US Presidency - Topic 3.2 Flashcards
Informal sources of the President's powers and their use
How does the electoral mandate provide the President with power?
By winning the election, the President is able to claim strength as they have popular sovereignty. If win by a landslide, the President can make more and bigger asks to Congress. A President that doesn’t have that same sweeping success and loses the House or Senate in a midterm election, they have less control and power over Congress.
- Biden 2020 - 25 States + DC; 51.3% of the vote, 306 electoral college votes
- Trump 2020 - 25 States; 46.9% of the vote, 232 electoral college votes
If a candidate wins the election convincingly, they will then have a stronger coattails effect. The ability of a President to bring out supporters for other members of their party is stronger, and therefore helping more of them win, due to their own popularity.
How do national events provide the President with power?
National events can both benefit and hinder the President.
* George W. Bush’s approval ratings skyrocketed after 9/11 as America turned to a strong President
* America’s chaotic and sloppy withdrawl from Afghanistan badly affected Biden’s ratings as the Taliban proceeded to take over the country
* A booming economy under Clinton saw his approval ratings increase, bolstering his influence
* Although Trump had a growing economy during his Presidency, his approval ratings were falling in 2018
How can the Cabinet be used to increase the President’s power?
The Cabinet is full of policy specialists in their respective departments or posts and can therefore offer specialist advice for the President to act upon. As the Cabinet have no constitutional power, the final say always goes to the President.
- Timothy Geithner - Secretary of the Treasury (Obama) - Well-utilised and helpful cabinet member
- Michael Atkinson - Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (Trump) - Helped create the first impeachment trial of Trump after he withheld the complaint about foreign interference in the 2020 election
The Cabinet can also be used as representatives to foreign countries, or at events on the President’s behalf
- Mike Pompeo (Secretary of State - Trump) - Inaugeration of the President of Mexico in 2018
The Cabinet has alos been used a way to reflect America as a society. Clinton stated he wanted his Cabinet ‘look like America.’ Biden currently has the most diverse in American history (45% women and 55% non-white). The media attention on the Cabinet shows the ‘government at work’ and has allowed the President to project their image of the government to the public.
How is the ‘power of persuasion’ an important informal power?
Each President has the same constitutional powers, but each President’s ability to influence and persuade other members, whether in the Cabinet, Congress or Judiciary, is down to the President’s personality. By relying on persuasion, reputation and public prestige, the President can bargain and persuade the rival centres of power within the US political system.
- This is often done through the media: TV, broadcasts or social media
- Speaking from the White House itself can also build gravitas and importance on certain speeches and therefore the efforts the President wants to succeed
- Phoning directly with members of Congress can be effective because of the President’s personal importance
- Speaking to the public via the media is a way for the public to put pressure on Congress to get the legislative agenda through
- The President can offer inducements to members of Congress in return for their support. They could offer policy promises to make suggessted legislation more appealing.
What were Obama’s nature and characteristics like during his presidency?
What were Trump’s nature and characteristics like during his presidency?
What were Biden’s nature and characteristics like during his presidency?
What use does the Vice President provide to the Presidency?
The two powers of the VP are:
- To take over from the President if necessary. E.g., when Kamala Harris held presidential powers for 85 mins in November 2021 when Biden was under health inspection
- To decide the vote in the event of a tie in the Senate. Kamala Harris has decided more votes than any other VP in her first year than any other VP ever in US history
VPs can be influential advisors to the President or their yes-man. However, in the case of Mike Pence, he publicly disagreed with Trump and even turned against him near the end of his presidency. The power and relevance of the VP changes between VP to VP but the post of VP has become more powerful and influential over time. However, the power that they stand to gain is ultimately down to how much power the President has delegated to them, but this is becoming more and more common, giving the President another tool to boost their own capital.
What is the use of the EXOP to the Presidency?
What is the use of the NSC to the Presidency?
What is the use of the OMB to the Presidency?
What is the use of the WHO to the Presidency?
