Executive- Succsess of the prime minister Flashcards
personality, Schlesinger
What’s one theory for presidents success?
The imperial presidency (Arthur Schlesinger Jr)
What does Schlesinger jr say?
The office of the presidents was out of control
The office had breached the limits set by the constitution
-Argued that increasingly president were acting like imperial medieval rules with the court of advisors and subject to limited interfere in their personal policy agendas
Examples of the imperial presidency- FDR (Roosevelt) 1933-1945
Created dozens of govt agencies to deal woth the great depression, increasing scope, scale and cost of govt
-1937 he appointed judges to supreme court when the supreme court began questioning the constitutional legality of the new deal. FDR packed the court, but constitution says you can only appoint judges if vacancy opened up (constitution), Court backed down on this
-Elected 4 terms even after G Washingtons convention for 2 yr terms
-Overall shows how imperial presidents can be
Examples of the imperil prime minister- Harry Truman 1945-52?
Took to the decision without consuting congress to drop atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this has caused many long term effects people still effected today
-Committed US troops to korean war w/o decleration of war through congress
Examples of the imperial president- JFK?
Negotiation of a secret agreement with the USSR to end the cuban missile crisis
Pledged to withdrawal missile bade from turkey as well as pledge to never invade cuba
Congress not informed or consulted
Examples of imperial president- Lyndon Johnson 1963-68
-Gulf of Tonkin incident/resolution. As a result of alleged attack on US naval vessels by North Vietnam
Johnson pressured congress over a ‘Blank Cheque’ where je could take whatever steps he deemed necessary to safeguard the military interests of the USA
Used power to pace thousands of grand troops in action in the Vietnam war despite their being no constitutional declaration of war from congress
Examples of imperial president- Richard Nixon 1968-74?
-Use of FBI and CIA to spy on opposition such as democrats
-Authorised a beak in national headquarters of demarcates (Watergate building)
Conducted a secret bombing campaign against Laos and Cambodia
How can Schlesinger outlines as defining an imperial presidency and can be applied directly to the modern presidency?
-Huge growth in number of staff who now work for the presidency
-Growth in executive agency’s that go alongside cabinet department therefore decline in influence from the cabinet and court, president not reliant on personal advice
-Senete doseny have controll over appointments in executive office, decline in accountability for office, most appointment to Exop not required to confirm senete
-President huge influence on foreign policy, commentators policy to lack of constitution basis
-Presidents only accountable if removed from office or impeached. (plebiscitary president)
Critisms of the theory?
-Comapated to Federal Butrqucrat, EXOP is small
-No institution continuity found in federal agents (member of EXPP within each new administrative)
-Large amount of executive controls introduced (givt accountable office and the congression budget office) since nixon
-Most commentator talk about an imperilled or impotent president
5 different factors that explain presidential success of failure? as
Personal ability- The neustats theory
Historical Aproach of congress- The Schielsinher thesis
-Circumtance/event
-Presidential style- The stoessinger thesis
Interest group liberalism- The low thesis
Presidential success- Personal ability- The neustate thesis?
‘The power of the president is the power to persuade’
Persuasion
-Electorate (personal charisma)
-US media
-Congress (political bargaining)
-Own administration
-World leaders (political bargaining)
-Political time- The skowronek thesis
Factors towards presidential success’s- Historical approach of congress (the schiesinger theory)
-Roosevelt created the modern presidency and the expectation of the president to be the focal point of decision making and action
-Congressional ‘inertia’ (laziness) allowed a generalisation of imperial president to develop 1933-74
-Watergate exposed the constitution danger of this leading to congressional backlash in terms of checking the executive powers (reasoning is congressional inertia’. congress ultimately trying to prevent another Nixon
-Created the era of the imperilled and impotent presidency 1974-2017
Presidential success- Circumtance and event?
-State of the economy often beyond presidential controll
-Other factors then create opportunity for successful use of presidential power some of these do some of these don’t
-Power flow towards president in time of crisis and away from them the in time of peace (war-Roosevelt’s, Terror attack- JW Bush, Political assassinations- JFK and political scandals- Nixons
Presidential style- The stoessinger thesis
What are cruisaders? and example
Convicted politics with reforming agenda/ vision
Everyone’s a crusader to start with
Example is Woodrow wilson, Richard’s nixon (authority govt) and Barak Obamas healthcare
Presidential style- The stoessinger thesis
What are pragmatists? and example
Political realist who adjust to changing events- These end up being the most successful
E.G. JFK- dropped civil rights addenda after not getting passed so swapped to foreign policy, Lyndon Johnson- Wanted domestic legislation didn’t work so focussed on something else and Bill clinton wanted healthcare but went to foreign policy
Who’s more likely to succeed pragmatists or crusaders?
Pragmatists
