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U.S Politics (AK) > The Presidency > Flashcards

The Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

Why did the founding fathers create the role of the president

A

More a leader to ‘influence’ rather than a ruler

Originally indirectly elected by electors

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2
Q

How does the president propose legislation (formal power)

A

State of the Union address

E.g Obama 2013 promote policy proposals on job creation

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3
Q

Submitting the annual budget (formal power)

A

Pres give this to congress

If different parties control can be lengthy to get passed

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4
Q

Sign legislation (formal power)

A

Obama March 2010 Obama care
Ceremony had dem party leadership members
11 yr old Marcelas Owens (mother died without health insurance)

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5
Q

veto legislation (formal power)

A

63.6% Bush’s veto success rate-3rd lowest of any pres
washington-Bush 1,500 regular vetoes
H.W Bush 15 pocket vetoes

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6
Q

how many vetoes did Obama use

A

12 regular

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7
Q

act as chief executive (formal power)

A

in charge of running whole executive branch

day-day running is delegated

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8
Q

nominate executive branch officials (formal power)

A

most important 15 head executives of departments

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9
Q

nominate all federal judges (formal power)

A

district, circuit +supreme court

confimed by majority in senate

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10
Q

act as a commander in chief (formal power)

A

Bush 9/11
Obama crises in Iraq
briefcase=military football-pres immediate access to nuclear codes

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11
Q

negotiate treaties (formal power)

A

chemical weapons ban (Bush)
Nuclear arms treaty Russia (Obama)
power checked by senate- ratification
99 Clinton failed get simple majority nuclear test ban

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12
Q

pardon (formal power)

A

Obama 212 pardons

Clinton 140 in one day

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13
Q

head of state (formal power)

A

important in times of tragedy

Sandy Hook elementary school shooting Obama 2012

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14
Q

what are the four powers the constitution originally gave to the VP

A

presiding officer of senate
break tie in senate
announces ec vote result
becomes president if president leaves

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15
Q

counting and announcing electoral college votes (power of the VP)

A

2001 al Gore announced his own defeat

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16
Q

breaking tie in the senate (power of the VP)

A

Dick Cheney 2001 vote to protect Bush’s tax cut

Biden never used this power

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17
Q

become president on defeat,removal or resignation of the president

A

9 times
4 natural deaths
4 assinations
1 resignation (Nixon)

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18
Q

quote to show the insignificance of the VP

A

John Adams; ‘in this i am nothing; but i may be everthing’

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19
Q

what is the most recent 5th power that has been granted to the VP

A

become acting president if the president become disabled

Reagan Hospitalised Cheney took over (2 hours)

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20
Q

what are the four major pools of recruitment for selecting cabinet members

A

congress
state governors
big city mayors
academia

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21
Q

why does the president try to recruit retiring or former congress members over current serving ones

A

lack of jobs security+prestige in the cabinet

Trump 3 incumbent congress members e.g senator Jeff sessions 2017

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22
Q

why are state governors good to have in cabinet

A

have executive experience

2017 Rick Perry of Texas secretary of energy

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23
Q

who had big city mayors in their cabinet

A

Obama
Anthony Fox+Julian Castro
executive experience

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24
Q

who had academia in their cabinet

A

Obama
prof physics 2009 as secretary for energy
(from Cali Uni)

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25
Q

what are presidents looking for in their cabinet

A

policy specialist
Trump- former state attorney Jeff Sessions department of justice
question Ben Carson as head department of housing? (was a nuerosurgeon)

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26
Q

how are cabinet appointments confirmed

A

simple majority vote
not usually rejected
1989 rejected John Tower as secretary of defense

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27
Q

what factors does a president need to consider in order to get a balanced cabinet

A 
gender 
race 
age
region 
ideology
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28
Q

gender (a balanced cabinet)

A

Bush 3 women as HoD
Obama 4
Trump 2

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29
Q

race (a balanced cabinet)

A

Obama 2009 6 ethnic minorities as HoD

Trump 3

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30
Q

region (a balanced ticket)

A

look like they govern the whole country

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31
Q

age (a balanced ticket)

A

Trumps 1st cabinet av age of 63

only 4 under 60

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32
Q

ideology (a balanced ticket)

A

can pick someone from other party
Obama former repub Chuck Hagel SEC defense
lib dems,con dems,new,dems
con repub,mod repub,t party

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33
Q

cabinet meetings

A

varies from each president

usually gets less as the terms progress

34
Q

how many cabinet meetings did Obama hold

A

16 1st term

12 2nd term

35
Q

how many cabinet meetings did Reagan hold

A

36 in his 1st year

36
Q

when were cabinet meetings held by Obama and Bush

A

just before/immediately after political event

e.g mid-terms

37
Q

what is the problem with cabinet meetings

A

table wi policy specialists
don’t have anything else to contribute
too many people

38
Q

what are the 8 functions of cabinet meetings for the president

A 
team spirit 
collegiality 
exchanging info
policy debate
presenting 'big picture' items 
monitoring congress
prompting action 
personal contact
39
Q

team spirit (functions of cabinet meetings for the president )

