PresidencyOnly 16 countries have directly elected presidents

5 dozen countries with party competition AND popular elections with free choice

No nation in Europe has a pure presidential system

Prime Ministers (Parliamentary Sys) twice as common as Presidents (Presidential Sys)

Executives• Chosen by legislators• Selects ministers from

Parliament• Remains in power as

long as party controls majority of seats

• Much political experience

• Lacks personal following• Member of majority

party

• Elected by people

• Chooses cabinet from outside Congress

• Voted in/out regardless of party in Congress

• Not necessarily a member of majority party (divided gov.)

“Make him too weak, the legislature will usurp his powers. Make him too strong, he will usurp on the legislature”

Congress elects the president (quasi-Parliamentary)President chosen directly by votersElectoral College

Partisan bickering

Political Paralysis

Policy Gridlock

Stalemate

Tuesday after 1st Monday in Nov

Monday after 2nd Wed in December

January 6th

House of Representatives

Roles of the PresidentChief of State

Chief Executive

Chief Administrator

Chief Diplomat

Commander in Chief

Chief Legislator

Chief of Party

Chief Citizen

Chief DiplomatMain architect of foreign policy

Power of recognition

(Ambassadors, Persona non grata)

Executive

Agreements

America’s chief spokesman to the world

Power to make treaties

Chief ExecutivePowers granted by the Constitution

Pardons

Reprieves

Commutations

Amnesty

Power to execute all federal laws

Executive Orders

Chief Administrator

• Manages over 3 million civilians– (approximately 2 trillion dollars)– Can remove people from positions– Appoints top ranking officials

Commander in Chief Chief Legislator

• Over 2 million men/women in uniform

• Rationing

• Confiscating ships/factories for war

• Initiates, suggests & supports legislation

• Signs bills

• Vetoes bills

Chief of State

• Ceremonial head of government

• Reigns

• Rules

Office of the President• White House office

• Executive Office of the President

• Cabinet

• Independent Agencies, Commissions, & Judgeships

White House Office

• Closest assistants

• Do not need Senate confirmation

• President can hire/fire at will

• Chief of Staff – most influential presidential aide

Executive Office of the President

• Agencies that report to the President

• Housed in Old Executive Office Building

• Only top positions by President appointment/Senate approval– (civil servants who stay from 1 term to

another)

Cabinet• Heads of the 14 major departments

• Meet regularly with President to discuss issues

• Seated by age of department

• President appoints/Senate approves

Independent Agencies/Judgeships

• Executive/Independent – classified by whether President has limited/unlimited powers of removal

• Heads serve for fixed terms – removed only for “cause”

• Judges cannot be removed – only impeached

Amendments

• 20th Amendment

• 22nd Amendment

• 25th Amendment