Relationship with Congress

Question 1

What does the scholar Richard Neustadt say about the President’s relations with Congress ?

Answer 1

the power of the President is the power to persuade

Question 2

Describe how divided and united government impact on getting stuff done?

Answer 2

A president controlling the white hosue and another party controlling congress makes it difficult to get suff done, but a united government is no guarantee of getting stuff done either

Question 3

What means that the president must use his formal, rather than informal powers in order to get stuff done?

Answer 3

Checks and balances and the separation of powers

Question 4

What are the two types of presidential persuasion?

Answer 4

1) people/proxy

2) Perks

Question 5

How do you persuade by proxy?

Answer 5

Through people

Question 6

What are the four personnel avenues that the President can use in order to persuade by proxy?

Answer 6

1) VP
2) office of Legislative affairs
3) Cabinet office
4) party leaders in congress

Question 7

Why is the VP a good choice for persuasion by proxy?

Answer 7

As the presiding officer of the Senate, he has a foothold in congress

Question 8

Why is the office of legislative affairs a good choice for persuasion by proxy?

Answer 8

it’s a part of the WH and the people who work there are full time lobbyists for the President in Congress

Question 9

Why are Cabinet Members a good choice for persuasion by proxy?

Answer 9

work in their own policy related areas

Question 10

What could the President make to congressman, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 10

Phonecall

Question 11

What could the President offer to do to legislation for a congressman, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 11

Offer to help with legislation that may help with a respective constituency

Question 12

What could the President offer to do to a federal or judicial for a congressman, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 12

Make one that could be of interest to constituents

Question 13

Where could the President invite a congressman, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 13

White house or airforce one

Question 14

Where could the President go and address people, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 14

Capitol hill

Question 15

What could the President offer to do for congressmen, especially for house members, part of the ‘perks’ category of persuasion?

Answer 15

Offer to campaign for them if they are members of his party

Question 16

How does the academic David Mervin describe the President?

Answer 16

Bargainer in chief

Question 17

What score shows the success is his persuasion each year?

Answer 17

Presidential support score

Question 18

What does the Presidential support score measure?

Answer 18

How often the President won in roll-call votes in which he took a position

Question 19

Who had the highest ever Presidential support score and what was it?

Answer 19

Obama 2009 at 96.7%

Question 20

What was Bush’s PSS?

Answer 20

38%

Question 21

What does the score not measure which is a limitation of it?

Answer 21

The importance of votes

Question 22

How could the President avoid a low PSS which could undermine it?

Answer 22

By not taking a position on votes that he expects to lose

Question 23

What does the PSS not count, a limitation of it?

Answer 23

Bills that didd not even get to the vote stage on either floor of the house

Question 24

What is an example of a bill that would not be counted on the PSS because it did not get to the voting stage on the floor of either house?

Answer 24

B Clinton’s healthcare reform bill 1994