Presidency Flashcards
Give 3 formal powers of the president
- Power to Pardon - trump + steve bannon, Ford and nixon
- Execution of Laws (given by congres)
- Executive orders - Roosevelt 1,437
Give 3 informal powers of the president
Perusasion power - Can use support of cabinet e.g. Obama Making Biden VP who had 36 years of experience in Congress
Setting political agenda - can decide what media talks about - and influence via social media - T “fight like hell” in 2019
- World Leader - Reagan led Western Democracies agaisnt USSR
- Bush led internationl coalition in ‘War on Terror’
- T less interested in international leadership + withdraws from treaty of paris
Difference between formal and informal power?
Formal powers are guaranteed/availbale to every President
Informal power use and effecienty depends on the President
What is a congressional limit on President suggesting legislation ?
President cant pass legislaiton in their own;
- Obama trying to pass gun reform after 2016 Sany Hook
Give three congressional limits of President Formal power
President veto of a bill - can be ovridden by supermajoirty - Trump veto ADS bill - $735b - overideen, 81-13 in senate
4 of Bush vetos overidden, only 1 of Obama’s 12
Requestion Budget of a bill - House has ‘power of purse’ - dec 2018, dems refuse budget for Trump border wall - govt shutdonw of 35 days
Appointments ot the judiciary - Very partisan - Reps rejecting Merick Garland as 9 months “too close to election” but getting Amy Coney Barret rushed in just weeks before 2020
Give 3 constraints on the President which come from other sources
Balance of SC
- Dobbs vJackson Women’s Health Organisation (2022) under Biden
Use of Media
- T and twitter
Also influence of Fox and CNN to a lesser exent
Political Cirucmstance;
- 2020 T had lowest apporval ratings; 49% but had high support from core - 85-90%
Give and example of recent ‘Power to Persuade’ forming a bipartisan outcome
‘Bipartisan CARE Act’ - Congress works in an emergency
3 reasosn the Presidency is Imperial in nature
Presidents avoiding asking Congress to authorise military action
Obama in Libya, 2011
Clinton, NATO peacekeeping 1990s
Access to Emergency Powers;
Roosevelt placing 200k Japanese-Americans in Camps during WW2
Trump getting funding for Border Wall
Executive Orders
Roosevelt, 1372 exec orders
Truman’s order which abolished racial segregation in military
Can be seen as a weakness
3 reasons the Presidency is Imprellied in Nature
Govt shutdowns are a reminder of limitations
Trump trying to get funding for border wall, dec 2018 - jan 2019, - 300k out of Jobs for 35 days
Unable to achieve legislative priorities without Congressional support
Obama trying to get gun reform through after Sandy Hook
Gridlock in Congress forces use of direct action (can be seen as weak)
More Partisan and polarised now
Growth in Federal Bureaucracy post-New Deal makes the executive too difficult and big to control
Comparison between P relationship with Chief of Staff (O v T)
O v good relationship with Rahm Emmanuel which led to ‘Affordable Care Act’ (2010)
T had 4 in total - so many shows instability in adminstration
2nd CoS - John Kelly resigned in Jan 2019 not on speaking terms with T
How can a President use the EXOP to dominate the cabinet
Polciy Czars used as no confirmation so under less scrutiny an given more access than Cab officials - Reps criticised O widespread use of thise
Roosevelt + Bush used these
Trump appointed son-in-law Jared Kushner on an unprecedented broad range of issues incl convincing T to overrule Sec of State + Defence Sec in moving US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
Example of Dems expanding Federal Govt
Roosevelt during Great Depression + O increased no. of federal employeers by 8%
Example of Republicans expanding Federal Govt
Bush initially against but 9/11 and war on terror means a 13.8% increase in employees
Also effect of financial crisis in 2008
Explain and analyse three ways in which the President can influence foreign policy.
George.W.Bush;
Bush setting tone with his foreign policy + Blair infleunced
Bush “terror state”
Guantanamo Bay - taking ppl illegally
Already tackling countries deemed a threat
Barack Obama;
Anti-War in Iraq - promises to end
2008 financial crises - more domestic focus needed
However, Libya in 2011 without Congressional Approval - no troops on ground, Airstrikes, Drone attacks, Syria, Pakistan
- Signing up to Climate Agreement in Paris (2015) + Iran Nuclear Deal (2015)
Donald Trump
Withdrew from Paris Climate Accord, Iran nuclear Deal, - Nativism
Diplomacy between Israel + other states
Trade war with China
3 ways that P might choose Cab
P’s Cab usually relfects their own perspective and experience.
E.g. Pro-Business George.W.Bush appointed a large no. of Business experts + CEOS to his cabinet whereas former law professor Obama chose a highly academic cabinet in which 2/3rds had attended an Ivy League uni
Constituion give P sole executive authority, Cab members work for P, who does not have to take their advice
Can be sacked if P not happy
Trump famously sacked the secretary of state Rex Tillerson via Twitter in 2018
Cab meetings Chaired by the P - only meet a few times a year as they are not a forum for collective decision making as in the UK - However, P’s can change this
Reagan held many more than most P’s as he claimed to value his Cab more
Bush met with Cab 6 times a year, Obama only 3.5 times on avg
Obama used Cab meetings to brief cab members on signif policy or event
