The President: Explaining Presidential Power

Question 1

Including Barack Obama how many people have held the Presidential office?

Answer 1

43

Question 2

In the US Constitution what two roles is the President meant to have?

Answer 2

1. Executive power = not defined

2. Commander-in-Chief

Question 3

What problems has the vagueness of the US Constitution in relation to Presidential powers caused?

Answer 3

1. What is executive privilage? Nixon
2. Commander-in-Chief = dead clause?
3. Depends on how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and how the President interprets his power

Question 4

How is the President elected?

Answer 4

Popular election = electoral college since 19th Century which is based on the state, President not elected by popular vote

Question 5

How could Commander-in-Chief be interpreted outside the perameters of war?

Answer 5

1. Any threat to the USA = FDR Great Depression? Terrorism. President is given the role to react quickly
2. Development of nuclear weapons = President as Commander-in-Chief has control of the weapons even outside of wartime

Question 6

Why is recent decades do people consider the President more powerful than Congress?

Answer 6

Congress doesn’t have the resources of the President and take too long to respond, people look to the President to get things done

Question 7

What four approaches are used to examine Presidential power?

Answer 7

Traditional approach (legal & historical), Psychological (character & groupthink), Sociological (power elite) and Institutional/Behavioural (Two Presidencies, imperial Presidency, persuasion)

Question 8

Traditional Approach (Legal/Historical)

Answer 8

1. Legal = how is he empowered or limited legally? based on the constitution, can change depending on the interpretations of the Constitution, statute laws/ conventions
2. Historical = over time Presidents acquire roles which are not Constitutional but are acceptable e.g. has become a political leader & chief legislator despite it not being formally prescribed

Question 9

Psychological Approach (Character/Groupthink)

Answer 9

1. Character = who’s in office produces different outcomes, two baselines of activity (1. how active 2. emotional reward/response) and three variables (1. climate of expectation 2. power situation 3. personality)
2. Groupthink = consensus, prescriptive not predictive theory

Question 10

Sociological Approach (Power elite)

Answer 10

1. Agenda setting = agenda may be set by American elites (not necessarily wealthy) who have influence
2. President constricted by society and what they want/ react to
3. Debate about means rather than ends

Question 11

Institutional/Behavioural Approach (Two Presidencies, Imperial Presidency, Persuasion)

Answer 11

1. Two Presidencies = 1 President but 2 Presidencies (domestic & foreign) however this approach fails to address interdomestic policy
2. Imperial Presidency = accumulation of powers in office leads to the President trying to take too much power (e.g. LBJ & Nixon) which provokes reaction, is there still a potential for an Imperial Presidency? still there/ dormant/ stopped?
3. Persuasion = formal powers not sufficient - hard for President to act unilaterally, needs political support (a President who gets his way is a President who can persuade)