Presidency Flashcards
What are the powers of the President? [10]
Propose legislation Submit the annual budget to Congress Sign legislation Veto legislation Act as chief executive Nominate executive branch officials Nominate federal judges Act as Commander in Chief Negotiate treaties Pardon
How did Obama use his 2014 State of the Union?
Pledge to raise the minimum wage, and further advance healthcare reform
What led to the government shutdown of 2013?
Ted Cruz attempted to de fund Obamacare
Which widower attended the signing of Obamacare?
Senator Edward Kennedys wife
Which Obama veto was overridden in 2016?
A bill that would’ve allowed 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi Government
How many executive departments are there?
15
Which two Supreme Court appointments did Obama make in his first term?
Elena Kagan
Sonia Sotomayer
Why must the President keep the Senate in treaty negotiations?
They ratify them by a 2/3s majority so they must avoid embarrassment
How many people did Clinton pardon on his last day in office?
140
What is the main factor in choosing a Vice President?
Balanced ticket
Kaine balanced Clintons ticket in terms of Gender
Pence balanced Trump ideologically and with political experience
Which amendment allows the President to appoint a new Vice?
25th
How many times has the President chosen a new Vice?
Twice
Nixon chose Ford in 1973
Ford then chose Rockefeller in 1974
What are the powers of the Vice President? [5]
Presiding officer of the Senate
Break a tied vote in the Senate
Announce outcomes of presidential elections
Become President if the current one resigns or dies
Stand as acting president if the current one is declared disabled
Who is the current President Pro Tempore?
Orrin Hatch
Who did Pence cast a deciding vote for in 2017?
Education Secretary Betsy de Vos
How many times between 1981 and Jan 09 did the Vice cast a deciding vote?
19
How many times has the Vice become the President and in what circumstance?
- 4 following assassinations
- 4 following natural death
- Once following Nixons resignation
Why has the Vice Presidency become more important?
- Federal government growth gave the Vice President more people to control
- Some have taken on legislative roles such as Biden with Obamacare
- Some became key spokesmen for their administration, such as Gore on environmental issues and Cheney on foreign policy
How many years of political experience did Joe Biden have?
36
What was Bidens key role as Vice President?
Convincing Senators to support the administration
- Issues such as Obamacare, Tax Relief and the Unemployment Reauthorisation Act
What is the federal bureaucracy?
The unelected administrative part of the executive branch of the federal government, made up of departments, agencies and commissions that carry out policy on a day to day basis
How many people were in the federal bureaucracy in 2014?
2.6 million
What 4 categories can the federal bureaucracy be split into?
Executive departments
Executive agencies
Independent Regulatory Commissions
Government Corporations
What are executive agencies?
Similar to departments, but the heads aren’t members of the cabinet
What are IRC’s?
Administratively independent organisations to be protected to from direct presidential control
- Might regulate railways, airlines, federal elections etc.
What are the 3 functions of the federal bureaucracy?
Executing Laws
Creating rules
Adjudication
What does the federal government do in terms of adjudication?
In executing and creating rules, disputes arise. One party may believe a law isn’t being applied rigorously, whereas another will consider its application unfair
What is the spoils system?
A system by which government jobs are awarded to political supporters and friends rather than on merit eg. Rex Tillerson
In 2010, what proportion of the federal bureaucracy was Female?
44%
What are the 4 issues of the federal bureaucracy?
Agencies serve the interests of those they are overseeing
Agencies seek to expand their power at the expense of other agencies
Narrowly focused on their goals rather than the administrations as a whole
Most agencies act slowly and cautiously, often resisting change
Give an example of conflicts between agencies over jurisdiction areas?
Battles between the new Homeland Security department and the Defence department
What are Iron Triangles?
A strong relationship between pressure groups, congressional committees and federal agencies in a given policy area for the mutual benefit of the three parties
Give an example of an Iron Triangle
Defence contractors, Congressional Armed Service Committee, Defence Department
What does Going Native mean?
Relates to a situation where politicians who are appointed abandon the administration and become advocates of the bureaucrats they belong to
- rather than converting the natives, they join them
What was Clintons approach to the federal bureaucracy?
Project called Reinventing Government in 1992
Instead reduced the scope of the federal government significantly, claiming the era of big government was over
What is the role of Congress in checking the power of the federal bureaucracy?
Congress has the legislative power to establish and abolish such agencies
- In 2002, 170,000 federal employees were extracted to from the new department of homeland security
What is the role of the President in checking the power of the federal bureaucracy?
Presidents are often vocal in the struggles they have had with the bureaucracy
Bush proposed that they’d have to compete with private contractors for work, and that this would result in the costs going down
- good for democracy
What is the Cabinet?
The advisory group selected by the President to aid him in making decisions and coordinating the work of federal government
What is the constitutional explanation for the cabinet?
States that the President ‘may require opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments’
What 4 areas does the President recruit his cabinet from?
Congress
State Governors
Big City Mayors
Academia
How many congressmen are in Trumps cabinet?
3
Ryan Zinke
Tom Price
Jeff Sessions
Who rejected Obamas cabinet invitation in 2008
North Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Would’ve been secretary of Housing and Urban Development
List 2 state governors who are in Trumps cabinet
Rick Perry, (Texas) Secretary of Energy Nikki Haley (South Carolina) UN Ambassador
Who was Rudy Guiliani Mayor of, and what is his role in Trumps cabinet
NYC
Head of Cyber Security
Which academic is now head of the National Trade Council
Peter Navarro
When was the last Cabinet rejection by the Senate?
1989, rejected John Tower as HW Bushs Secretary of Defence
What 5 factors are key in balancing the cabinet?
Region Race Gender Age Ideology
From how many states does Trump have officials?
14
What % white is Trumps cabinet, compared with Obamas
82, compared with 52
Who was the first to appoint a female cabinet minister
Carla Hills, appointed by Gerald Ford
What was the average age of Obamas cabinet?
55
What was the frequency of Reagans cabinet meetings, compared with Clintons?
Reagan held 36 during his first year, Clinton held 6
How are cabinet meetings recieved?
Most tend to find them boring and a waste of time. Most are policy specialists so have little to contribute to other areas
What are the functions of cabinet meetings for the President? [4]
Initiate team spirit
Offer chance for media photo
Ensure cabinet meetings hear statements by the President
Push for congressional action
What are the functions of cabinet meetings for members? (3)
Attendance at meetings gives members prestige in their department
Resolve interdepartmental disputes over certain issues
Chance to meet the president and catch them off guard
What is the NEC and what does it do?
National Economic Council
- coordinates economic policy
- coordinates economic advice for the president
- ensures economic policy is consistent with the presidents
- monitors the implementation
What is the DPC and what does it do?
Domestic Policy Council
- coordinate domestic policy in the White House
- offer domestic policy advice to the President
- ensure domestic initiatives are consistent through federal agencies
- present domestic policy to other branches of government
Is the Presidents cabinet important? [4Y/5N]
Yes
- all executive heads are present
- meetings are chaired by the president
- some presidents hold frequent meetings
- meetings fulfil important functions
No
- no doctrine of collective responsibility
- cabinet members often have divided interests (presidential suspicion)
- ExOP main source of advice giving
- cabinet meetings are seen as boring and useless
- Cabinets members are neither rivals of the president nor his political equals
What is the ExOP
The top staff agencies in the White House that give the president help and advice in carrying out the major duties of his office.
What led to the creation of the ExOP?
Brownlow committee in 1939 declared that the President needed help
- FDRs new deal led to expansion of the federal government
- US became a world player, adding huge emphasis to the foreign policy role
What is the White House Office?
Made up of the Presidents closest and most trusted aides. Made up of 16 areas, such as the office of legislative affairs
- headed by chief of staff
What is the key function of the White House Office?
To act as liaison between the White House and the vast federal bureaucracy
- provide advice and administrative support to the President
How did Eisenhowers chief of Staff protect him?
He’d only read documents with SA on the top, indicating that Sherman Adams had read it first
How are White House members supposed to act?
Honest brokers, with a passion for anonymity
Who did HW Bush have to fire from the White House Office for pursuing his own agenda?
John Sununu - chief of staff
What did Dick Cheney say about being Fords chief of staff
‘He takes the credit, I take the blame’
What are the two ways of organising the White House?
Spokes of the Wheel
Pyramid
What is a spokes of the wheel structure
President at the centre with many different advisors around him with direct access.
Some advisors may take advantage of such access
What is a pyramid structure of the White House?
