unit 5: executive branch Flashcards
how is prime minister chosen vs president
the president is directly elected by the people and the prime minister is chosen by parliament
it’s easier for candidates to get elected if..
they’re outsiders because then they’re not associated with the “mess in washington”
prime minister is always an “insider” because
they’re a member a of parliament
can a sitting member of congress hold office in the executive branch?
no
where do president and prime minister get their cabinet members?
the president can choose anyone to be a cabinet member while the prime minister chooses cabinet members from parliament
divided government
when one party controls the white house and the other controls one or both chambers of congress
unified government
when the same party controls the white house and both chambers of congress
gridlock
the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of government
president must be how old
at least 35 years old
president citizen requirements
must be a natural born citizen, and reside in the US for at least 14 years
what is the president’s salary and how is it determined
as of 2001, congress has determined the salary to be $400,000
president’s role in the military
the president is the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces
how many electors are there?
538; it’s equal to the number of the senators and representatives plus 3 electors to represent DC
president powers shared with the senate
with senate Advice and Consent, the president can appoint people to high public positions and create treaties
State of the Union
The president addresses congress and gives them information about the state of country and what plans they have to make going further to address any issues or concerns
president can be impeached/removed from office for…
treason
bribery
high crimes/misdemeanors
powers of the president
M.A.L.D
- military power
- appointment power
- legislative power
- diplomatic power
how did andrew jackson expand the presidency
- he used the spoil system to award followers with presidential appointments
- heavily used veto privelege
- asserted national power when attacking South Carolina for nullifcation law
how did lincoln expand the presidency
- assumed powers no president before had claimed such as suspending habeas corpus and jailing people for disloyalty
- ignored congress and expanded size of the army
how did theodore roosevelt expand the presidency
- worked closely with congress, defining his legislative powers
- took lead in developing the US as an international power
how did woodrow wilson expand the presidency
- formulated bills that congress considered
- took a leading role in international affairs due to WWI
constitutional powers of the president
-Commander in chief of the armed forces
-Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses except impeachment
-Convene congress in special sessions
-Receive ambassadors
-Take care that the laws be faithfully executed
-Wield the “executive power
-Appoint officials to lesser offices
“Take care that the laws be faithfully executed”
a very elastic phrase in the constitution that has been used to broaden the scope of the president’s power
what’s the greatest source of presidential power
politics and public opinion
original ideas for presidency
- hamilton proposed executive monarchy
- other proposed a national executive
- some wanted executive power to be checked by a council
how did george washington effect the evolution of the presidency
washington set the precendent for how the president should operate
founders concerns about reelection
that some presidents would be corrupt and do whatever it takes to stay in their position even past the four year term
founders concerns about treaties
some worried that if the president share treaty making with the senate, the president would be directed by minions and favorites and would become a tool of the senate
Electoral college
The people chosen to cast each state’s votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The district of columbia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect a representative or senator
22nd amendment
after FDR had 4 terms, this amendment was created which constitutionally restricted president’s to two terms
what three audiences are president’s persuaive powers aimed at
fellow leaders/politicians in washington dc, party activists and office holders outside of washington, the general public
presidential persuasion of fellow leaders/politicians
-the white House’s power depends on the president’s reputation among colleagues
-If a president has a reputation for being smart or cool then they’re likely to be an effective president
presidential persuasion of party activists
-These people want the president to represent their principles and to appeal to their fears and hopes and help them get reelected
–since partisan activities increasingly have ideological orientation towards politics, they will expect “their” president to make speeches that confirm a shared sense of purse
presidential persuasion of the general public
- this audience holds many different views and interest
- presidents recognize any word, they say will be heavily scrutinized from tone, intonation, inflection, and otherwise any other aspect of it
why do presidents now rely on prepare speeches
in order to avoid any political errors and scrutiny
bully pulpit
the presidents use of prestige and visibility to guide or mobilize the american public
why should congress care about a president’s personal popularity?
because congress can benefit from the president for example a popular president at the top of a ticket means that their party will have more candidates elected into congress
The higher a president’s personal popularity…
the higher proportion of presidential bills that congress will pass
veto message
message from the president to Congress stating that a bill passed in both chambers will not be signed. Must be produced within 10 days of a bill passing.
when is a president’s popularity the highest?
right after an election
pocket veto
a bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within 10 days before congress adjourns
how can congress override a veto message?
with a 2/3 majority in both chambers
line item veto
an executive’s ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
impoundment of funds
some presidents have refused to spend funds appropriated by congress since constitution doesn’t state that they must spend money appropriated by congress but they can’t spend money congress hasn’t appropriated
executive privileges
Despite not being stated in the constitution, executive act as though they have the privilege of confidentiality through private communications with principal advisors
Budget reform act 1974
requires the president to spend all appropriate funds unless congress is told what funds should not be spent and then congress agrees within 45 days to delta the items
Signing statement
A presidential document that reveals what the president thinks of a new law and how it ought to be enforced
Executive orders
A presidential directive that calls for action within the executive branch
Personality plays a more important role in…
presidency than being a congress member
Rule of propinquity
idea that the greater in proximity you are to the president, the better influence and power you have and stronger the relationship is
3 degrees of propinquity are
white house office, executive office, and the cabinet
the white house office
-includes the president’s closest assistants that have their offices in the white house west wing and oversee the political and policy interests of the president
pyramid structure
a president’s subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff
pros/cons of the pyramid structure
Pros: orderly flow of information and decisions
Cons: risks isolation or misinforming the president
circular structure
several of the president’s assistants report directly to him
pros/cons of circular structure
Pros: gives president a great deal of information
Cons: there could be confusion and conflict among secretaries
ad hoc structure
several subordinates. Cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters
pros of ad hoc structure
minimizes bureaucratic inertia and generates ideas and information from separate channels
cons of ad hoc structure
risks cutting president off from official who are ultimately responsible for turning presidential decisions into policy proposal sand administrative action
the executive office
-Agencies in the EOP (executive office of the president) report directly to the president and perform staff services but they’re not located in the white house
-Top positions in these agencies are acquired by presidential appointment but these have to receive senate approval
cabinet
the heads of the 15 executive branch departments of the federal government
15 cabinets
State
Treasury
Defense
Justice
Interior
Agriculture
Commerce
Labor
Health and human services
Housing and Urban development
Transportation
Energy
Education
Veteran affairs
Homeland security
federalist 70
made by hamilton to justify a single executive/president
- anti federalists were scared of a single person holding executive power and proposed a council of executives
- executive needs to have energy and having a single executive enables them to act efficiently and decisively
- two benefits of energy are unity and responsibility:
- unity is conducive to energy and so if there’s multiple presidents the room for division which can be a problem in a state of emergency
- responsibility follows as if there’s multiple executives and one is corrupt, it’ll be hard to truly locate who whereas a single executive would be the only one to blame
