Presidency Flashcards
Domestic Policy
Domestic policy are administrative decisions that are directly related to all issues and activity within a nation’s borders.
Electoral mandate
Authority to govern after being elected. Larger winning majority, larger mandate/power.
Executive order
In the United States, a federal executive order is a directive issued by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government.
Imperial presidency
Served as the title of a 1973 book by historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., -
that the “presidency was _uncontrollable_ and that it had _exceeded its constitutional limits”_
Imperilled presidency
The “Imperilled Presidency” was a theory of former President Gerald Ford. Ford argued that rather than being too powerful, the president does not have enough power to be effective. When a president is seen as weak, and congress hold a lot of power.
Unified Government
when executive branch party is the same as the party holding congress.
Power to persuade - whos theory and explain
In 1960, the political scientist Richard Neustadt announced that ‘Presidential Power is merely the power to persuade
In order to have influence they use power of persuasion, they write, call and meet with congressional leaders, make public announcements to force public opinion on congress, they use their role as leader of the party to influence.
They can publicly denounce someone or promise endorsement. Bush’s military action in Iraq flew through congress as he had such large public support after 9/11.
Presidential powers in the constitution (9)
- Signing/vetoing legislation
- Appointing federal judges
- Making treaties
- Granting pardons
- Commander in Chief
- Executing laws
- Giving the state of union address
- Receiving ambassadors
- Calling special sessions of congress
Quote in Article 2 and what this means
“the Executive power shall be vested in a President”
this makes it an individual. showing that only the president has constitutional powers, not the whole executive branch.
Who can become President?
Must be a natural born citizen, Must be at least 35 years old, Been a resident for 14 years within the US.
Process of becoming president
Parties choose candidates through primaries and caucuses, then there is a nationwide vote in each state and via the electoral college a president is chosen.
Sometimes the popular vote is different to the electoral college result - eg Hillary won popular vote but Trump won EC.
Head of State v Head of Government
State - Representative of US to the world. Attending global summits, commander in chief and receiving ambassadors. Public figure
Government - Domestic politics, vetoeing, appointing his cabinet, delivering state of union adress. Political figure.
Roles of President: Chief Executive
President is constitutionally bound to enforce the acts of congress, judgement of the federal courts and treaties signed by the US.
To help with this they have the Federal Bureaucracy which has 2.8 million federal civilian employees. Trump has been an open critic of this.
The powers of appointment and removal:
President can appoint to cabinet and sub-cabinet jobs and a few others.
The president’s power to remove office officials is not explicitly laid out in the constitution but there are 10 agencies the President can remove directors from at any time. (includes all ExOp and cabinet departments.)
2 Examples of presidential appointments and removal.
1 of Congress blocking
Whitaker was appointed by Trump as ‘acting’ attorney general through federal vacancies act and therefore didn’t need congressional approval.
James Comey was removed by Trump because he was going to investigate Flinn and eventually Trump.
However, Senate can block Cabinet appointments. John Tower 1989 (Defence Secretary) because of alcohol abuse.
The power to grant reprieves and pardons + 3 eg pardons
Power of the pardon was upheld by SC in 1925 stating that the president could grant pardons for all offences.
One man decision, no check by Congress. Check on the courts.
4 examples of the power of the pardon being used.
Trump said that people who were being ordered to testify in his case would be pardoned if they were charged for not cooperating. Trump even spoke of pardoning himself.
Trump Pardoned Joe Arpaio who was ordered by a court to stop racial profiling and charged with contempt of court when he didn’t. He was pardoned because he was a trump loyalist.
Trump pardoned Eddie Gallagher when he killed an Iraqi civilian and took a photo with the corpse. Pardoned because he was a soldier and conservatives like soldiers.
Nixon was pardoned in 1974 by Gerald Ford after his resignation for Watergate scandal.
Roles of President: Commander in Chief
President controls armed forces. The president is the only one who can use nuclear force.
Constitutionally, congress is the only one who can declare war.
However, The president can send troops into a country and its basically the same.
Examples of presidents circumventing the War Powers Act
2007 - Bush vetoed a resolution to pull funding for the Iraq War.
2011 - Lybia - did not constitute “hostilities”
2013 - Syria - Notified Congress with every air strike so never got approval.
Jan 2020 - Trump orders assasination of Iranian General without approval.
War Powers Resolution
Year? and description+ one good example
1973
Congress trying to gain more control over military activity. Requires President to consult Congress when sending military troops into action. - Once they are sent the President must report them to congress within 48 hours. - Congress must approve them within 60 days or they must be withdrawn.
Bush followed the act when invading Iraq
Intelligence meetings and Joint Chiefs of Staff examples
- Intelligence meetings; Bush attended his 6 days a week without fail. During 2011 and 2012 Obama’s attendance was 38%.
Joint Chiefs of Staff - Trump originally wanted to pull out of Afghanistan but was convinced by his JCS to commit more troops.
Obama always said he would intervene if Syria “crossed the red line” and used chemical weapons on their people and then had a talk with Denis McDonough, chief of staff and decided against it.
Roles of President: Chief Diplomat (4)
Power to recognise foreign governments,
To make treaties with the advice and consent of the senate
To make executive agreements/Non Binding Political Commitments with other heads of states that do not require congressional approval
Nominate ambassadors.
Diplomatic recognition and example
Power to recognise or refuse to recognise foreign governments.
Eg Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as lots of his far right supporters are pro-Israel.
Proposal and Ratification of Treaties
1 ratified and 2 not EGs
The president has the sole power to negotiate treaties and these treaties must be presented to the senate and must be approved by a 2/3 vote.
Eg of treaties SALT 1&2 - Strategic arms reduction (USSR and US) - ratified
Comprehensive test Ban Treaty 1996 signed but not ratified
UN Rights of the Child Treaty - not ratified
Executive Agreements
Does not require Senate approval, although they may refuse to appropriate funds.
Allows the President to have a lot of power to determine who the US has relations with.
The Two cases regarding executive agreements
US v Pink 1942 stated that executive agreements have the same legal status as treaties but did not need congressional approval.
Reid v Covert 1957 - the court held that the agreements cannot contradict existing federal law or the constitution.
Act regarding executive Agreements and details of.
Case-Zablocki Act of 1972 requires the president to inform the Senate within 60 days of an executive agreement being made.
This means Congress can vote on whether to cancel it or refuse to fund it.
There have been far more EAs (9000+) than treaties (1300) Many EA’s have secret provisions calling for military assistance.
Non-Binding political agreement. Eg and explain?
Iran Nuclear Deal - because it is renewed every 6 months it means Presidents have to take responsibility they cannot blame on previous presidents they have to actively sign it.
Trump stopped signing the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018.
Congressional Executive Agreement
Simple majority in the house and senate to end + president wanting to.
Eg NAFTA - North America Free Trade Agreement.
Roles of President: Chief Legislator
Must recommend to Congress legislation they deem necessary and expedient.
They give their state of the union address to Congress in jan, laying our their agenda.
President saying no to legislation
the president can veto a bill - they just don’t sign it and attach a veto message.
Congress can then change the bill and send it back or abandon it. Or alternatively they can override the presidents veto with a SUPER MAJORITY (2/3)
Legislation that has been vetoed but sometimes overridden
JASTA - vetoed by Obama and then overridden by Congress
Keystone XL pipeline - vetoed by Obama
Obamacare- Obama vetoed something that would have dismantled Obamacare.