America and Arizona Government for Elementary Teachers

Presentation 8: The Presidency

Presentation Objectives

AEPA Objectives0011 Understand the structure, organization, and operation of

the federal government.

AZ Social Studies Standard, Strand 3

Concept 2: Structure of Government

Who is the best president?

Best President Ranking Worst President Ranking

Abraham Lincoln 1 James Buchanan 42

George Washington 2 Andrew Johnson 41

Franklin D. Roosevelt 3 Franklin D. Pierce 40

Theodore Roosevelt 4 William Henry Harrison 39

Harry S. Truman 5 Warren G. Harding 38

John F. Kennedy 6 Millard Fillmore 37

Thomas Jefferson 7 George W. Bush 36

Dwight D. Eisenhower 8 John Tyler 35

Woodrow Wilson 9 Herbert Hoover 34

Ronald Reagan 10 Rutherford B. Hayes 33

Source: C-Span 2009 Historians Presidential Leadership Survey

The Job Description

How many roles do you play in a given day?

The Job Description: Presidential Roles Head of State World Leader Party Leader National Leader CEO of the Executive Branch

Head of State

World Leader

Party Leader

National Leader

CEO of Executive Branch

CEO of Executive Branch

President is at the top of a pyramid of power But at the bottom of a funnel of information

White House

CEO of Executive Branch

White House staff Growth of White House Staff

Franklin D. Roosevelt: 47 Harry Truman: 200 Nixon: 555 Ronald Regan: 600 Bush Jr.: around 500 Obama: 487

Executive Office of the President

Cabinet

The Bureaucracy

The authority to do the job

Formal powers

Implied powers

Informal powers

Formal Powers

Implied Powers

Informal Powers

History of the Presidency

Modest Beginning The presidency was seen

as a check on the congress. Washington as exemplar President as executor/clerk

of Congress Nation was small, minor

power

Exceptionally Strong Early Presidents

James A. Polk

Abraham LincolnThomas Jefferson

20th Century Transformation

Theodore Roosevelt Saw the office as a “bully

pulpit” Broke monopolies and

trusts

20th Century Transformation

Woodrow Wilson Restructured economy US as world leader

20th Century Transformation

Franklin Roosevelt New Deal programs Increased size of

government US global leadership Personalized the office

with Fireside Chats 1st 100 days Set the standard for

modern presidents

What makes a president successful? Relationship with Congress

Congress has given power to president Congress has limited power of the president The president needs Congress Divided government or not Vetoes as a measure of influence

Control of the Party

Control of Party and Congressional Gridlock

Presidential Approval

Conclusion

This Presentation

This presentation is courtesy of Brian Dille, Professor of Political Science at Mesa Community College.