Pt 2: Chapter 12 Notes Flashcards
Where in the Constitution was presidential power discussed?
Article 2
Presidency was limited or restrained office
Whig Theory
Strong, assertive presidential role. With Theodore Roosevelt
Stewardship theory
The need for a strong presidency included what 2 kinds of leadership?
Foreign policy leadership and domestic policy leadership
The choosing of the president toward a more “democratic “ system included what methods
The campaign for nomination and the campaign for election
The nominating process has grown more ____ over time
Democratic
How do voters choose the presidential nominees currently?
Through electing delegates to national party conventions
What state holds the first presidential primary
New Hampshire
What state has the first presidential caucus?
Iowa
What are the 4 constitutional authorities for the president’s roles? (4 roles)
- commander in chief
- chief executive
- chief diplomat
- legislative leader
What is the current selection system of presidential selection?
Party primary, open caucus
Who formally selects the party’s presidential candidate?
The national party conventions
Who selects the vice president candidate?
Presidential candidate
Who decides on a presidential platform?
The party
The ____ heals wounds and divisions from the nominating campaign
Party
The ____ presents its candidate to the voters
Party
How many votes does a presidential candidate need in the electoral college?
270
What states do candidates focus on?
Battleground states
What are the constitutional requirements for becoming president?
- At least 35 years old
- Natural born citizen
- US resident for at least 14 years
Includes:
- White House office
- Office of management and budget
- National security council
- National economic council
The Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Includes:
- Communications office
- Office of the press secretary
- Office of the counsel to the president
- Office of legislative affairs
White House office
This group is no longer used as an advisory body
Cabinet
The problem of control is most severe with appointees working in the departments and agencies that are
outside the White House
What is the factor in presidential leadership that deals with:
- conditions that are either not conductive to ambitious goals or are favorable to getting policies passed
The Force of Circumstance
When are the most favorable moments for a president?
The first months in office called the honeymoon period
Congress has a greater deference to presidential leadership on ____ policy
Foreign than on domestic policy
Presidents have an edge when the issue is foreign policy because why>
They have more authority to act on their own and are more likely to have congressional support
A president’s ____ policy initiatives usually encounter stiffer opposition than their ____ policy efforts because why?
Domestic ; foreign
- Dems and Reps differ sharply in their domestic policy philosophies, and there are strong interest groups on each side of nearly every important domestic issue
The president has a superior ability to set what?
The national agenda. Whenever the president directs attention to a particular issue, members of the Congress take notice
Does the Congress always take action when the pres directs attention to a certain issue
Sometimes yes and sometimes no, depending in part on whether the president takes their interests into account
No source of unity is more important to presidential success that
partisanship
The term used to describe the situation where one party controls the presidency and both houses of Congress
Unified govt
Used to describe the situation where control is split between the parties
Divided govt
Congress’s ultimate sanction is its constitutional authority to
impeach and remove the president from office
Presidential power rests in part on a claim to national leadership, and the strength of that claim is roughly proportional to the president’s
public support
Presidential approval ratings are predictable high when?
at the start of the president’s time in office
Periods of presidential dominance market by special set of circumstances: decisive election victory and a compelling national problem
The force of circumstance
Congress passed this in 1973 in an effort to prevent future presidential wars
War Powers Act
The president is ascendant
Zone 1
The president is in “cooperative” mode
Zone 2
The president is weakened
Zone 3
The president is how strong compared to Congress?
As strong as Congress, not stronger than Congress
This person makes sure that a specific department in the president’s cabinet is functioning correctly
Secretary
Basically the accounting firm for the presidency
Office of Management and Budget
The more popular a president is the more
powerful they are
What are the president’s sources of power?
- “Executive power”
- “herein granted” - not defined
What kind of powers does the president have?
- inherent powers that are increasing over time
- statutory or constitutional powers
- implied and emergency power
This power includes the State of the Union address, speeches, symbolic acts, and media center
Power to inform
The president’s power to VETO can only be overrided with
a 2/3 majority of both houses
This includes appointing the Cabinet, Judiciary, and staff. Also the executive office of the President, and the Chief of Staff
Power to appoint
This power includes the ability to set the agenda for Congress
Power to recommend
This is a symbolic and real role, focal media point, since WW II its very important
Acting as the Chief of State
What are some of the constraints on the president?
- Constitution
- Federal courts
- Federalism
- News media
- Opposition party
- factions within presidential party
- bureaucrats
- international arena
Why would the Constitution be a constraint on the president
- Shared authority, divided government
- Separation of powers
What are the 5 constitutional roles of the President?
- Commander in Chief
- Head of State
- Chief executive
- Pardons
- Address to Congress
In the case of the 2 presidencies, what are the 2 roles and which one is the president most trusted with?
Domestic and foreign. Foreign role, he sets the agenda and the nation is more likely to follow it.
What is his duty in regards to economic and domestic policy?
Good or bad, blame it on the president
How is it determined if someone was a good president or a bad one?
A good president has expanded the roles and influence of the office of the president in the federal government