President is at the top, and messages filter down the levels
President becomes surrounded by yes men and doesn’t necessarily hear what he needs to hear
When was the National Security Council founded
1947, to help the president coordinate foreign policy, security and defence policy
Why did Nixon create the NSC?
Distrusted the state department so decided to run foreign policy from the White House.
Appointed Kissinger as NSA to act as foreign policy maker
Why did Nixon’s NSC create problems
Carters NSA (Brzezinski) argued with Secretary of State Vance over the Iranian Hostage crisis. A raid only partly supported turned out a complete disaster
What is the rivalry between the Cabinet and the ExOP?
Cabinet members see White House officials as too loyal and too close.
WH officials see cabinet members as distant and disloyal
How must the President avoid the ExOP-Cabinet rivalries?
- Explain the functions of each group
- Cabinet officers must act in the interests of the President and not be drawn into a Iron Triangles
- Sides must meet regularly and be made to work together
What did Richard Neustadt say was the Presidents power?
The power to persuade
What 4 groups does the President use for persuasion?
Party Leaders - minority/majority leaders, whips
Cabinet Officers - Bush used education sec. to sell his reform package to congress in 2001
VP - Biden crucial in Obamacare
Office of Legislative Affairs - meet with congress members to build good relationships
How does the President persuade through perks?
Offer help with legislation that benefits a certain state
Make phone calls to key members
Appear on live TV to appeal to the public
Who did Clinton ring in 1993 and why?
Republican house member Mezuinsky
Ensure she cast the deciding vote in a budget (218/216)
What’s the Presidential Support Score?
How often the president wins in roll call votes in Congress where he took a strong position
What was Bushs PSS in 2007?
What was Obamas in 2009?
38%
96.7%
What are the reasons for congressional support for the President? [4]
Increasing partisanship
Divided government is increasingly the case
Members are more aware of their constituents views
More presidential candidates are outsiders with little congressional experience
How many Republicans voted for Obamacare in final passage?
None
How many Republicans voted for Obamas stimulus package in 2009
3 senators
All house members voted no
In 1978 what were Carters approval ratings in terms of parties
57% democrats approved
28% republicans approved
What were Obamas approval ratings in terms of parties in 2012
86% democrats approved
10% republicans approved
How has the media affected the partisan presidency?
Used to only be one politics channel, Walter Cronkite
- news is much more politically biased
34% Republicans watch Fox News
Only 20% Democrats do
How is foreign policy split in the constitution?
President - Commander in chief, negotiate treaties
Congress - Declare war, control the budget
What are executive agreements?
Agreements that don’t require senate approval
Normally around 300 a year, though most are minor
How did the Democrats seek to end the wars in the Middle East in 2007?
By limiting the budget. Bush overrode it however
Why does America look to the President to lead in crisis, rather than Congress
It’s the president who has daily press briefings, who listens to reports from department secretaries, and carries to nuclear codes
What does the term Imperial Presidency mean?
Refers to a president who abuses his power. Particularly, it refers to excessive secrecy and high handedness in dealing with Congress, especially with foreign policy
How did Eisenhower demonstrate being an Imperial president?
Sent 14000 troops to Lebanon without congressional authorisation
Where did Nixon bomb in 1970
Cambodia, congress didn’t even know
How could the experience of Nixon oppose the idea of the Imperial Presidency
He was forced to resign or be impeached.
Claimed he didn’t have ‘strong enough political base in Congress’
How did Reagan instill the Imperial Presidency?
Boosted the economy
Successfully brought down the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union
How did Bush damage the idea of the Imperial Presidency
Very divisive character, even from his election
War in Iraq and the human rights violations were controversial
Even domestic issues on dealing with Hurricane Katrina was seen as a failure
What are the limits on presidential power [6]
Congress Supreme Court Public Opinion Media Federal Bureaucracy Other Factors
What two SC cases limited the presidents power?
Clinton vs Jones (97) - President not immune from prosecution
Bush vs Rasul (04) detainees at Guantanamo did have access to federal courts
What was Bushs approval rating in the first and second week of September 2001?
51%
86%
Give an example of the federal bureaucracy infringing President?
Johnson and Kennedy were highly frustrated by state governors in the South over civil right issues
How did Party Unity affect Clinton?
Wouldn’t have survived impeachment without it
Would’ve passed his healthcare bill if he had it
