Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Presidency
The Presidents

Great Expectations
 Americans want peace, prosperity, and security.
 Americans want a president who is powerful
and who can do good like Washington,
Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Kennedy.
 Yet Americans do not like a concentration of
power because they are individualistic and
skeptical of authority.
The Presidents

Great Expectations
 Americans want peace, prosperity, and security.
 Americans want a president who is powerful
and who can do good like Washington,
Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Kennedy.
 Yet Americans do not like a concentration of
power because they are individualistic and
skeptical of authority.
The Presidents

Who They Are
 Formal Requirements:
○ Must be 35 years old
○ Must be a natural-born citizen
○ Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years
Presidential Backgrounds
A haberdasher from Missouri, a war
hero, a Boston-Irish politician, a small
town Texas boy, a California lawyer, a
former Rose Bowl player…
…a peanut farmer turned governor, an actor
turned governor, a CIA chief and ambassador…
…a small state governor, a baseball
team owner, and a community
organizer turned senator.
The Presidents

How They Got There
 Most run for office
 The accidental presidency
 <10% of US history an unelected president
The Presidents
How They Got There
 22nd Amendment (1951)

 Only 13 of 43 have served two complete
terms
○ Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Jackson, Grant, Cleveland, Wilson, FDR,
Eisenhower, Reagan, Clinton and Bush
The Presidents
How They Got There
 22nd Amendment (1951)
 Impeachment

The Presidents
Impeachment
 Impeachment is an accusation, requiring a
majority vote in the House.
 Charges may be brought for ―Treason, Bribery,
or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.‖
 If impeached, the president is tried by the
Senate with the Chief Justice presiding.
 Only two presidents have been impeached—
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton—and neither
was convicted.
The Presidents
How They Got There
 22nd Amendment (1951)
 Impeachment
 Succession – 25th Amendment (1967)

1.
2.
3.
4.
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore
Cabinet heads in order
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Constitutional Powers
Framers feared anarchy and monarchy
 Created a unique chief executive
 Reelection and short term of office
 Relatively few powers

Constitutional Powers
Four Broad Powers Article 2

1.
2.
3.
4.
Administrative/Executive Powers
Legislative Powers
National Security Powers
Judicial Powers
Framers checked those powers considered
most dangerous



Power to declare war to the congress
Senate approves treaties and appointments
Expansion of Presidential Power
More power today than the Constitution
suggests.
 Prominence of the US
 Technology

Presidential Powers

The Expansion of Power
 Presidents may develop new roles for and
expand power of the office.

Perspectives on Presidential Power
 During the 1950’s and 1960’s people
favored a powerful president.
 By the 1970’s, presidential power was
checked and distrusted by the public.
Perspectives on Presidential Power

Strong Presidency
 1950s and 1960s
 Strong-weak rating

The Imperial Presidency








1970s
Presidency too powerful
Nixon
Ford/Carter
Reagan
G.H.W. Bush
Clinton
G. W. Bush

How has the power of the presidency
grown since the country began?
Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?
 How has the power of the presidency
grown since the country began?

Chapter 13: The Presidency
The Chief Executive
Constitution: ―take care
that the laws be faithfully
executed‖
 Fed. bureaucracy

 $2.5 trillion a year
 more than 4 million employees.

Appoints
 500 high-level positions
 2,500 lesser jobs
Chief Executive
Large executive branch
 …complex public policy
 …policy goals.

Centralized decision-making in the White House
Pro
Bureaucracy should
be more responsive
to elected officials
Con
Bureaucracy should
be independent,
supporting intent of
laws
Chief Executive

The Vice Presidency
1. Preside over the senate and break tie votes
2. Assume the presidency if called upon
3. Symbolic constituency
4. Larger role
1. Al Gore
2. Dick Cheney
3. Joe Biden
Chief Executive

The Cabinet
 Not in the Constitution
 15 departments
○ 14 Secretaries
○ 1 Attorney General
Chief Executive
The Executive Office of the President
 EEOB (Eisenhower Executive Office Building)

Chief Executive
National Security Council
(NSC)



