Presidential Elections and the Presidency Flashcards
caucus system
- nominating presidential candidates
- Andrew Jackson and Whigs held this during 1830s
Progressive reformers
promoted primary elections as a way of giving voters a greater role in the nomination process
frontloading
three-fourths of the primaries are now held between February and mid-March
closed primary
voters required to identify party preference and are not allowed to split ticket
open primary
voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in Democratic or Republican contest
winner-take-all vs. proportional representation elections
Republican: both
Democratic: proportional that awards delegates based on percentage of votes a candidate receives
party conventions
- select presidential and vice-presidential candidates after days of debates
- now, due to primaries, debates are over before convention even begins
conventions’ three major functions
- formally name the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates
- adopt a party platform
- attempt to unify party and generate positive publicity and momentum
Federal Election Reform Act of 1974
- created Federal Election Commission to administer and enforce campaign finance laws
- provided partial public funding for presidential primaries
- provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election
- placed limitations on individual contributions to presidential candidates
Buckley v. Valeo
- SC struck down portion of Act that limited amount of money an individual could contribute to his own campaign
- protected free speech
soft money
- unregulated donations to political parties for party-building expenses
- laws fail to regulate this
- circumvent limitations on hard money contributions
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
eliminated soft money contributions
527 groups
tax-exempt organization created to influence the political process
- not regulated by Federal Election Commission bc they do not coordinate their activities with candidate or party
- $420 million on political messages
electoral college
- safeguard the presidency from the direct popular election
- each state has as many electoral votes as its combined total of representatives and senators
consequences of winner-take-all electoral college
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electoral college
- safeguard the presidency from the direct popular election
- each state has as many electoral votes as its combined total of representatives and senators
- presidential candidate who receives most votes wins all of a state’s electoral votes
consequences of winner-take-all electoral college
- devote a disproportionate amount of time and resources to closely contested states, swing states, and competitive states
- emphasize issues that may swing a key bloc of voters in a pivotal state
- restricts the prospect of third-party candidates
reasons why electoral college has not been abolished
- requires a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college
- benefits the small states that are guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes
- benefits racial minorities and interest groups located in key states
- no consensus on how to reform it
reasons why electoral college has not been abolished
- requires a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college
- benefits the small states that are guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes
- benefits racial minorities and interest groups located in key states
- no consensus on how to reform it
the president has the power to appoint which officials?
- cabinet members and their top aides
- heads of independent agencies
- ambassadors and other diplomats
- all federal judges, U.S. marshals, and attorneys
- followed by confirmation in Senate
senatorial courtesy
Senate will not approve a presidential appointment opposed by a majority party senator from the state in which the appointee would serve
Does the president have the right to dismiss most of the officials he appoints?
Yes but cannot dismiss federal judges or commissioners of independent regulatory agencies
the cabinet
- 14 executive department heads and the attorney general (2/3s federal govt employees)
- divided loyalties (president vs. goals of their own department)
Why do presidents experience difficulty in controlling cabinet departments?
- interest groups form close ties with cabinet
- careers of civil servants extend beyond a single presidential administration (strong loyalty to department)
- Congress competes with president for influence over cabinet
Office of Management and Budget
- largest office within Executive Office of the President
- assist the president in overseeing the prep of the federal budget
National Security Council
- composed of president’s principal foreign and military advisors (includes VP, secretary of state, secretary of defense, etc.)
- advise and assist the president on national security and foreign policies
Council of Economic Advisors
- group of three leading economists who advise the president on economic policy
- prepares the annual Economic Report of the President
White House Staff
- key presidential aides
- loyal to president
- president can dismiss anyone
- provides the president with policy options and analysis
chief of staff
- highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President
- selecting and supervising key White House staff and managing the flow of people and info into the Oval Office
Constitution gives president following powers concerning legislation…
-required to give State of the Union address to Congress
-bring issues to attention of Congress “from time to time”
-veto congressional legislation
not in Constitution: set policy agenda
presidential options concerning a veto
- sign a bill into law
- veto a bill, Congress can override this with ⅔s vote
- can only wait 10 days while Congress is still in session; otherwise, becomes law
- pocket veto: can wait 10 days and if Congress adjourns, then it dies
line-item veto
- president must accept or reject entire bill
- state governors have line-item veto that allows them to veto specific things in a bill
Line-Item Veto Act
- president has power to strike individual items from major bills
- supporters hoped this would reduce pork, wasteful spending, pork, and earmarks
- SC said this was unconstitutional
- can only be enacted by constitutional amendment
What kind of relationship does the president have with Congress?
cooperative bipartisan
What strategies does the president use to influence Congress to pass legislation?
- assigning legislative liaisons from the EOP to lobby legislators
- working with both the majority and minority leaders
- using media to focus public attention on important issues
- using high presidential approval ratings to persuade legislators to support presidential programs
- bargaining with wavering legislators by offering concessions and pork that will benefit a member’s district
divided govt
- presidency and Congress are controlled by different parties (and when chambers are controlled by two different parties)
- frequent result of past elections
consequences of divided govt
- heightened partisanship and made it more difficult for moderates to negotiate compromises
- slowed the legislative process and thus created gridlock
- contributed to decline of public trust in govt
- making federal appointments (prejudice)
strategies to overcome problems of divided govt
- using the media to generate public support
- threatening to veto objectionable legislation
- making deals with key congressional leaders
- building coalitions with key interest groups
- increasing reliance on White House staff
formal constitutional powers of the president
- commander-in-chief and thus has the power to deploy troops
- appoints all ambassadors subject to Senate confirmation
- sole power to recognize nations
- receives ambassadors and other public ministers
informal powers
- negotiate executive agreements with the heads of foreign govts
- global leader who meets with world leaders to build international coalitions
- manage international crises
- confidential information not available to Congress or public
role in diplomatic relations
can extend relationships and terminate relations with other nations
ex) Carter recognized China and severed relations with Iran
role in treaties
- sole power to negotiate treaties with other nations
- Senate approves treaties by ⅔s vote
- ex) did not approve Versailles, but did approve Panama Canal
executive agreements
- not formal treaties
- pact between president and head of a foreign state
- not approved by Senate
- not law; not binding on future presidents
- ex)Vietnam peace agreement, SALT I agreements limiting nuclear weapons
president as commander-in-chief
more frequently been sending troops in without declaration of war on Congress’s behalf (ex- Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf, and Iraq)
on reprieves and pardons…
- right given by Constitution
- reprieve: postponement of execution of sentence
- pardon: legal forgiveness of a crime (Ford pardoned Nixon for watergate scandal)
What is critical to a president’s success?
- public support
- Reagan: “depends on grassroots support”
- media coverage and using it to cover political agenda
What factors increase approval ratings on Gallup Poll?
- brief honeymoon periods at the beginning of the administration
- positive media coverage of presidential activities and decisions
- foreign policy successes
- foreign crises that produce “a rally around the flag”
- strong economic growth and low unemployment
What factors decrease approval ratings on Gallup Poll?
- scandals involving the president and/or top aides
- gap between high expectations and poor job performance
- foreign wars that go badly over a protracted period of time
- weak economic growth and high unemployment
factors that give president an advantage over Congress in gaining media attention
- president represents entire nation; Congress only represents states/districts
- leader of “free world”
- more powerful than any individual in Congress
- speaks with single voice; Congress: 535 voices
What jobs are NOT presidential roles clarified by Constitution?
form new cabinet-level departments, raise revenue, declare war, or be the leader of his party (although usually true)
