Presidency Flashcards
How many Executive orders did Trump pass in his first 3 weeks in office
64 (Obama averaged 35 PER YEAR)
Example of Executive Orders
(GOOD) Obama created the White House Council on Native American Affairs.
(BAD) Trump’s attempts to remove birthright citizenship, 2017 Travel Ban (‘Muslim ban’), ending the ban on plastic straws, defining sex based purely on biology, and removing the executive order which required COVID vaccines for federal employees.
Example of the court stopping an executive order
Judge blocked Trump’s plan to dismantle USAID by putting staff on administrative leave and the 90 day pause in US foreign development assistance.
What does the OMB do
Oversees the performance of federal agencies, and administers the federal budget.
What military order in 2001 allowed the creation of Guantanamo bay
Order on the detention, treatment, and trial of certain non-citizens in the war against terrorism.
Give an example of 2 significant chiefs of staffs
Andrew Card: “America is under attack”
Jeff Zients (under Biden) - very well experienced, leading the covid response after having led the National Economic Council during the Obama administration.
What is the chief of staff known as
The “gatekeeper”, the “deputy president”
What is signing a statement and example
Official pronouncements issued by the President of the United States at or near the time a bill is signed into law.
2014 - Obama and the National Defense Authorization Act, contained a clause requiring the notification of congressional committees 30 days before moving someone from Guantanamo bay. Obama issues a singing statement rejecting congressional authority.
How many treaties have been formally rejected by congress and give an example
22 - 2012, the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons (UN treaty)
What did Richard Neustadt say about presidential power
“presidential power is the power to persuade”
Give 2 examples of how persuasive skills have been used by the president
2010 and Obama for launching an offensive in Afghanistan.
ACA would not have been possible without Obama convincing 39 moderate democrats in favour of it.
How does the media impact a president’s image
Trump uses twitter in order to control the way he is presented - e.g. pushing his agenda on immigration.
What was Trump’s turnover rate in EXOP and who did he fire on twitter
86%
E.g. Rex Tillerson and Reince Priebus.
Who was Mick Mulvaney
Head of the Office for Monetary Budget - he had authority over attempts to repeal Obamacare.
What was Bush’s approval rating in the aftermath of 9/11
90%
What 2 acts did Bush pass in the aftermath of 9/11
The Patriot Act 2001 and the Homeland Security Act 2002.
What did Obama announce in his State of the Union Address in 2014
That he would use “steps without legislation” (i.e. Executive orders) get his policy through.
What 3 factors limit the president
The election cycle/divided govt, the changing nature of power over their time in office and Congress/SC/Constitution
When has the SC declared the line-item veto unconstitutional
Clinton v New York 1996: this decision reaffirmed that the president must either approve or veto an entire bill—he cannot selectively cancel parts of it.
How many tie breaking votes have been cast by the VP as of 2023
301
What is the 25th Amendment
The VP will take the role of the president if the president resigns, is removed, dies or is in a vegetated state.
How did Mike Pence limit Trump’s authority
By saying he did not have the constitutional authority to attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election.
What was Obama’s budget like in 2009
$5.5 Billion in pork-barrelling
Who is John Kerry
Secretary of state under Obama, largely responsible for his FP 2013/14
Give an example of the cabinet having policy specialists
Merrick Garland (former SC justice) joined the department of justice.
Who is Susan Rice
Senior member of Obama’s NSC and played a crucial role in the creation of the Iran nuclear deal.
What are the two models of Presidential approach to the white house office
Spokes in a wheel = having every spoke (presidential staffer) tie directly to the president.
Pyramid = limited connectivity to the president, determined by who the president selects to be influenced by.
