Unit 4 Executive Branch Flashcards
4.2 How has communication technology influenced the public role of the president?
Radio
-Fireside chats of F.D.R allowed the president to gather public support for his agenda
Television
-Attractive JFK had an advantage over his opponent since audiences likes his good looks. Reagan was an actor who knew how to use the camera to communicate
Internet and Social Media
-Allows presidential candidates and sitting candidates to take their message directly to the American people. Trump uses this method
4.3 What challenges does the president face in ensuring that the executive bureaucracy carries out his agenda?
Iron Triangle
Congress / Bureacracy (lower level federal employees who are career bureacrats) / Special Interest Groups
They work together to support their own agendas and make is difficult for the president to accomplish anything
Multiple agencies have overlapping responsibilites and conflicting regulations, which slows down progress
Sometimes bureacratic jobs are given as rewards for loyalty. This allows unqualified people to be involved in the federal government
4.4 How is the power of the bureaucracy balanced by the rest of the federal government?
Cabinet Departments, Agencies, Corporations, and Commissions Controlled by
President - hires and fires department heads
Congress - authorization of expenditures and appropriation of funds
Courts - ensure constitutional contstraints are followed
Powers of the President
-Power to Veto
-Executive Orders
-Signing Statement
Shared power with Congress that Limits President’s Powerr
-President can make treaties but Congress must approve them
-President can appoint federal judges and heads of executive departments but they must be approved by Congress
Presidential Requirements
-he or she must be a natural-born citizen of the United States
-must have lived in the United States for at least fourteen years
-must be at least thirty-five years old
State of the Union Address
Joint session of Congress in which a clear policy agenda for the coming year is generally laid out. This is the president’s opportunity to outline what he or she thinks Congress ought to do in the coming year. Often the president will use this as an opportunity to introduce major policy initiatives and bring public attention to issues he or she finds important
Executive agreement
These are essentially agreements between the president and the leaders of other nations.
Presidential Appointments
The president has significant power in appointing not only federal judges but also heads of executive departments and agencies
Federalist No. 70 by Hamilton
Outlined the major arguments in favor of a single executive. Ultimately, he said, a weak executive means weak execution of government, and weak execution of government is synonymous with bad government. Also against council which would lead to factions.
Limits on Presidential Power
Any permanent action a president takes must be approved by Congress, and even temporary actions like executive orders may easily be challenged in court.
22 Amendment
Limited presidents to two terms of service. Limit the expanding presidency.
Importance of Presidents
Lincoln expanded power in the Civil War.
Roosevelt made executive programs, agencies, and departments.
Media
Presidents use media outlets to promote policy initiatives. This is what is often called the “bully pulpit”—using their status and position to hold the attention of the American people and make their case.
Imperial Presidency
Began with Roosevelt as he expanded Presidential power and has continued.
Federal Bureaucracy
Leaders chosen by the President and approved by the Senate.
-fifteen cabinet-level departments
-agencies
-commissions
bureaucratic sabotage
federal employees actively working against the agenda of the president
Federal Register
Holds rules and regulations for Executive Agencies
Administrative Procedure Act
Required all executive agencies to give public notice and to (usually) hold hearings before new rules or policies take effect
Freedom of Information Act
stipulates that citizens have the right to view all government records except those containing military, national security, or trade secrets
Government in the Sunshine Act, Open Meeting Law
meetings of executive agencies must be open to the public unless military or trade secrets are being discussed
Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883
Originally, jobs were reward from political officials.
Now, required federal government jobs to be given based on merit, and it made it illegal to fire or demote public employees simply for political reasons
meritocracy system
distributing government jobs based on merit rather than as political rewards
The Hatch Act of 1939
Maintains a nonpartisan bureaucracy by prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics
Executive Branch
President Controls:
-fifteen cabinet departments
-independent executive agencies
-government corporations
Congress Controls
-regulatory commissions
Executive Departments
Original:
Department of State
Department of the Treasury
Department of Defense
Department of Justice
Added:
Interior
Agriculture
Commerce
Labor
Health and Human Services
Housing and Urban Development
Transportation
Energy
Education
Veterans Affairs
Homeland Security
Cabinet
Set of presidential appointees who oversee major executive departments. While some presidents have used their cabinets as a council of advisors, others have issued general directions and then given cabinet secretaries freedom to run their departments themselves.
Government Corporations
Created by Congress but have independent boards of directors just like a private corporation. They are created to carry out some specific function and are supposed to be run like businesses.
Independent regulatory commissions
are created by Congress and are generally outside the control of the president
Bureaucracy Checks
Public:
Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 which requires public hearings for new rules
Freedom of Information Act of 1966, which gives the public access to nonclassified government records.
President:
hiring and firing of department and agency heads
Congress:
Power of the purse. Authorizations of expenditures and appropriations of funds are generally contingent on committee hearings in which agency heads are called to testify.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO)
created by Congress in the 1920s, reviews major rules written by executive agencies
How is an executive agency different from an independent commission?
The president has more control over executive agencies than independent commissions.
Which executive organization oversees a broad policy area?
Cabinet Departments
