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Politics > P3 - The Presidency > Flashcards

P3 - The Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

What does Article II, Section I say

A

‘the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America’

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2
Q

What does the executive comprise of

A

the president, VP, cabinet, ExOP and the federal bureaucracy (civil service)

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3
Q

What are the presidential powers in the constitution

A
  1. signing or vetoing legislation
  2. appointing federal judges
  3. receiving ambassadors
  4. making treaties
  5. granting pardons
  6. Giving the state of the union address
  7. commander in chief of the armed forces
  8. executing laws
  9. calling a special session of Congress
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4
Q

what does being head of state involve

A
  1. granting pardons
  2. attending global summits
    - being ‘consoler-in-chief’ during times of national crises
  3. receiving and nominating ambassadors
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5
Q

what is an example of the president being head of state

A

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump met with other world leaders and spoke on behalf of the USA as the head of state

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6
Q

what does being head of government involve

A
  1. signing, vetoing and executing legislation
  2. appointing his cabinet
  3. delivering their state of the union address
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7
Q

when did George Bush lose congress

A

2006

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8
Q

what major events happened under Obama’s presidency

A

9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq war, Financial Crisis

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9
Q

what was Obama’s focus on foreign policy

A

ending wars

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10
Q

what election promise could Obama not fulfil

A

closing GITMO

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11
Q

what act passed through Congress during Obama’s first two years

A

Obamacare

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12
Q

what has ObamaCare been compared to in terms of the magnitude of change

A

FDR’s new deal, LBJ’s civil rights act (1964)

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13
Q

when was there a vote to pass the American health act

A

May 4th 2017

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14
Q

what was the intention of the American Health Act

A

to repeal the ACA

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15
Q

what was the vote on the AHA in the House

A

217-213 in favour

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16
Q

what was the vote in the Senate on the AHA

A

51-49 defeat (opposed by Republicans like Susan Collins and John McCain)

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17
Q

What was the Dodd-Frank Act

A

it changed the regulation of the financial sector in the wake of the 2008 crash

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18
Q

what was the fiscal stimulus

A

it injected $787 billion into the ailing US economy

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19
Q

what hindered Obama’s second term

A

a divided government and bitter Republican hostility

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20
Q

how are the limits on Obama’s premiership best shown

A

with his attempt to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court

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21
Q

who was Merrick Garland supposed to replace

A

Antonin Scalia

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22
Q

when did justice Scalia die

A

February 2016

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23
Q

when was the Iran Nuclear Deal

A

2015

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24
Q

what did the Iran Nuclear Deal involve

A

the conversion and reduction of Iran’s nuclear facilities while at the same time lifting the sanctions that had been imposed on the country

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25
Q

when was the Paris climate change agreement

A

December 2015

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26
Q

when was it announced that the Obama administration and Chinese government would ratify the Paris Agreement

A

September 2016

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27
Q

what did Obama make a 180 degree turn on

A

Cuba

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28
Q

what was the strategy of Obama’s foreign policy

A

over the horizon strategy

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29
Q

what did Krugman say in 2014 about Obama

A

‘On overall foreign policy, Obama has been essentially a norman post-Vietnam president, reluctant to commit US ground troops and eager to extract them from ongoing commitments, but quite willing to bomb people considered threatening to US interests, And he has defended the prerogatived of the NSA and the surveillance state in general’

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30
Q

what did Obama achieve a rare victory over in July 2015

A

the renewal of the trade promotion authority

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31
Q

What is the TPA

A

trade promotion authority

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32
Q

what did Congress agree to by allowing the TPA

A

that it would consider trade bills on an ‘up or down’ basis without amendments delays through filibuster

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33
Q

what was the TPP

A

trans-pacific partnership

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34
Q

what did the TPP do

A

it opened a free trade area between the USA, Canada and Pacific Rim countries including Japan, BUT NOT CHINA.

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35
Q

what was the TTIP

A

transatlantic trade and investment partnership

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36
Q

what happened to the TTIP

A

it never passed

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37
Q

what did Obama have to use extensively due to divided gov and partisanship

A

executive orders and presidential memoranda

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38
Q

how many presidential memoranda did Obama issue as of mid-December 2014

A

198

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39
Q

if presidential memoranda and executive orders were added together, which president was the last to be as active as Obama

A

Jimmy Carter

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40
Q

what did Obama announce in January 2016

A

a raft of measures including tougher background checks on gun purchasing online and at gun shows.