Created in 1947 to
coordinate the president’s
foreign and military policy
advisers
Members include the
president, vice president,
secretary of state and
defense, and managed by
the president’s national
security adviser
Chief Executive
Office of Management
and Budget (OMB)
 1921
 Prepares president’s budget
 Performs managerial and
budgetary functions
 Reviews regulations
Chief Executive

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)
 A 3 member appointed by the president to advise
on economic policy

Inflation, unemployment,
 Economic Report of the President
Identify and explain three policymaking bodies of
the Executive Office?
Chief Executive

The White House Staff
(West Wing residents)
Chief Executive

Personal staff & key aides
 Chief of staff, congressional liaisons, press





secretary, etc..
Travel plans, answer letters
About 600 people
Completely loyal to the president
No senate confirmations
Harry Hopkins, Henry Kissinger, John
Sununu
Chief Executive: Access






Hierarchical: the pyramid
or
Circular: wheel-and-spokes
Try to be original
Detail manager vs. delegator
Ad hoc approach
First Lady
 No official position
 Has evolved

How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
 What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?

How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
 What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?
 What is the cabinet and what does it do?

How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
 What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?
 What is the cabinet and what does it do?
 Identify four formal powers of the presidents?






How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?
What is the cabinet and what does it do?
Identify four formal powers of the presidents?
What is the process for the president to be
impeached?






How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?
What is the cabinet and what does it do?
Identify four formal powers of the presidents?
What is the process for the president to be
impeached?
What is the 22nd Amendment?







How is the White House difference from the
Executive Office staff?
What is the difference between a hierarchical
organization and a wheel-and-spokes system of
White House management?
What is the cabinet and what does it do?
Identify four formal powers of the presidents?
What is the process for the president to be
impeached?
What is the 22nd Amendment?
What is the 25th Amendment?
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Chief Legislator
Phrase is not in the Constitution.
 Phrase invented to emphasize
president’s importance in the legislative
process.
 Constitutional Powers

 Initiate Policy “from time to time”
 Veto legislation
 State of the Union address
Chief Legislator

Presidential Options
1. Sign a bill into law
2. Veto
3. Pocket veto
Chief Legislator

Veto: the president can send a bill back to
Congress with his reasons for rejecting it. It
may be overridden with 2/3 support of both
Houses.
The Veto
Congress usually cannot override a
vote
 Presidents often use the threat of a veto
to force Congress to modify legislation
 A vetoed bill is often revised and then
passed in another form

 Requires 2/3 vote in each chamber
Chief Legislator

Vetoes are most used to prevent legislation.
Chief Legislator
Veto: the president can send a bill back to
Congress with his reasons for rejecting it. It
may be overridden with 2/3 support of both
Houses.
 Pocket Veto: a president can let a bill die
by not signing it when Congress adjourns
within 10 days of submitting a bill.

Chief Legislator
Veto: the president can send a bill back to
Congress with his reasons for rejecting it. It
may be overridden with 2/3 support of both
Houses.
 Pocket Veto: a president can let a bill die
by not signing it when Congress adjourns
within 10 days of submitting a bill.
 Line Item Veto: ability to veto parts of a
bill--some state governors have it, but not
the president

Chief Legislator: Legislative Skills
Bargaining, personal appeals, consulting
with Congress, setting priorities,
―honeymoon‖ period, structuring votes
 Bargaining: trading support for specific
benefits

 Occurs less often than thought
 Does not have to bargain with every
member of Congress
Chief Legislator: Legislative Skills

Strategic moves
 Exploit the honeymoon period

Set priorities
 Set the agenda for Congress
 Allows for effective lobbying of Congress
○ Reagan was successful
○ Bush #41 was not
○ Clinton was not
○ Bush #43 was successful
Chief Legislator: Legislative Skills

Presidential legislative skills must
compete with…
 Party, ideology, personal views and
commitments, constituency interests etc…

Presidents with legislative backgrounds
no more successful than those without

How effective are presidential vetoes?
How effective are presidential vetoes?
 What three options does a president
have after Congress passes a bill?

