The executive Branch Flashcards
What are formal powers of the president
Chief Executive - Has the power to run the executive, branch
Proposing legislation
signing and vetoing bills
Commander in chief - Has control of the army
Head of state - The figure of the country
Pardons, treaties and nominations - Nominates supreme court justices, negotiate treaties and can pardon people.
What are the presidents informal powers
The electoral mandate - As they won the election they have a mandate to do what they want
Executive orders - They are laws/action made or used by the president so that they do not have to go through congress
national events - After national events the president can use the countries unity to gain more power
What are limits to an electoral mandate
An electoral mandate is limited in the power it gives the president because Congress can block the president’s legislative proposals.
How many cabinet departments are there
15
Powers of the cabinet
Allows the president to show of big picture items
Presidents use their cabinet to look collegial and open to consulting others in the government on policies and issues.
Is the cabinet significant
Stops disputes between governmental departments
Fulfills key functions for the president
Important as are the heads of each department
Is the cabinet insignificant
President uses Exop a lot more
Constitution gives all power to the president with the cabinet being below them
Cabinet officers have divided loyalties, and have loyalties other than to the president, including loyalty to their own department.
What are the offices in exop
National security council, Office of management and budgets, The white house office
What are the offices in exop
National security council, Office of management and budgets, The white house office
What does the national security council do
The National Security Council supports the president in coordinating foreign policy and national security policy.
Under Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the National Security Council has had an ‘honest broker’ role, acting as an advisor for the president.
What is direct authority
When the president does something without asking congress. Roosevelt done this a lot
What is an executive agreement
Instead of getting congress’s thoughts on a treaty the president will use an executive agreement which means they have a treaty without congress’s approval
What are the presidents formal powers pulled from
Enumerated powers
Implied powers
Inherited powers
checks and balences by congress
amending, delaying or rejecting presidential legislation - Depends on who controls the houses
overriding a presidential veto - A 2/3 majority is needed in both houses
the power of the purse - Congress has to agree to the budget
Confirmation of presidential appointments - in the senate only need a simple majority to get past the senate
Ratification of treaties - Senate only, needs a 2/3 majority in the senate
The power to declare war - Congress needs to be asked to go to war
Impeachment of the president- need simple majority in house and a supermajority in the senate.
What is the check and balance used by the supreme court
Judicial Review - can declare presidential acts unconstitutional
How does the media affect presidential power
They can sway the peoples opinion by relaying news that’s unfavourable to the president.
What are policy czars
Government officials that are responsible for a particular branch of government
Do presidents like federal bureaucracies and agencies
Democrats like to increase it as they like a strong federal government
Republicans tend to decrease it as they want federalism more
What is the relationship between presidents and their chief of staff’s
Under obama he gave his chief of staff lots of power and the cabinet and institutions ran well
Trump had 4 chief’s of staff in under 4 years and his institutions and cabinet did not run very smoothly
What is the presidents approach to wider staff
Obama’s white house ran smoothly with staff being unified for one cause
Trump’s was poor with many positions unfilled with 280 empty jobs in 2018. He also had frequent sacking of staff
What is an imperial presidency
The idea of a president being an emperor
What is an imperilled presidency
The idea that the presidents power is reduced due to congress stopping his actions
What was Nixon’s imperial actions
Authorised intervention in cambodia and laos without telling congress
The watergates scandal snowed his illegal and corrupt methods to advance his interests
He continued the vietnam war without congressional approval
What was Fords Imperilled actions
Congress restricted the presidents power with the War powers act forcing presidents to get congress’s agreement before war
The federal bureaucracy size made it difficult for the president.
Why are modern presidents weaker
Presidents needing congressional agreement before war
The national emergency act 1974 made it so congress checks the presidents emergency action every 6 months.
The rise of direct authority shows congress is stronger
Presidents deal with opposition form congress a lot, meaning gridlock
Expansion of the federal government
Does the usa have an imperial presidency
Nixons action in vietnam
PResidents dont ask congress for war
have access to emergency powers
Expansion of the federal government
Does the USA have an imperilled presidency
The war powers act 1973
Unable to pass legislation without congressional support
Government shutdowns gives presidents less power
Lame duck presidents
What is the War powers act 1973
Means the president has to ask congress before going into war
