The President Flashcards
As President what two formal roles does he possess?
Head of State
Head of Government
As head of state, what two duties does the president have
Diplomatic and ceremonial
Who exercised their role of head of state particularly well- being seen as a symbol of American resolve and pride
President Bush in the aftermath of 9/11
What evidence is there that role of head of state is vitally important as you represent and unite the nation
Bush was heavily criticised for not visiting areas hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005
As Head of Government, what 4 powers does the President have?
Legislative
Head of the Executive
Judicial
Foreign policy
In the constitution the President is granted all executive power - what does this mean
He is in charge of managing and running the whole of the federal government.
As the head of the Executive branch how does the President manage the workload
They delegate power
At the state of the presidency, how many gov officials does the President nominate
4000
Who needs to confirm presidential appointments
The Senate
Why is the appointment system set up?
To prevent the President from surrounding himself with only supporters
What is expected of the President in reference to appointments
They will nominate experiences experts of the specific field
How many government nominations did Trump have rejected by the Senate
3
Why did the senate reject 2 of biden’s nominations
they believed they threatened business
When does the President formally recommends legislation to a joint session of Congress
The annual State of the Union Address
What did Biden do in the 2023 State of Union Address
Implored congress to pass policing reform, immigration legislation and codify abortion rights
When is the President more likely to have a convincing effect at the annual State of the Union Address
When there is a unified government
How many bills did Obama veto
12
How many bills did Trump veto
10
In regard to legislation what 3 powers does the President have
Power to:
propose legislation
Sing/veto legislation
Submit annual budget
How can Congress override a veto
2/3 majority in both the Senate and the House
Example of 2 presidents that had their vetoes overriden
Obama and Trump
In regard to the judiciary what 2 powers does the president have
Issue pardons
Nominate Federal Judges
Why is the power of pardon controversial
can be used to pardon allies and friends
How many individuals did Obama pardon on drug charges
Over 10000
In relation to the judiciary who can the President nominate
Nominates all federal judged including the Supreme Court
How many appointments was Trump able to make to the Supreme Court - what party were they
3- Republicans
Who has to confirm nominations to the supreme Court
The Senate
Why can appointing a judge be difficult
When there is a divided government- trump could only appoint 3 judges as the Republicans held the Senate
Why did Obama have a Supreme Court nomination blocked
blocked by a Republican controlled Senate
What is the President as stated in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution
Commander in Chief of the US military
Example of Trump using his power as Commander in Chief
made the decision to assassinate Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in January 2022
Example of Biden using his power as Commander in Chief
Made the decision to move US warships into the Persian Gulf following Hamas’ attacks in Israel in Oct 2023,
3 limitations of the President’s control over foreign policy
Congress’ power to initiate war, the War Powers Act, and the power of the purse
How has the president’s power as commander in chief has expanded over time
New branches of army and modern weaponry
When was the Wars Powers Act
1973
What 2 rules are due to the War Powers Act 1973
The president must notify Congress within 48 hours of committing U.S. forces to military action
The president can only keep U.S. forces engaged in hostilities for 60 days without Congressional approval.
What power does the President have in regard to treaties
Can negotiate treaties on behalf of the US
How can treaties be ratified/approved
By a 2/3 vote in the Senate
Example of a failed treaty?
Obama’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as it failed to gain a supermajority
How can treaties be unlikely to pass
In a politically divided gov
How can Congress have some power to shape foreign policy
through its “power of the purse”
What are executive agreements
Similar to treaties but don’t require senate approval
Example of an executive agreement
Obama negotiated the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Agreement on climate change by executive agreement
