US Presidency Flashcards

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1
Q

Presidential powers in the constitution

A
  • Signing and vetoing legislation
  • commander in chief of armed forces
  • Giving the state of union address
  • Granting pardons
  • Treaties
  • Recieving ambassadors
    0 Appointing federal judges
    0 Calling special sessions of congress
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2
Q

Whats the difference between being head of state and being head of gov’t?

A

Head of state
- President is the representative of the USA to the world
Head of gov’t
- Has to do more with domestic politics - i.e appointing cavinet

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3
Q

Commander in chief role

A

seen as both head of state and head of gov’t:

  • dependent on money and approval from congress, making it more about governing
  • Also a key gloval public figure and can act to defend the USA
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4
Q

What informal sources of power does the president have

A
  • Electoral mandate
  • National events
  • Executive orders
  • Vice president and cabinet
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5
Q

Electoral mandate

A

With a larger mandate, a president can exercise more power than someone who scrapes a win

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6
Q

How much did Obama win by in 2008

A

52.9%

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7
Q

How much did Trump win by in 2016

A

46.1%

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8
Q

Executive orders

A

Directives to a department on how to carry out a law

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9
Q

Trumps executive orders

A

220 executive orders - to restrict abortion, Obama care and instituting travel ban

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10
Q

National events

A

In times of national crisis, president gets a popularity bump, due to national tragedy, etc. seen with 9/11, peaking at 92%

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11
Q

Vice president & cabinet in informal power

A

individuals cn lend presidents power if they have popularity, etc Hilary Clinton was crucial as secretary of state in negotiating Start Treaty in 2010

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12
Q

Power of persuasion

A

President has more persuative power when he is popular and vice versa

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13
Q

Successful powers of persuation

A

Obama campaigned on healthcare reform throughout 2008 - able to pass Obama care in 2010, some success being down to bipartisan appeals to Republicans, health care summits and bc Congress was run by Democrats

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14
Q

Unsuccessful powers of persuation

A

Trump with the wall - 35 day gov’t shutdown with Trumps inability to persuade Congress

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15
Q

EXOP

A

Consists of those staff and bodies that immediately surround the president and help him carry out his duties

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16
Q

NSC

A

Cordinates foreign, military, etc polcy for president I DOTN EVEN FICKING NO DO I

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17
Q

Where is EXOP found?

A

West wing of the white house or the Eisenhower exec office building next door

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18
Q

What is in EXOP?

A
  • National Security Council
  • Office of Management and budget
  • White House Office
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19
Q

NSC

A

National Security Council. the main body used by the President for the formation of policies relating to national security and foreign policy. It is formed by the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defence, and the National Security Advisor.

20
Q

OMB

A

Office of Management and Budget. The OMB is the largest department within the Executive Office. Its main responsibility is to produce the Budget. It will oversee all the financial aspects of the implementation of the Presidents’ agenda. Finally it will also assess the effectiveness of government programmes. It is one of the only departments within the Executive Office that must have the director confirmed by a Senate Vote.

21
Q

WHO

A

The White House Office, as a department in the Executive Office is headed by the White House Chief of Staff. The Office is ultimately made up on assistants of the President, who oversee policy, political matters and above all work to protect the interests of the President. None of the roles in the White House Office require Senate confirmation.

22
Q

What factors affect presidents relationship with congress?

A
  • Elections
  • Seperation of powers
  • Persuation
  • Divided gov’t
  • Presidential action
23
Q

Separation of powers (affecting presidential relationship w. Congress)

A

president is v dependent on congressional agreement for money, war, legislation, etc e.g. Trumps failure to repeal and replace Obamacare

24
Q

Elections (affecting presidential relationship w. Congress)

A

Congress has its own mandate thus looking after its constituents e.g seen with veto override of 9/11 victims bill of 2016

25
Q

Divided gov’t (affecting presidential relationship w. Congress)

A

the majority party in congress might be different to presdients, straining relationship e.g. Trump and border wall

26
Q

Divided gov’t (affecting presidential relationship w. Congress)

A

the majority party in congress might be different to presdients, straining relationship e.g. Obamas failure to get immigration reform through a divided gov’t

27
Q

Presidential action (affecting presidential relationship w. Congress)

A

executive orders and recess appointments can often cause tension as president is seen to usurp congressional roles.
e.g. Obama used executive orders to get limited immigration reform

28
Q

What factors affect presidents relationship with the supreme court?