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41
Q

what did Obama’s administration sanction in January 2016

A

an increase in the minimum wage for those employed by federal government contractors

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42
Q

what is the problem with using presidential memoranda

A

they are not entrenched in law so are vulnerable, so future presidents could easily change them.

43
Q

what did Obama attempt to pass which would be found unconstitutional

A

the dreamer’s act

44
Q

what was Obama’s second term a key example of

A

the increasingly creative and expansive use of the unilateral instruments available to a President

45
Q

how is an electoral mandate an informal source of power

A

a president who wins the election convincingly can often exercise more power than someone who scrapes a win

46
Q

what is an example of a President and an electoral mandate

A

Obama won with 52.9% whilst trump won 46%, so trump struggled to pass legislation

47
Q

how are executive orders an informal source of power

A

they are directives to a department on how to carry out a new law.

48
Q

how did Trump use executive orders

A

to restrict abortion, attack Obamacare and institute a travel ban, signing 49 executive orders in 266 days

49
Q

how is the VP and the cabinet an informal source of power

A

the individuals in the cabinet can lend the president power if they have popularity

50
Q

what is an example of the VP and the cabinet being beneficial

A

VP Biden’s popularity and connections were of huge importance to Obama’s foreign policy, while Hilary Clinton, as secretary of state, played a big role in negotiating the START treaty of 2010

51
Q

how can national events be an informal source of power

A

in times of national crisis, the president often gets a popularity bump. This could be due to a national tragedy, natural disaster or global event

52
Q

what is an example of a president benefitting from national events?

A

Goerge W Bush gained a huge popularity bump the day after 9/11, which allow him considerable personal control over the national response to this crisis

53
Q

what did President Truman comment about the newly elected President Eisenhower in 1953

A

“he’ll sit there all day saying ‘do this, do that’, and nothing will happen. Poor Ike, won’t be a bit like the military. He’ll find it very frustrating”

54
Q

what is an example of successful powers of persuasion

A

Obama campaigned on healthcare reform throughout the 2008 electoral campaign. With a clear electoral mandate gained in November 2008, he was able to get Obamacare passed in 2010.

55
Q

what is an example of unsuccessful powers of persuasion

A

Trump campaigned on repealing Obamacare, but his repeal and replace never got through. This was partly due to a lower electoral mandate, meaning that Trump’s party had less reason to work with him so his powers of persuasion were lower.

56
Q

What is EXOP

A

the executive office of the president

57
Q

what does EXOP consist of

A

those staff and bodies that immediately surround the president and which help him carry out his duties

58
Q

why was EXOP created

A

following the Brownlow Committee’s recommendation in 1937 that ‘the President needs help.’

59
Q

where are the components of EXOP commonly found

A

in the West Wing of the White House, or in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next door,

60
Q

what does EXOP include

A

the National Security Council (NSC)
the office of management and Budget (OMB)
the white house office (WHO)

61
Q

when was the NSC established

A

1947

62
Q

what does the NSC do

A

coordinates military, foreign policy and security information and policy for the president

63
Q

who heads the NSC

A

the national security adviser (NSA)

64
Q

what does the NSC do with the president

A

briefs them daily

65
Q

what does the NSC’s importance vary based off of

A

it depends on the president and whether they want to rely on the NSC, defence or state departments

66
Q

whats an example of the NSC

A

Susan Rice was interviewed as Obama’s NSA in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack

67
Q

when was the OMB established

A

1970

68
Q

what does the OMB do

A

advises the president on the budget and oversees federal department spending

69
Q

who heads the OMB

A

the senate-confirmable OMB director

70
Q

what does the OMB ensure

A

that all presidential legislative initiatives are budgeted and fit into the presidential policy goals

71
Q

whats an example of the OMB

A

Trump’s OMB director Mick Mulvaney commented that a ‘good shutdown’ might be needed in 2017

72
Q

what does the WHO include

A

the most trusted presidential advisers who work in direct proximity to him in the White House

73
Q

who heads the WHO

A

the white house chief of staff, and including the press secretary

74
Q

what does the WHO act as

A

a link between the president and cabinet members and their departments

75
Q

what does the WHO do for the president

A

control access to the president and acts on their behalf, giving interviews on his behalf, briefing the press and organising access to him

76
Q

whats an example of the WHO

A

Stephen miller defended Trump’s actions in a ‘State of the Union’ interview with Jake Tapper

77
Q

Who was controversially appointed to the NSC

A

Steve Bannon

78
Q

when was Steve Bannon appointed

A

January 2017

79
Q

why was Bannon’s appointment deemed unusual

A

Bannon was a chief strategist for Trump, ideologically very right-wing and with almost no national security experience

80
Q

what did Bannon’s appointment lead to

A

some accusing Trump of politicising the NSC when traditionally EXOP is seen as ‘honest brokers’.

