Enumerated Powers Of The President

Question 1

What re enumerated powers?

Answer 1

-formal powers
-explicitly wrote in the constitution - specific

Question 2

What is the formal power of the president to propose legislation?

Answer 2

-pres can propose legislation at any time
-does this by calling press conference or making public announcement

Question 3

What is an example of the president proposing legislation?

Answer 3

-pres annual ‘state of the union’ address
-2013 Obama used this to promote policy on job creation, immigration reform, gun control + minimum wage

Question 4

What is the implied power of the president submitting the annual budget?

Answer 4

-it sets out how much money federal gov spend over coming year
-pres doesn’t personally write budget but pres office of management does at their the pres direction

Question 5

What is an example of the president submitting the annual budget?

Answer 5

-Feb 2020 Trump budget took gov spending to $4.8 trillion
-but didn’t have power pass budget as ‘power of the purse’ belongs to congress

Question 6

What is the formal power of the president to sign legislation?

Answer 6

-pres power sign bill into law + once done bill becomes law of congress
-pres also not sign it + leave it on desk to become law after 10 working days without signature

Question 7

What is an example of the president signing legislation?

Answer 7

-Obama signed Ukraine freedom support act of 2014

Question 8

What is the formal power of the president to veto legislation?

Answer 8

-pres not sign bill + leave it on desk to become one in 10 days
-if congressional session ends during 10 days bill is lost — pocket veto
-also veto by sending bill back to congress but congress can override this (is difficult)

Question 9

What is an example of the president vetoing legislation?

Answer 9

-pocket veto last used by Clinton 2000 — two thirds majority needed in both houses to override this veto
-Trump 2018-21 made 10 vetoes + 1 was overridden
-vetoed 2 legislation to end state of emergency 2019

Question 10

What is the final power of the president acting as chief executive?

Answer 10

-chief exec of federal gov
-controls federal bureaucracy which is made of 15 executive deps each with diff area responsibility

Question 11

What is the formal power of the president nominating executive branch officials?

Answer 11

-each new pres has 4000 positions in executive branch to fill with appointments
-over 700 are confirmed by senate by a simple majority vote

Question 12

What is an example of the president nominating executive branch officials?

Answer 12

-Trump appointed Wilbur Ross as Secretary of commerce Feb 2017

Question 13

What is the formal power of nominating all federal judges?

Answer 13

-senate checks this power as simple majority needed to appoint them
-judges appointed for life unlike exec branch officials
-SC justices also appointed

Question 14

What is an example of the president nominating federal judges?

Answer 14

-Trump first SC nominee Neil Gorsuch
-Trump third SC nominee Amy Coney Barrett 26th Sept 2020

Question 15

What is the formal power of the president acting as commander in chief?

Answer 15

-power makes pres overall head of US military
-allows him initiate military action
-constitution states only congress can declare war but hasn’t happened this way since 1941

Question 16

What is an example of the president acting as commander in chief?

Answer 16

-Roosevelt declared war on Japan 1942 in congress
-war powers act 1973 - pres ask congress approve military action
-some pres act without approval like Clinton sending US troops into Kosovo 1990s

Question 17

What is the formal power of the president being able to negotiate treaties?

Answer 17

-power negotiate treaties with other countries
-but must be ratified by senate with 2/3 supermajority for treaty to be accepted

Question 18

What is an example of the president negotiating treaties?

Answer 18

-obamas 2015 Paris agreement in climate change + 2015 Iran nuclear deal
-but Trump withdrew from these 2017

Question 19

What is the formal power of the president to pardon?

Answer 19

-can pardon anyone convicted of federal crime
-given after convicted has died or give pre-emotive pardon for crimes already committed that may be charged in the future

Question 20

What is n example of the power to pardon?

Answer 20

-Trump pardoned African American boxer Jack Johnson in 2013 for 1913 offence of crossing state lines with a white woman

Question 21

How can this power be used inappropriately?

Answer 21

-pres criticised for using power inappropriately
-Clinton criticised for pardoning own brother for drug offence
-also for pardoning wealthy supporters
-Clinton also granted 140 pardons on last day in office — scandal called ‘pardongate’

Question 22

What is the formal power of the president being the head of state?

Answer 22

-under constitution pres responsible for execution + enforcement of laws created by congress