A
  • Appointments
  • Judicial review
  • In the media
29
Q

Appointments (affecting presidential relationship w. SC)

A

A fortunate president may get a chance to shape the court with an appointment that reflects his own ideology. e.g. Trump replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Amy Coney Barrett

30
Q

Judicial review (affecting presidential relationship w. SC)

A

As the final interpreter of the constitution, the sc can thward the president by ruling against him. e.g Trump v Vance (2020) said no person incl President is allowed to with hold information in investigation - 7-2 decision

31
Q

In the media (affecting presidential relationship w. SC)

A

Some justices have an increasing tendency to speak out about political events often causing political tension. e.g Justice Alito spoke out about ruling in Snyder v Phelps (2011)

32
Q

Lame duck president

A

once a successor has been elected but remains in power until January - during this time, president has no mandate, congressional sessions are also lame ducks

33
Q

Informal lame-duck president

A

President is referred to as a lame fuck when they are unable to get anything done. Most commonly after the 6 year mid terms, when us public starts looking at next presidential race, seen w Obama failing to get immigration reform through but did use his veto in his last 2 years

34
Q

Limits on the presidents power

A
  1. Presidential popularity
  2. Election cycle
  3. National events
35
Q

Presidential popularity

A

If congressional politicians constitutients support the president then by supporting the president the politican is likely to be more popular, this is known as the coat-tails effect - seen in 2016 when Paul Ryan accreddited Republican surge to Donald Trump

36
Q

Coattails effect

A

The coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.

37
Q

Imperial presidency

A

Imperial powers - President has a number of powers which have only limited checkes on them (executive orders and agreements, signing statements and pardons) - these powers can be seen as imperial

38
Q

What shows the commander in chief role to be imperial

A

Changing nature of warfare & diplomacy

Obamas negotiation of the Iran deal with little reference to Congress is a good example of this

39
Q

What shows the commander in chief role to be imperilled

A

Vietnam War was brought to an end when it had become unpopular with the public by withholding funds (tried to do the same in 2007)
Cibgress has authorised most military action taken by a president

40
Q

Imperilled presidency

A

A president is unlikely to be imperial for the duration of his presidency. Circumstances being crucial to dictating the power of the president

41
Q

Presidential controll over foreign policy

A
  • Choice of cabinet secreatries (secretarties of state and defence)
  • US armed forces as commander in chief#0 NSC
  • Ability to recieve ambassadors and therefore recognise countries
  • Ability to recieve ambassadors and therefore recognise countries
  • Executive agreementa which do not need senate approval
  • Ability to negotiate treaties
42
Q

Presidential controll over foreign policy

A
  • The power of the purse, crucial for any military actions
  • the right of the senate to approve treaties
  • the right of the senate to approve cabinet members
  • the power to declare war
43
Q

The balance of power

A
  • Negotiations w foreign nations are left with one representative (head of state) instead of dealing w Congres which is slow and deliberate
  • Places the power with the president, however, aftermath - president likely to face high levels of scrutiny at home which amy affect his popularit y and powe
44
Q

War powers resolution

A

Congress passed war powers resolution in 1973 - required president to notify congress within 48 hours if they agreed to commit the us military to any action - congress would authorise action, declare war, demand withdrawl - 60 days to withdraw

45
Q

Is the war pwoers resolution effective

A

Possibly unconstitutional - encroaches on presidents constitutional power of commander in chief - commonly cited that it has never been used successfully