81
Q

what had happened to the NSC by April 2017

A

Bannon had been removed and traditional roles were restored, seen by some as the influence of Trump’s second NSA, Lieutenant General McMaster

82
Q

how do elections influence presidential relationships

A

not only does Congress have its own mandate from the people, but it also has more frequent elections and must therefore look to its constituents, as well as to other presidents. For example, the veto override of 97-1 (in the Senate) of the 9/11 victim’s bill 2016

83
Q

how does persuasion influence presidential relationships

A

if the president is popular, he might find it easier to persuade Congress to act with deference; but the opposite can be true, too. For example, Obama failed to persuade Congress to act on gun control, despite mass shootings

84
Q

how does divided government influence presidential relationships

A

the majority party in Congress might be different to the president’s, straining the relationship. For example, Obama’s failure to get immigration reform through a divided Congress. Sometimes, even in a unified government, the president and his party do not always agree and have a differing legislative agenda

85
Q

how does presidential action influence presidential relationships

A

executive orders and recess appointments can often cause tension as the president is seen to usurp Congressional roles. For example, Obama used executive orders to get limited immigration reform

86
Q

how does the media influence presidential relationships

A

some justices have had an increasing tendency to speak out about political events, often causing political tension. For example, Justice Alito spoke out against the ruling in Snyder v Phelps (2011)

87
Q

how does judicial review influence presidential relationships

A

as the final interpreter of the Constitution, the SC can thwart the president by ruling against him. For example, the Supreme Court struck down Obama’s DAPA executive order in Texas v US (2016)

88
Q

how do appointments influence presidential relationships

A

a fortunate president may get a chance to shape the court with an appointment that reflects his own ideology. For example, George W Bush was able to replace Sandra Day O’Connor (a centrist justice) with Samuel Alito (who was more conservative)

89
Q

how does separation of powers influence presidential relationships

A

the president is utterly dependent on Congressional agreement for money, war, legislation and much more. For example, Trump’s failure to pass ‘repeal and replace of Obamacare

90
Q

How does presidential popularity affect presidential power

A

a president who experiences high popularity is more likely to be successful in his policy proposals than an unpopular president

91
Q

what is the coat-tails effect

A

if a congressional politician’s constituents support the president, then by supporting the president the politician is likely to also be more popular

92
Q

how does the election cycle influence presidential power

A

with fixed-term elections, a president has to always have one eye on the electoral calendar. Midterms might deliver a divided government, which will make passing their legislative agenda more difficult.

93
Q

why does the president have to be careful about their actions in their first term

A

re-election for their second term

94
Q

when does the president’s power inevitably wane

A

once the invisible primary begins at the end of his second term, his power inevitably wanes as the public look to the next president

95
Q

how can national events affect presidential power

A

the crises a president’s faces and his reactions to them can have a hugely limiting effect on the president. The response to a terrorist attack, mass shooting or natural disaster can not only knock the president’s popularity, it can also derail his legislative agenda by making the response more important than any other goals or considerations

96
Q

what happened in 2017

A

Hurricane Maria hit and devastated Puerto Rico

97
Q

what happened in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria

A

Trump sent a Tweet criticising the leadership of the Puerto Rican mayor, saying that the Puerto Ricans wanted ‘everything done for them’.

98
Q

what else was trump criticised for when it came to hurricane maria

A

he was criticised for the video of him throwing out kitchen rolls to a population that had not yet restored running, cleaning water

99
Q

what did hurricane maria lead to for trump

A

a 20 point drop in his ratings concerning handling national disasters, a key role of the president. However, the effect on his popularity rating more generally was negligible

100
Q

what happened to America in 2012

A

a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 schoolchildren and six staff.

101
Q

what did Obama do in response to the Sandy Hook shooting

A

Obama acted as ‘mourner-in-chief’ for the nation, before suggesting changes that were needed to gun laws n the USA

102
Q

what was Obama unable to do when it came to Sandy Hook

A

Despite the scale of the tragedy, Obama never managed any meaningful change to gun control, and other tragedies such as the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016 and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting continued to occur.

103
Q

why could Obama not get any gun laws through

A

he was unable to battle the Constitution, the cultural attachment to guns, the NRA and the Republican Party, despite these tragic circumstances

Politics (56 decks)

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