A

help bring new people into the team

pres is unlikely to know them

40
Q

collegiality (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

important after Nixon’s admin accused not being open

PR exercise

41
Q

exchanging info (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

Carter’s go round table clockwise report on current issues+activities

42
Q

policy debate (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

Reagan defense secretary Frank Carlucci ‘cabinet meetings were often vigorous’
said debate about russian oil pipeline ‘quite a shouting match’

43
Q

presenting the ‘big picture items’ (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

Obama 2013 implications of partial shutdown of federal gov

44
Q

monitoring congresss (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

meeting FEB 2015 Obama discuss his policy agenda for congress that year

45
Q

prompting action (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

Obama scrutinising the pace of Hagel to release prisoners from Guantanamo Bay

46
Q

personal contact (functions of cabinet meetings for the president)

A

see cabinet members they wouldn’t otherwise meet

47
Q

what are the functions of cabinet meetings for cabinet officers

A 
getting to know eachother 
resolving disputes 
speaking to cabinet employees 
speaking to the president 
increased status for cabinet officers
48
Q

resolving disputes (functions of cabinet meetings for cabinet officers)

A

Jame Connor rembering affirmative action dispute in Ford’s admin

49
Q

why can the cabinet never be of prime importance

A

no collective responsibility doctrine
constitution ‘all executive power’ to the president
cabinet members have other loyalties

50
Q

is the presidents cabinet important YES

A

some of most important people e.g sec of state
15 heads of departments all members
president always chairs meetings

51
Q

is the presidents cabinet important NO

A

article 2 ‘all executive power’ pres
no collective responsibility
EXOP main advice giving for pres

52
Q

what is EXOP

A

executive office of the president
umbrella term for top staff agencies in white house
help president wi major responsibilities

53
Q

what most important offices in EXOP

A

white house office
national security council
office of management and budget

54
Q

white house office

A

personal office of president
run by chief of staff
includes closest advisors

55
Q

what are the main functions of the white house office

A

liason between white house+congress
decide who meets with the presiden, which calls are put through
deal wi crisis management
members should not be persuing their own agenda
Sununu was accused of this+fired

56
Q

who have been credited with being good chief of staff

A

Andrew Card 01-06

Rahm Emanuel 09-10

57
Q

McDonough one of Obama’s chief of staff

A

good- 12 yrs experience congress

‘control freak’ restricted obama from range of views

58
Q

Reince Priebus Trumps Chief of staff

A

was chairman of republican national committee

criticised by Ruddy not being ‘knowledgeable’ enough

59
Q

who created the office of management and budget

A

Nixon 1970 (OMB)

60
Q

what are the three main functions of the OMB

A

advise pres where to put funds from budget
oversee spending
proposed leg from exec goes through OMB (analysed for budget implications)

61
Q

OMB director

A

run office

speak on behalf of pres about budget

62
Q

Clinton’s 1st OMB director

A

leon panetta
just about got clintons budget through
media said ‘could not have had a better salesman’

63
Q

Bush’s OMB director

A

persuaded him to break ‘no new taxes’ pledge

political suicide lost next election

64
Q

the budget process

A

OMB+departments+president discuss
present current and projected economic situation
pres gives budget guidelines
OMB asses departments budgetory requirements
takes 2 years

65
Q

national security council

A

official forum for deliberating about national security and foreign policy

66
Q

how did Nixon change the national security council

A

started to run foreign policy from white house+national security advisor acted as foreign policy maker
cut out state departments traditional role
politicised the role of the NSC

67
Q

for and against affirmative action

A

Page 217 do the table

68
Q

What did Harry Blackmun suggest affirmative action should measured

A

How fast they move society toward a time where there’s no need for it
And when race no longer mattered

69
Q

Who took up Harry blackmuns argument in fritter decisions

A

Sandra day O’Connor

Announced 25 yr limit

70
Q

What was Clarence Thomas’ view on affirmative action

A

The government shouldn’t play a part

71
Q

What % people when asked said they favoured affirmative action programmes to increase the number of black and minority students on college campuses

A

60%

72
Q

What % of people said affirmative action about minority students at colleges were fair

A

42%

73
Q

What was the public response when people were asked about preferential treatment

A

24% agreed

72% disagreed

74
Q

What % of white people said they’d been harmed by an affirmative action programme

A

13%

75
Q

What % of African Americans said they’d been helped by affirmative actions programmes

A

4%

76
Q

What % of African Americans saiid they’d been harmed by affirmative action programmes

A

8%

77
Q

Cons and affirmative action programmes

A

Abolish affirmative action
Offers incentives for people to better themselves
Minorities like south East Asians who had succeeded without affirmative action programmes

78
Q

Moderates view on affirmative action

A

Phasing out

79
Q

Clinton and affirmative action

A

‘Mend don’t end it’

80
Q

Liberals and affirmative action

A

Still needed

African Americans under represented e.g bachelor degrees

U.S Politics (AK) (4 decks)

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