THE PRESIDENCY SHANG E. HA SOGANG UNIVERSITY POL 3162 Introduction to American Politics Overview APT, Chapter 11 Who are Americas presidents? How has the presidency developed over time? What is the presidents job description? What do Americans want to from the president? How much power do presidents really have, and under what circumstances do they exercise it? What Obama Does. Americas Presidents Presidents, Power, and Politics Presidential actions have historically had enormous consequences for the nation George Washington (the 1 st President) convinced state delegates to give the president control over the military, the executive branch, and the other powers The Monroe Doctrine (James Monroe in 1823): non- intervention principle in foreign policy (the basis of US foreign policy for a long time) Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation Americas Presidents Presidents, Power, and Politics (cont.) During the late 1800s and early 1900s, presidents played a large role in American industrialization Theodore Roosevelt used the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up the Northern Securities Company (anti-trust law!!!) Woodrow Wilsons failed attempt at the League of Nations (but the Federal Reserve Act, the first federal income tax, the legislation banning child labor, etc) Americas Presidents Presidents, Power, and Politics (cont.) Modern presidency was ushered in by FDR (Franklin D. Roosevelt) in response to the Great Depression (federal government expansion to impose many corporate regulations) Dwight Eisenhower continued government involvement in the economy with programs like the Interstate Highway System Americas Presidents Presidents, Power, and Politics (cont.) John F. Kennedys New Frontier Lyndon B. Johnson (the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Acts, Medicare and Medicaid, and the War on Poverty; but the Vietnam War.) Presidents who served during hard economic times (Ford, Carter) were punished by voters Presidential action often faced substantial hurdles in Congress, creating political conflict at the highest levels Example: Bill Clintons welfare reform; Barack Obamas health care reform Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (1961- ) The 44 th President (2009 present) -Democrat The first African American President Born in Honolulu, HI Attended Occidental College, Columbia University (BA) and Harvard Law School (JD) Senator in Illinois ( ) US Senator ( ) George W. Bush George Walker Bush ( ) The 43 rd President ( ) - Republican Son of the 41 st President, George H. W. Bush Born in New Haven, CT Attended Yale University (BA) and Harvard Business School (MBA) Governor of Texas ( ) A former co-owner of Texas Rangers (major league baseball team) Involved in oil business in Texas Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (nee William Jefferson Blythe III) ( ) The 42 nd President ( ) Democrat Born in Hope, AR Attended Georgetown University (BS), University College, Oxford, and Yale Law School (JD) Governor of Arkansas ( ; ) George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush ( ) The 41 st President ( ) - Republican Born in Milton, MA Attended Yale University (BA) Vice-president ( ) Director of CIA ( ) US Ambassador to the UN ( ) US House of Representatives from Texas ( ) Involved in oil business in Texas Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ) The 40 th President ( ) Born in Tampico, IL Attended Eureka College, IL (BA) Governor of California ( ) Actor (2 nd or 3 rd rated) Reagans popularity (1984 Election Results) The Presidents Job Description Head of the Executive Branch Constitutional authority (derived from the provisions of the Constitution) and statutory authority (comes from laws that give the president additional responsibilities) Constitution vests the executive power in the president (Article II, Section 1) executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America President is also the head of state, which symbolically represents the nation as a whole The Presidency: Presidential Powers The Presidents Job Description Appointments President charged with appointing ambassadors, high-level bureaucrats, and members of the federal bench (including Supreme Court justices) 8,000+ positions controlled by the president (about 1,2oo require Senate confirmation) Its not clear that the Senate confirmation process is what was mandated in the original Constitution, which only stated that the Senate must advise and consent with the president. The modern process is the product of historical interpretation and evolved habit. The Presidents Job Description Executive Orders Unilateral proclamations that change government policy without congressional consent Some are significant (e.g., the limitation on harsh interrogation of terror suspects) while some are less significant (e.g., allow federal employees to leave work early on Christmas Eve) Presidents use executive orders more frequently than before Their power is limited Congress can always pass a law overturning an executive order Executive Orders After congress failed to pass the Dream (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, President Obama issued an executive order to stop the deportation of some young illegal immigrants in People under age 30 who came to the United States as children were given the chance to earn legal resident status after only two years. Presidential Approval and Executive Orders (Mayer and Price, 2002) Approval RatingsProbability of One or More Significant Orders 30% % %0.165 Signing Statement In addition to executive orders, presidents have begun to use signing statement more often. In this process, the president signs a law but also attaches an opinion about how he believes the law should be interpreted. Some critics believed that this was an unconstitutional exercise of presidential power that undermined Congresss rightful, constitutional authority to make laws. The Presidents Job Description Commander in chief Congress declares war. In practice, however, the president controls the day-to-day operation of the U.S. military. The Presidents Job Description Treaty Making and Foreign Policy Initiate and negotiate treaties, needing two-thirds support in the Senate for approval First-mover advantage: Congress cannot initiate treaties (The president can initiate treaty negotiations) If the treaty is negotiated under fast-track authority, a majority support in the House and Senate is required President can announce that the United States will abide by a treaty without actually becoming a part of it Example: Clinton and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol Executive agreements: treaties that do not require Senate approval The Presidents Job Description Legislative Power President can recommend policies Example: State of the Union address (the annual speech in which the president addresses Congress to report on the condition of the country and recommend policies) President works with staff and Congress to develop legislative proposals The veto Most often executed under divided government The Presidents Job Description Other Duties and Powers Pardon power Ceremonial powers Convening Congress Receiving ambassadors Signing commissions to formally appoint military officers The Presidents Job Description Executive Privilege Not a formal power, but all presidents have claimed to hold it Argue that it allows them to shield themselves and their staffers from revealing White House documents, decisions, and discussions to other branches of government Supreme Court has found (United States v. Nixon in 1974) that executive privilege exists, but is not absolute related to the Watergate Scandal The Presidents Job Description The President as Politician The presidency is an inherently political office (e.g., the president is the unofficial head of his political party.) The president typically keeps a close eye on presidential approval Presidential Popularity and Reelection Citizen Demands on the President The Presidents Job Description Going Public Appeals are made directly to the American citizenry Hope that citizens will pressure Congress to enact a particular legislative program Not always successful; usually works best when public opinion is already on the presidents side. The American Public and the President Explaining presidential approval Approval spikes during crises (like war Rally round the flag effect) Approval higher in economic good times Economic downturns and unpopular wars (see George W. Bushs second term) often lead to precipitous drops in approval Presidential Approval Ratings Presidential Succession Vice president Speaker of the House President pro tempore of the Senate Cabinet officers Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General The Executive Branch The Vice President The vice president is ready to be president Presides over the Senate (a ceremonial role) Casts tie-breaking vote in the Senate Dick Cheney and Al Gore had far more power and influence than most prior vice presidents (Joe Biden: back to normal??) The Presidency: Cabinet and Cabinet-Level Positions The Presidency: The Executive Office of the President