Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Politics Paper 3 > Presidency > Flashcards

Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

What are the presidents legislative powers?

A
  • propose legislation
  • sign legislation
  • veto legislation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the formal powers of the president?

A
  • chief executive
  • commander in chief of armed forces
  • pardons
  • negotiate treaties
  • nominates judges
  • nominates executive branch officials
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What allows the president to exert a huge amount of authority?

A
  • his role as head of state
  • he is seen as a national leader
  • the chief public representative of a country
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What has allowed the president to exert greater influence over both public opinion and congress?

A
  • rise of national media (particularly television)
  • this has helped to give the president a national mandate to carry out policy goals
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What was Bush praised for during his presidency?

A

9/11 - he was seen as a symbol of American resolve and pride taking a strong, tough stance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What was Bush criticised for during his presidency?

A

Hurricane Katrina - criticised for not personally visiting areas affected

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What does Article 2 of the constitution state about the President?

A

“the executive power shall be vested in a President of the USA”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does the president act as the head of government?

A
  • has absolute constitutional control of the executive branch
  • ultimate decision maker
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

As the head of the executive who does the president make appointments to?

A

federal posts who ‘serve at the president’s pleasure’ e.g. cabinet and sub cabinet posts, additional appointees mainly with the EXOP

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is EXOP?

A

the executive office of the president

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does the President use the executive?

A
  • to determine government policy
  • to influence the rest of the political system
  • to develop their political goals
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How did Trump use his position as head of the executive?

A
  • installed his chief political strategist Steve Bannon as a permanent member of the National Security Council
  • this was the first time a political appointee has been a member of the body which provides security advice and information to the president
  • appointed his son in law Jared Kushner to reform the federal bureaucracy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How did Obama use his position as head of the executive?

A
  • created the White House Council on Native American Affairs
  • in his 2008 election campaign he said of Native Americans “you will be on my mind every day I am in the White House”
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does Richard Fenno say about the role of the cabinet?

A

it has become “institutionalised by usage alone” - in other words, it is used because it is used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the role of cabinet?

A

it is purely advisory and coordinating
it is not a decision making group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What was the representation in Trump’s cabinet and what does this show?

A
  • the Trump cabinet was mainly white, male, older, wealthy business execs
  • often the cabinet will look like the president
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How does the president effect foreign policy?

A
  • responsible for relations with other countries
  • nominates ambassadors and diplomats
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does it mean for the president to be the commander in chief of the armed forces?

A

the president clearly has power to direct the military during times of war

19
Q

Give an example of when a president used their right to initiate military action

A

Obama created controversy over extensive bombing in Libya without any congressional approval

20
Q

What are the concerns about the presidents role as commander in chief?

A

concerns that presidents often overstretch their commander in chief powers
such as Obama and the bombing of Libya or Clinton and the bombing of Kosovo

21
Q

What are the informal powers of the president?

A
  • electoral mandate
  • executive orders
  • national events
  • cabinet
  • EXOP
  • powers of persuasion
22
Q

How does electoral mandate impact presidential power?

A
  • if presidents are elected on a strong wave of support in which they outline a clear policy vision then they have more power
  • electoral mandate falls as term progresses
23
Q

How does the electoral mandate fall as the term progresses?

A
  • president will often move further from their original mandate
  • most will achieve their most important goals in the first two years of office while their mandate is fresh
24
Q

What goals did Obama achieve in his first two years?

A

budget stimulus, health care reform, beginning the process of moving troops from Iraq

25
Q

What other factors related to the electoral mandate are as important?

A
  • nature of partisan control
  • party majority
26
Q

What issues occurred during Clinton’s presidency?

A
  • Oklahoma bombing
  • failed attempts at health care reform
  • Lewinsky scandal
27
Q

What issues occurred during Bush’s presidency?

A
  • 9/11
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
  • Hurricane Katrina
  • Banking crisis
28
Q

What issues occurred during Obama’s presidency?

A
  • health care reform
  • budget crisis and stimulus package
  • Osama bin Laden
  • government shutdown
29
Q

What issues occurred during Trump’s presidency?

A
  • ‘the wall’ and immigration
  • Russia connections and Comey firing
  • trillion dollar infrastructure plan
  • repealing affordable care act
30
Q

How does party majority impact presidential power?

A

party in control of congress must be able to work with the president to pass their own policy agenda and to prevent vetoes

31
Q

How does a divided government impact presidential power?

A

lack of compromise and agreement
causes government shutdowns

32
Q

What limits to power did Obama face?

A

dividid government - struggled to have a good relationship with Republicans, already agreed to not work with him, despite being a good speaker

33
Q

Give examples of strong relationships between congress and president

A

Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan

34
Q

How did Clinton and Biden have good powers of persuasion?

A

they were able to lure the opposition side

35
Q

What does the president need Congress’s help with?

A
  • pass his legislative proposals
  • sustain his vetoes
  • confirm his executive and judicial nominations (Senate)
  • ratify his treaties (Senate)
36
Q

Why does a president need to persuade Congress to support him?

A
  • presidential powers are checked by Congress
  • in case of divided government
  • congress have loyalties to lobbyists and constituents other than the president
37
Q

Who does the president use to help him get Congress’s support?

A
  • vice president
  • office of legislative affairs
  • cabinet officers
  • party leadership in congress
38
Q

What ‘perks’ can the president use to help win the support of members of Congress?

A
  • phone calls
  • support legislation that is important to a member of congress
  • invitiations to the white house
  • campaign for them
39
Q

How did Obama’s support score change throughout his presidency?

A

97% in 2009 to just 39% in 2016

40
Q

What does Neustadt say about the power of the president?

A

“the president’s power is the power to persuade”

41
Q

What does an effective ability to compromise and work with congress allow the president to do?

A

there will be a higher chance of them being able to pass policies and ideas

42
Q

Why was Trump less workable with Congress?

A
  • he was quick to denounce most who opposed with him e.g. during the travel ban 2017 thus less likely to gain any influence
  • he was more likely to publicly insult opponents rather than talk to them
43
Q

How can we argue that the power of persuasion is most significant for a president?

A

due to the nature of ‘personality politics’ in the US
there is more of a focus on individual rather than the party

44
Q

How do Obama and Trump’s personality compare?

A

Obama - conciliatory presidential style
Trump - aggressive approach

Politics Paper 3 (13 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions