Mike Huckabee
• Another “Man from Hope”• Ordained southern Baptist minister• Outspoken on health• Not really considered a heavy
weight…• Weak fundraising• BUT: Attractive to right wing “values
voters”• Unlikely to be nominee, but could
be influential in Iowa?• Potential VEEP candidate?
Schedule to end of term
Week 7The institution of the Presidency
Media in US politics
Week 8Sunbelt suburbs (Mark Little)
Life as a Washington journalist (Mark Little)
Week 9New media / Congress
Congress / End of term review
• What is meant by “American exceptionalism”? Does America remain exceptional in the 21st century? How?
• Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the US Constitution. How well has it stood the test of time?
• Examine the strengths and weaknesses of Barber’s “Presidential Character” typology, with detailed reference to at least two recent Presidents.
Essay titles
Choose ONE of the following...
• Strict word count: 2,000 words• Deadline 5pm, Monday 10.12.07• Submit via www.Turnitin.com• Higher marks for evidence of outside reading
Required reading…• McKay chap 10• Singh chap 9• LGS epilogue
Additional resources…• Richard Neustadt, Presidential Power: The Politics of
Leadership• Stephen Skowronek, The Politics Presidents Make:
Leadership from John Adams to George Bush.• Jeffrey Tulis, “The Two Constitutional Presidencies” in
Michael Nelson (editor) The Presidency and the Political System.
Readings for today
Agenda
• General overview• Historical development of the Presidency• Constitutional powers and duties• Informal powers and resources• Checks and balances – relationship to other
branches of US government• Measuring presidential effectiveness• Modern challenges• Impeachment
Overview
• 43 incumbents• 4 year term• Re-electable once• Only US political figure elected by
all the people• A unifying and centralising
institution- symbol of national unity
• ALL executive federal power vested in the office
• Huge expectation, glamour, mystique associated with the role
• Exceptionally demanding position• For all the institutional resources,
powers, constraints – the individual is crucial
• 1800-1933: Legislative era. President as “Chief Clerk”?• 1930s: Roosevelt watershed. Birth of modern
Presidency• 1939-45: Commander-in-Chief • Post 1945: Imperial Presidency?• Post Watergate: Expectations too high, challenges
too great? Disillusionment• Post Lewinsky: Presidential dignity undermined?• 2000s: Reasserting Presidential power
Historical development of the Presidency
• Art 2 sec 1: Executive power• Art 2 sec 2: Commander-in-chief• Art 2 sec 2: Chief diplomat• Art 2 sec 2: Chief recruiting officer• Art 2 sec 3: Legislator • Art 1 sec 7: Veto player• Head of State
Constitutional powers and roles
But deliberately vague:“Article 2 is the most loosely drawn chapter of the Constitution”
Powers of the President over Congress and Judiciary…
• Can veto Congressional bills• Can call either house for an emergency session• Appoints judges
Separation of powers and the Presidency
Powers of the Congress and Judiciary over the President…
• Congress can over-ride a Presidential veto by a 2/3rd majority vote in each House
• Congress decides how much the President gets paid• The House can impeach the President and the Senate
can try him• The Senate’s approval is required for senior executive
and judicial appointments made by the President• The Judiciary can strike down laws signed by the
President which it deems unconstitutional
Separation of powers and the Presidency
Informal powers / roles include…• Party leader• Agenda-setter• National leader• World leader
Resources include…• The public• The media• Institutional back up• Personality and skills• The Vice President• Mystique
Beyond the Constitution
Mystique of the Presidency
The presidential identikit…• Born in the US, resident for 14 years• White• Middle aged (at least 35 years old)• Protestant• Wealthy• Southern• Not necessarily well travelled• Executive experience over legislative experience• Top-class campaign skills
Who becomes President?
Modern Presidents have employed various styles and techniques to manage Whitehouse-
• Berlin Wall• Importation of “cronies”• Good cop bad cop• Constructive competition• Delegation• “Best and brightest”
Management of the Whitehouse
Lessons from the Whitehouse management of recent Presidents
• Chief of Staff crucial• Danger of groupthink• Staff need to be on
same page• Importance of loyalty• No approach completely
successful
Management of the Whitehouse
• Three particularly important criteria for Presidential assessment:
– The state of the economy– The extent of American involvement in foreign wars– Public approval
• Together these factors have a major bearing on– Re-election prospects– Ability to use “bully pulpit”
Assessing Presidential performance
Modern presidential challenges
A variety of contemporary factors have complicated the
President’s already difficult role
Growing complexity of government
The nationalisation of politics and society
The changing nature of American economic
and political power
The decline of party / rise of issue &
ideological politics
• Several modern Presidents tempted into abuses of power to achieve goals, including:– Excessive impoundment of funds appropriated by Congress– Over-use of Presidential veto– Over-use of “executive privilege”– Nomination of unsuitable individuals to executive posts– Abuse of civil liberties
• Congress has responded with variety of legal measures• Presidential staff (EOP) also source of occasional
abuses of power
Abuse of power
Ongoing debate: where does Presidential power begin and end?
6 years with a loyal Republican majority in House, 7 years at war, plus internal views on Presidentialism…
• Claimed a unilateral executive right to suspend treaties and ignore U.S. laws; exercised a pre-emptive, unilateralist foreign policy
• Asserted President could go to war without Congressional approval• Insisted that the President can seize U.S. citizens without due process
of law and imprison them• Patriot Act lacked proper Congressional oversight; allowed domestic
wiretapping, email checks• Bitter fights over freedom of information
Bush and Presidential power
“The most massive and rapid expansion of presidential might America has ever known”
“The bottom line is the President is as imperial as the Congress, the press, and the public allow him to be”.
A President may be impeached for…• Treason• Bribery• Other high crimes and misdemeanours …Definition decided by Congress?
Impeachment
Impeachment is the first of two stages in a process whereby a legislative body removes a government official
from office without their consent.
Impeachment
Impeachment is the first of two stages in a process whereby a legislative body removes a government official
from office without their consent.
House of Reps passes
“Articles of Impeachment”
by a simple majority
Senate tries the accused.
2/3rds majority required
STEP 1 STEP 2
Conviction? removed
from office. Acquitted? No punishment
STEP 3
• Andrew Johnson and Clinton only impeached Presidents • Following 2006 midterms, calls for impeachment of Bush
Constitutional roles• Assume Presidency in the event of
death / resignation / incapacity• Act as the Presiding Officer in the
SenateInformal roles• Ceremonial duties• Lightening rod• Political advisor• Policy management
The Vice-Presidency
“A heartbeat from the Presidency”
Used electorally to “balance the ticket”
• Age• Experience• Charisma• Geographic background• …Or sometimes reinforce a theme
Fast track to the oval office?
The Vice-Presidency
“A heartbeat from the Presidency”
…Veep as a lightening rod…
The Vice-Presidency
…Veep as a lightening rod…
The Vice-Presidency
…Veep as a lightening rod…
The Vice-Presidency
• Public expectations haven’t diminished• But complexity and difficulty have• Role many powers and potential resources, but hardly
meet challenge• Much depends on quality of individual• Practically no individual could conceivably be a clear
success by traditional yardsticks in the modern environment
Overall on the President
“He remains the person that the public and history will hold accountable”.
