-level offences
- Non-violent
- Served at least 10 years
Where is the role of the vice president set out?
Article II, Section 1, Clause 3
What does the Twenty-Fifth Amendment do?
Allows the vice president to become acting president if the president becomes disabled.
Why was Kamala Harris made acting president in 2021?
Biden was having a colonoscopy which required anaesthesia.
What three functions does the vice president fulfil?
- taking over from the president
- presiding officer of the Senate
- counting the Electoral College votes
Who was Clinton’s vice president?
Al Gore
How many tie-breaking votes did Mike Pence cast?
13, more than any vice president since 1870.
Which tie-breaking vote of Mike Pence was controversial?
His vote enabled Betsy DeVos to become Secretary of Education in 2017, the first time it has been used for a cabinet nomination.
What was Mike Pence’s nickname by Republicans?
the Bobblehead
What has Biden delegated to Harris, showing that she will be a powerful vice president?
The White House effort to tackle migration on the south border.
What bill did Obama veto and when?
Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, February 2015
