The Presidency
1
Student Essential Knowledge and Skills
(USG 9B) The student will analyze the structure
and functions of the executive branch of
government.
Including the Constitutional powers of the president
The growth of presidential power
And the role of the Cabinet and executive departments.
– (USG 11B) Analyze and evaluate the process of
electing the President of the United States.
2
Learning Objectives
1. Analyze the structure and functions of the
executive branch of government.
2. Analyze and evaluate the process of
electing the President of the United States
3. Analyze the constitutional powers of the
president.
4. Describe the growth of presidential power.
5. Evaluate the role of the Cabinet and
departments of the Executive branch.
3
Introduction: The President
Presidents operate in an environment filled
with checks and balances and competing
centers of power.
Other policymakers with whom they deal
with have their own agendas, interests,and
sources of power.
Effective presidents must have highly
developed political skills to mobilize
influence, manage conflict, negotiate, and
build compromises.
Do presidents persuade, or command?
4
The Presidents
Great Expectations
– Americans want a president who is
powerful and who can do good:
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt
and Kennedy.
– But at the same time, they don’t want the
president to get too powerful since we are
individualistic and skeptical of authority.
5
The Presidents
Who They Are
– Formal Requirements:
Must be 35 years old
Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years
– Informal “Requirements”:
White, Male
Protestant (except one)
– All manner of professions, but mostly
political ones (former state governors,
for example)
6
The Presidents: How They Got There
Elections are the normal road to the
White House
– Once elected, the president gets a term
of four years.
– In 1951, the 22nd Amendment limited
the number of terms to two.
– Most Presidents have been elected to
office.
7
The Presidents: How They Got There
Succession and Impeachment
– Vice-President succeeds if the president leaves office due to death (McKinley/TR, FDR/HST, JFK/LBJ) or resignation (Nixon) or convicted of impeachment.
– Impeachment is investigated by the House, and if impeached, tried by the Senate with the Chief Justice presiding.
– Only two presidents have been impeached: A. Johnson & Clinton- neither was convicted.
8
The Presidents: How They Got There
Presidential Succession
– The 25th Amendment (1967) permits the vice-president to become acting president if the vice president and the president’s cabinet determine that the president is disabled or the president declares his own disability.
– A recuperated president can reclaim his office.
– Provision is also made for selecting a new vice president when the office becomes vacant. (Ford; Rockefeller)
9
Constitutional Powers of the
President
National Security-
– Commander in Chief of the armed forces
– Make treaties with other nations
– Nominate ambassadors
– Confer diplomatic recognition on other
governments
10
Constitutional Powers of the President
Legislative powers
– Present info on the state of the union to
Congress
– Recommend legislation to Congress
– Convene & adjourn Congress in certain
cases
– Veto legislation (Congress has a 2/3
override)
11
Constitutional Powers of the President
Administrative powers
– Must “take care that laws be faithfully
executed”
– Nominate officials
– Request written opinions of
administrative officials
– Fill vacancies during congressional
recesses
12
Constitutional Powers of the
President
Judicial
– Grant reprieves and pardons for federal
offenses
– Appoint federal judges with the
agreement of a majority of the Senate
13
Presidential Powers
The Expansion of Power
– Presidents develop new roles for the
office
– Presidents expand the power of the office
Perspectives on Presidential Power
– Through the 50’s & 60’s a powerful
President was perceived as good
– From the 70’s on, presidential power was
checked and distrusted by the public
14
Running the Government:
The Chief Executive
The Vice President
– Basically just “waits” for things to do
– Constitutional job is to be President of the
Senate
– Recent presidents have given their VPs
important jobs
The Cabinet
– Presidential advisors, not in Constitution
– Is made up of the top executives of the Federal
Departments, confirmed by the Senate
15
The Executive Office
Made up of several policymaking and advisory bodies
– Three principle groups: NSC, CEA, OMB
16
Executive Office of the President
The National Security Council is the
committee that link’s the president’s key
foreign and military policy advisors.
The Council of Economic Advisors advises
the president on economic policy
The Office of Management and Budget has
responsibility for preparing the president’s
budget, which is then sent to Congress.
17
The White House Staff
White House Staff included the key aides the
president sees daily
– Chief of staff, congressional liaison people, press
secretary, national security advisor, political
assistants.
The White House Office is part of the
Executive Office of the President
– 600+ people, provide the president with a wide
range of services
Presidents rely on their staffs for information,
policy options, and analysis.
18
The First Lady
– No official government position, but
many get involved politically
– Recent First Ladies have focused on a
single issue
19
Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Politics of Shared Powers
Chief Legislator: the President is the major shaper of the congressional agenda.
– Veto: Sending a bill back to Congress with his reasons for rejecting it. Can be overridden.
– Pocket Veto: Letting a bill die by not signing it- only works when Congress is adjourned.
– Line Item Veto: The ability to veto parts of a bill. Some state governors have it, but not the president.
