Presidency Flashcards
What changed how vice presidents are chosen?
25th amendment means they were chosen by presidential candidate
Which vice president was confirmed in 1973 after Agnew resigned?
Gerald Ford
92-3 Senate votes
Why did Nixon resign?
Watergate; Ford became president
What are the roles and powers of the VP in the constitution?
Presiding officer of the senate
Tie breaker in the senate
Counting and announcing electoral college
President upon death
What did Cheney break the tie for in 2001?
Tax cut worth $1.6 trillion
How many times was a tie broken by the VP from 1993 and 2017
12
How many times has a VP assumed presidency mid term?
9
What else did the 25th amendment provision?
President being sedated means VP can assume presidency
What power does cabinet have in the US?
Advisory in the executive; control their departments
How many cabinet members be limited in what they say?
The president can limit them to only their specific expertise; in the UK there’s more scope
When was cabinet established in the US?
1789 by Washington
Meeting with Secretary of State, War, Treasury, attorney general
What did Fenno say about the establishment of cabinet in the US?
Institutionalized by usage alone
What prevents congressmen from serving in the cabinet?
Separation of legislative and executive
What are three examples of people likely to assume cabinet roles?
State governors, mayors, academics
How many cabinet meetings did Reagan hold during his first year in office?
36
What are some benefits gained by holding cabinet meetings?
- team spirit
- collegiality: president must be seen to be consulting others
- exchanging information amongst departments
- presenting big picture
How many cabinet be used to monitor congress?
Johnson used cabinet to pressure policy through and question progress on bills
What would a cabinet member want to go to meetings for?
- resolving interdepartmental disputes
- speaking to the president directly
- speaking to other major departments
- increasing their status through personal presidential relationship
Why does the constitution prevent cabinet from being important?
All executive power is in the president and others are only advisory
When was EXOP established?
1939
Why are cabinet ministers less bound than UK ministers?
There is no doctrine of collective responsibility.
What was the expansion of federal control in 1920s caused by?
FDR New Deal and Keynesian interventionism
What is the role of the chief of staff?
Controls the White House running and presidential contact
Who creates the presidential budget?
Office of Management and Budget est. 1970 by Nixon
What is the only EXOP post which needs senate confirmation?
OMB director
When did the OMB director damage presidential reelection campaign?
Bush Sr and his promise to not raise taxes was broken
Which EXOP branch relates to national security?
National Security Council
Est 1947
What led to abuse of power by NSC?
In 2008 there was arguably insufficient checks and balances by hidden federal branches which meant spending abuses and declarations uniformed by career politicians
What stops the cabinet from being as influential as EXOP?
Distance from the White House compared to NSA being 30 seconds away.
What is one new name by media for EXOP members
Policy tsars
Why do cabinet members have divided loyalty?
They made be more focused on their department or congress whereas EXOP is directly loyal to the president.
When was the president seen as increasingly imperial?
Under Johnson and especially Nixon
Why did Johnson have substantial authority from congress?
Gulf of Tonkin 1964 let him act as commander
What factors led to imperial presidency under Nixon?
Depression led to state dependence on his interventionist new deal
Wartime president
How did congress reduce the presidency in 1973?
War Powers Act clarified roles in declaration of war
; congress has only declared war against Japan since imperial presidency
How was secretive presidential diplomacy reduced by congress?
Case Act 1972
Why was Nixon placed under renewed scrutiny from Congress?
Watergate affair damaged presidents reputation and renewed calls for scrutiny
Why does congressional influence diminish during wartime?
People “rally around the flag”
Less time for debate
Decisions are needed quickly which centralizes power
How were the respective executive offices developed?
Presidency was created in the constitution as a limited and defined office; PM developed and slowly took powers from the monarch through convention such as prerogative
What role does the federal agencies have in legislating?
After Congress passes a law, agencies set regulations
Eg Clean Air Act 1970 requires EPA to set exact emissions amounts
How did FDR try to reduce the judiciary?
Appointed 6 new SC justices to stop them pausing his schemes
What was the “Great Society”?
Expanding federal influence to reduce poverty and racism in the 60s
From Johnson
