pols exam 2 Flashcards
(44 cards)
The Brownlow Report
Report issued in 1937 by the President’s Committee on Administrative Management that likened the president to the CEO of a large corporation and concluded that the president needed a professional staff.
creation of the Executive Office of the President
Not until two years later, with the world edging toward the precipice of war, did Congress agree to a reduced form of Brownlow’s staffing proposal. It created the Executive Office of the President as a collection of agencies designed to advise and otherwise assist presidents.
Checked Expressed Powers of the Presidency
Sign or veto legislation
Convene or adjourn congress
Command the armed forces
Enter into treaties
Nominate executive and judicial appointments
“Execute” laws, (or not)
unchecked expressed powers of the presidency
Consult cabinet
Granting pardons
Receiving ambassadors
Implied powers
Serve as head of state
Executive agreements
Issue executive orders
[re]organize the bureaucracy
Exercise of executive privilege
executive orders
A presidential directive to an executive agency establishing new policies or indicating how an existing policy is to be carried out.
going public
Presidents “go public” when they engage in intensive public relations to promote their policies to the voters and thereby induce cooperation from other elected officeholders in Washington.
presidential memorandum
A presidential directive to an agency directing it to alter its administration of policies along lines prescribed in the memorandum. When a presidential memorandum is published in the Federal Register, it assumes the same legal standing of an executive order.
signing statement
A statement issued by the president that is intended to modify implementation or ignore altogether provisions of a new law.
State of the Union Address (a constitutional obligation, not a power):
A message to Congress under the constitutional directive that 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.”
War Powers Act
Federal law passed in 1973 which limits the U.S President’s ability to deploy military forces without congressional approval.
While being passed, the law over rid a veto from president Nixon
The cabinet
The formal group of presidential advisers who head the major departments and agencies of the federal government. Cabinet members are chosen by the president and approved by the Senate.
electoral college
a body of electors in each state, chosen by voters, who formally elect the president and vice president of the US. Each state’s number or electoral votes equals its representation in Congress; DC has three votes. An absolute majority of the total electoral vote is required to elect a president and vice president.
Prosecutorial discretion
In criminal law, it allows prosecutors the authority to make important decisions at different stages of a case, such as: determining whether to press charges, negotiating plea bargains, accepting guilty pleas.
the difference between the ‘institutional powers’ and the ‘political powers of the president
Institutional powers are the ability or authority to decide what is best for others by giving executive orders, presidential proclamations, etc. Political powers are the president’s influence on citizens, courts, and Congress. The president is the informal head of their party; setting the party platform, going public, and bully pulpit are political powers.
why go public
Going public is a strategy used by presidents and other politicians to promote their policies by appealing to the public for support. If the president has a lot of support, then popularity creates an important bargaining advantage. They will appear on talk shows and give national addresses on TV, to which everyone will tune in to. By ‘going public,’ they hope to induce cooperation from other elected officeholders in Congress.
In what ways has presidential power expanded over time?
Military actions without congressional declarations of war
Presidents have increasingly used executive orders, memoranda, and directives to implement policy without going through Congress
Federal bureaucracy has expanded presidential power as the executive branch oversees vast federal agencies
More involved in foreign policy
Executive privilege
Ability to declare national emergencies
What are executive orders? To whom do they directly apply? And what influence may they have over the American public?
Executive orders are a presidential directive to an executive agency establishing new policies or indicating how an existing policy is to be carried out.
Apply directly to an executive agency
Little influence / impact over the american public usually
Discuss the electoral college. How it was designed and operated at first and how it has changed over time (things to keep in mind: slavery and the 3/5th compromise, the selection of electors, and elector agency).
In order to decide how the president would be chosen, the Electoral College was created as a compromise during the writing of the United States Constitution in 1787. It is an example of an indirect voting system in which the states select electors who then vote to determine the president and vice president. Political, racial, and legal developments have caused its functioning to vary throughout time; the Three-Fifths Compromise and slavery were major factors in the organization and operation of the system in the beginning.
What is a battleground state? How does the electoral college privilege these states at the expense of the rest?
A battleground state is often called a swing state. In these states, the outcome of the election is uncertain and also high stakes because the voters are so closely divided. Because of the way the electoral college is designed, with a winner-take-all nature, this creates a highly competitive environment, because even a narrow victory secures all electoral votes. Therefore, candidates pay disproportionate attention to these swing states.
How has the ‘commander and chief’ power changed over time?
The position established by the Framers said the president was head of the nation’s armed forces, but only Congress can declare war. Over time presidents began to act without congressional approval (such as Lincoln during the Civil War). To combat this, Congress created the War Powers Act which means a president must inform Congress within 48 hours of committing troops to military action and the operation must end within 60 days unless Congress approves an extension. However this has never been tested and presidents continue to make military decisions without Congress.
What is a line-item veto?:
A procedure, available in 1997 for the first time, permitting a president to cancel amounts of new discretionary appropriations (budget authority), as well as new items of direct spending (entitlements) and certain limited tax benefits, unless Congress disapproves by law within a specified period of time. It was declared unconstitutional in 1998.
Compare and contrast the singular and plural executive
A singular executive is one leader in the executive branch. We have one President who is the head of the executive. Workers are appointed and serve their interests. The plural executive is when multiple leaders are in the executive branch. This is seen at the state level where powers of the Governor are limited and distributed amongst other government officials.
Explain how the president’s power to persuade works?
The president has the power to persuade in two main ways:
Lobbyist- uses bargaining chips in order to push their agenda (tickets to ball games so house members will vote in favor of a policy)
Campaigner/Fundraiser- can raise tons of money for their campaign but will also help fundraise for members of Congress so they will support them