– Vetoes are most used to prevent legislation. The threat of a veto can be an effective tool for persuading Congress.
20
Party Leadership
– presidents must counter the natural tendencies toward conflict between the executive and legislative.
– The Bonds of Party
The psychological bond of being in the president’s party helps pass legislation
– Slippage in Party Support
Presidents cannot always count on party support, especially on controversial issues
– Leading the Party
Because parties are highly decentralized, Presidents can do little to actually lead their party
21
Presidents improve their chances of
obtaining support for legislation by
increasing the number of party members in
Congress.
– Presidential coattails: legislators who are elected
because of their support for a president’s
policies.
– In midterm elections (between presidential
elections, president’s parties usually lose seats
in Congress.
22
Public Support: presidents who have the
backing of the public have an easier time
influencing Congress.
– Public Approval
Operates mostly in the background
Impact is important, but occurs at the margins
– Mandates: confers added legitimacy on the
president’s character and policies
Perception that the voters strongly support the
president’s character and policies
Mandates are infrequent, but presidents may claim a
mandate anyway
23
Legislative Skills: Presidents influence the
legislative agenda more than any other
political figure.
– Influence takes a variety of forms: bargaining,
making personal appeals, consulting with
Congress, setting priorities, etc.
– Most important is bargaining with Congress.
– Presidents should use their “honeymoon” period
(first year in office)
– President is the nation’s key agenda builder
24
The President and National Security Policy
Chief Diplomat
– Negotiates treaties with other countries
– Treaties must be approved by the Senate
– Use executive agreements to take care of routine
matters with other countries
– May negotiate for peace between other countries
– Lead U.S. allies in defense & economic issues
(relies on his ability to persuade)
25
Commander in Chief
– Writers of the constitution wanted civilian
control of the military
– Presidents often make important military
decisions
– Presidents command a standing military and
nuclear arsenal- unthinkable 200 years ago
26
War Powers
– Constitution gives Congress the power to
declare war, but presidents can commit troops
and equipment in conflicts without
congressional approval (Korea, Vietnam)
– War Powers Act/Resolution (1973) was
intended to limit the president’s use of the
military- but may be unconstitutional
– Presidents continue to test the limits of using the
military in foreign conflicts
27
Crisis Manager
– Crisis: a sudden, unpredictable, potentially
dangerous event.
– The role the president plays can help or hurt the
presidential image.
– With current technology, the president can act
much faster than Congress to resolve a crisis.
28
Working with Congress
– Congress has a central constitutional role in
making national security policy
– The Founders divided the powers of supply
(Congress) and command (Exec)
– President has the dominant role in foreign affairs.
– Presidents still have to work with Congress for
support and funding of foreign policies.
29
Power from the People: The Public Presidency
Perhaps the greatest challenge to any
president is to obtain and maintain the
public’s support. Because presidents are
rarely in a position to command others to
comply with their wishes, they must rely on
persuasion.
30
Going Public
– Public support is perhaps the greatest source of
influence a president has.
– Presidential appearances are staged to get the
public’s attention. They are marketing a product –
the president’s policy agenda!
– As the head of state, presidents often perform
many ceremonial functions- which usually result
in favorable press coverage.
31
Presidential Approval
– Receives much effort by the White House
– Product of many factors: predispositions (“I only vote
Republican”), “honeymoon”
– Changes can highlight good / bad decisions
32
Changes in approval levels appear to be due primarily to the public’s evaluation of how the president is handling policy.
– Citizens seem to focus on the president’s efforts and stands on issues rather than on personality.
– Job-related personal characteristics (integrity, leadership skills) also play a role.
– “rally events” are sudden increases in poll ratings: usually do not last.
33
Policy Support (using the “Bully Pulpit” to mobilize public
support)
– Being an effective speaker is important
– The public may still miss the message
Mobilizing the Public
– The president may need to get the public to actually act
by contacting Congress
– Difficult to do since public opinion and political action
are needed
– The president takes certain risks: what happens if he fails
to mobilize the public?
34
The President and the Press
The press has become the principle
intermediary between the president and the
public.
Relations with the press are an important
aspect of the president’s efforts to lead
public opinion.
Presidents and media tend to conflict: they
are often adversaries due to different goals.
35
The President and the Press
Many people in the White House deal with
the media, but the press secretary is the main
contact person.
– Conducts daily press briefings, gives prepared
announcements, answers questions.
Media is often more interested in the person,
not the policies
News coverage has become more negative
36
Understanding the American Presidency
The Presidency and Democracy
– There are still concerns over the president having
too much power
– Is the president a threat to democracy?
– Concerns over presidential power are generally
closely related to policy views
– Others argue that in this era of divided
government, the president can’t do enough with
all the checks and balances in the system.
37
The Presidency and the Scope of Government
– Some presidents have increased, while others
have sought to decrease, the functions of
government.
– It is often said that the American people are
ideologically conservative and operationally
liberal.
38
