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Politics Paper 2 > Presidency > Flashcards

Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

Define presidency

A

Chief office of USA

Powers set out in Article II

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2
Q

What are the powers of the president?

A 
Power to sign/veto 
Commander in Chief
Ask for written opinion of cabinet
Convene/adjourn Congress
Grant pardons
Receive Ambassadors
Make treaties
Appoint officers and judges
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3
Q

Who created the Imperial Presidency thesis?

A

Arthur Schlessinger

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4
Q

Year of ‘Imperial Presidency’

A

`1971

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5
Q

Areas of ‘Imperial Presidency’

A 
Impoundment 
Selective use of laws and agencies
Executive privilege
Address to the Nation
Gatekeepers
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6
Q

Define impoundment

A

Act of withholding federal funds from a certain policy or department

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7
Q

Evidence of impoundment

A

Thomas Jefferson- $50,000 for gunboats
Nixon- environmental agencies
Line-item veto- Bill Clinton

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8
Q

Why’s impoundment imperial?

A

Means that president rules on what is spent- which is meant to be a power of the Congress (Power of the Purse)

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9
Q

What worked to control impoundment?

A

Impoundment Control Act (1974)

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10
Q

Evidence of selective use of laws

A

Nixon- regs on certain groups

Obama- IRS scandal

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11
Q

Why’s selective use of laws bad?

A

Goes against pluralism- not all equal

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12
Q

What stops selective use of laws?

A

Increased scrutiny

Independent departments

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13
Q

How has scrutiny increase?

A

1963=8.2% of meeting were scrutiny

1983=25.2%

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14
Q

Define gatekeepers

A

People who allow access to and from POTUS

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15
Q

Evidence of gatekeepers

A

Nixon- HR Haldeman
George W Bush- Dick Cheney
Obama- William Daley

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16
Q

Weakened presidents

A

Carter

Ford

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17
Q

What style of govt did both Carter and Ford have?

A

Collegiate
More meetings with cabinet- 3 times every two months
Campaign promise of Carter

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18
Q

Which piece of legislation set of an independent committee to scrutinise POTUS?

A

Ethics and Government Act of 1978

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19
Q

Why is address to the nation bad

A

Bypasses the Congress

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20
Q

Why isn’t criticising address to the nation that effective

A

Chief legislator

Only allowed to veto or sign though

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21
Q

Define executive privilege

A

View that the presidency should have some sort of privileged position, because he is the presidency

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22
Q

Evidence of executive privilege

A

Nixon- smoking gun tapes
Clinton- Lewinsky

Normally ends up finding truth

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23
Q

Is the term Imperial Presidency overused?

A

Yes

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24
Q

What did Neustadt say about the presidency?

A

Fragmented, compromised and dispersed

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25
Where does the presidency have power
Foreign affairs Congress Bureaucracy
26
How does president influence foreign affairs
Commander-In-Chief | Signs treaties
27
Uses of American military
``` Grenada 1983 Libya 1986 Bay of Pigs Invasion Korean War Gulf of Tonkin Incident ==> Vietnam ```
28
Treaties
Versailles (1920) | Nuclear Test Ban (1990s-ignored Congress)
29
Constraints on presidential power in foreign affiars
Case Zablocki Act (1972) forces the president to let Congress know the commitments of the USA War Power Act (1973) forces president to get declaration of war from Congress to send in troops
30
Define veto
Refusal to sign bill so it won't become law
31
Define pocket veto
Veto at the end of Congressional session
32
Define line-item veto
Certain parts of bill are vetoed | No made into law in 2006 BUT used by Clinton
33
Methods of persuasion by president
``` BBQs Bully pulpit Offer support Telephone calls Air Force 1 Meetings Cinema ```
34
What dis David Mayhew say about the composition of Congress and the presidency?
'Doesn't make that much of a difference'
35
Which acts give president power in the bureaucracy
``` Reorganisation Act (1949) Civil Service Act (1978) ```
36
In 1971 what did Nixon attempt to do to the bureaucracy
Shrink from 8 to 4 mega departments
37
Define the 'spoils system'
President appoints people so loyalists will get positions
38
How many people does the president appoint?
5,200
39
What is the overall percentage of bureaucracy appointed by President?
1%
40
How many people are employed in ExOP
1,600
41
What did the 1936 Brownlee Committee say?
The 'President needs help'
42
4 reasons to use ExOP
Close Presidents people Personal loyalty Cabinet is preoccupied
43
Limits of cabinet
``` Independent No formal role Gatekeepers Depends on president- Carter and Ford= collegiate Lack of authority ```
44
Reasons to use cabinet
``` Check up on legislation Sees cabinet Team talks Forum for discussion Team spirit Superficial reasons ```
45
Use of cabinet by JFK was....
once a month | 'boring waste of time'
46
Use of cabinet by LBJ was....
once a month | 'dull affairs'
47
Use of cabinet by Nixon
once every 2 months | nothing substantial
48
Use of cabinet by Ford was...
1 every 3 weeks | Relaxed
49
Use of cabinet by Carter
Election promise | Too bureaucratic
50
Use of cabinet by Reagan
Nothing useful
51
Use of cabinet by George HW Bush
Not used | Taken from ideas of Ronald Reagan
52
Use of cabinet by Clinton
2 in 1998
53
Use of cabinet by Bush and Obama
Team talks
54
Define iron triangles
Relationship between legislative branch, bureaucracy and interest groups Symbiotic relatioship
55
Examples of iron triangles
Military Industrial Complex | Agriculture
56
Issues with iron triangles
Elitism Agency Capture Highly undemocratic
57
Define Vice-President
Deputy to president | Running mate
58
Roles of VP
Presiding officer- Tie break vote; Calls results of EC | Becomes acting President
59
Evidence of Acting President
George HW Bush | Dick Cheney
60
What did John Adams say about the role of the Vice President
"I am nothing, but I could be everything"
61
Define federal agencies
Independent bodies which carry out specific roles in the departments
62
How many federal departments are there?
15
63
Examples of agencies
EPA NASA FBI
64
Who leads the agencies?
Directors
65
Who leads the departments?
Secretaries
66
Other parts of Executive
Independent Regulatory Agencies | Government corporations

Politics Paper 2 (2 decks)

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