US: President Flashcards
President’s power is the power to persuade FOR:
- Bully pulpit- Obama, “we will extend our hand if you will unclench your fist:, GWB, calling North Korea and Russia “axis of evil”
- Pork barrel spending- approx. $13 billion per term- e.g. GWB wants Alaska’s support, so spends $224 million on the bridge to nowhere/
President’s power is the power to persuade AGAINST:
- Email and social media – people can vocally persuade their representatives more than the president (folks at home not a problem)
- In recent times more Washington outsiders have become presidents: Reagan, Clinton, W Bush & Trump have all been Washington outsiders – this makes it much harder for them to call in favours.
- Partisanship. This is reflected in key votes such as the ARRA 2009 (American Recovery Reinvestment Act only got 3 red votes in the house and zero in the senate) and the PPACA 2010 (Obamacare got no votes in the house or senate)
List the President’s ‘express’ (formal) powers,
Executive- The president is the chief of the federal government. The president prepares the annual budget
Legislative - The president signs legislation passed by Congress to make it law and can veto
Appointment - president nominates officials to the executive branch + judge (some must be confirmed by the senate).
Foreign affairs - president is commander-in-chief of US military, can ‘initiate military action’. The president negotiates treaties (although the Senate must ratify them with a 2/3 majority).
The power of the pardon - The president can pardon someone who acknowledges they are guilty of a federal crime, not someone who’s been impeached.
List the President’s ‘implied’ (informal) powers.
- EXOP informal, (Cabinet somewhat formal, its complicated)
- EOs, EAs
- Bully Pulpit
List the main functions of the President’s foreign policy role.
Constitution gives the president two key powers:
• Act as Commander-in-Chief
• Negotiate treaties.
But the president has three other extra-constitutional powers relating to FP:
1) Power to make appointments to the executive, some of which have FP implications:
Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, head of CIA
2) Power to sign executive agreements.
There are currently around 300 per year, mostly in routine areas such as trade agreements. (e.g. Obama and China 2016)
3) Power to use bully pulpit to set the tone of FP.
This is often through major scheduled speeches such as the State of the Union address. (see ObamavGWB)
List examples of where the president’s power has been limited in foreign policy
•Guantanamo Bay detention camp is still open. 2015 SoU, ”It’s time to close Gitmo”.
• promises to attempt de-escalation but the coalition’s largest offensive in Afghanistan was launched in 2010.
• 2011: 4 year extension of the USA PATRIOT Act
-investigations into Benghazi 2012 and Vietnam 1972 and Somalia 1993
List examples of where the President’s power has been successfully exercised in foreign policy.
Obama:
• The last American troops left Iraq in 2004
• The 2014 China Climate Deal
Trump:
• Pulled out of the Paris climate change agreement; Pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal.
• Moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
To what extent was Obama able to achieve his aims? Evaluate with examples.
Foreign Policy: Failed to introduce DAPA (S.C. US vs Texas 2016), Withdrew troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, Gitmo still open
Domestic Policy: PPACA was unable to be enforced (NFIB vs Sibelius) but was passed in 2009, unemployment below 8% and ARRA
To what extent was Trump able to achieve his aims? Evaluate with examples.
Foreign Policy: Muslim ban 2017, Withdrawal from Paris climate change agreement and Iran nuclear deal 2015, also started negotiations with North Korea and imposed sanctions on China
Domestic Policy: Caused a government shutdown in 2018 after the democrats of the House refused to approve a $5bn border wall funding, 2017 tax cuts and jobs act and Keystone pipeline
To what extent was Bush able to achieve his aims? Evaluate with examples.
Foreign Policy: “War on Terror” faced little opposition after 9/11, able to enter Iraq, Guantanamo Bay
Domestic Policy: Failed to reform social insurance for the elderly 2004, Major tax breaks for wealthy 2003
To what extent was Clinton able to achieve his aims? Evaluate with examples.
Foreign Policy) 1993 Congress forces withdrawal from Somalia- North American free trade agreement passed same year
Domestic Policy) Couldn’t pass free healthcare, but effectively introduced background checks to guns (Brady Bill ‘93) and ended ban on gay/lesbian soldiers “don’t ask don’t tell” (‘94), CHIP ‘97