How effective are presidential vetoes?
 What three options does a president
have after Congress passes a bill?
 What is the difference between the
following:

 Veto
 Pocket veto
 Line-item veto
Chapter 13: The Presidency
The President and National Security
Defense and Foreign Policy
 Occupies much of the president’s time
__________________________________
 Chief Diplomat
 Commander in Chief

The President and National Security
Formal Constitutional Powers:
1. CinC – power to deploy troops
2. Appoints ambassadors subject to Senate
approval
3. Negotiates treaties, subject to Senate
ratification
4. Sole power to recognize (or not) nations.
5. Receive ambassadors and other public
ministers

The President and National Security
Informal Powers:
1. Negotiate executive agreements
2. Meet with world leaders
3. Manage international crisis
4. Access to secret/confidential information

President as Chief Diplomat
Derived from Constitutional powers
 Congress normally defers to the
president in foreign affairs
 Extends and terminate diplomatic
relations
 Sole power to negotiate treaties



Senate can ratify or reject with 2/3 vote
Presidents rely more on executive
agreements than formal treaties
President as Chief Diplomat

Executive Agreements
 Pact between president and head of a




foreign state
Do not need Senate approval
Not part of U.S. law
Not binding on future presidents
Examples include the Vietnam peace
agreement, and SALT I.
President as CinC
Constitution specifically gives the
president this power
 Constitution specifically grants Congress
the power to declare war.
 Great controversy between the
executive and legislative branches

The Problem
 President
 “Commander in
chief of the
Army and
Navy...when
called into
actual Service
of the United
States;”
 Congress
 Declare war
 “raise and
support armies”
 “provide and
maintain a navy”
 “make rules for
the government
and regulation of
land and naval
forces”
Undeclared “wars”

Clinton

Bush
 Haiti
 Iraq
 Bosnia
 Afghanistan
 Somalia
 Somalia
 Kenya
 Columbia
 Yugoslavia
 Pakistan
 Iraq
 Syria
 Afghanistan
 Djibouti
 Sudan
 Ethiopia
Solution: War Powers Resolution (1973)


Intended to limit the president’s ability to use military
Requirements
1. President must consult with Congress,
whenever possible, before using military
force
2. Mandates withdrawal of forces after 60 days
unless Congress declares war or grant
extension
3. Congress can pass a concurrent resolution
(which cannot be vetoed) ending US
participation.
The Solution
War Powers Resolution (1973)





Every president considers it unconstitutional
Legislative veto??? -- Violation of the doctrine
of separation of powers
Presidents mostly ignore the law
Congress has difficulty challenging presidents
Largely political, not legal issue
President as Crisis Manager





Sudden, unpredictable, potentially dangerous
event
Mostly in foreign policy
More today than in the past
Rapid action, secrecy, constant management,
consistent judgment and expert advice.
Presidents still have to work with Congress for
support and funding of foreign policies.
The President, Congress and National Security

Founders divided the powers
 Supply and command

President has a more prominent role
 Centralized leadership
 Secrecy
 Initiate policy
 Two presidencies – domestic policy and
national security policy
How is an executive agreement different
than a treaty?
 Identify three provisions of the War
Powers Act.
 How effective has the War Powers Act
been?
 Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?

Chapter 13
President’s Judicial Powers

Granting Reprieves and Pardons
 Constitutional Powers
 A reprieve is a postponement of the
execution of a sentence
 A pardon is a legal forgiveness of a crime
President’s Judicial Powers

Appointing Supreme Court Justices and
federal judges
 Nominations must be confirmed by the
Senate
 Presidents use this power to select judges
and justices with compatible philosophies.
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Leadership
Three most useful resources:

1.
2.
3.
Public Support
Party Leadership
Legislative Skills
Leadership
―Power of Persuasion‖
 Three constituencies

1. Public
○ Use the polls
2. Political Pundits (media)
○ 100 days (the honeymoon)
3. Party
○ Be a good democrat (or republican)
Leadership: The Public

Public support is crucial to presidential
success.
Leadership: The Public
―Do you approve or disapprove of the
way [name of the President] is handling
his job as president?‖
1.


Over 50 years
Gallup
Data shows

Honeymoon period
 Positive media coverage
 Foreign policy success
 ―Rally‖ events
 Strong economic growth
 Low unemployment

Scandals
 Gap between
expectations and
performance
 Foreign events that go
badly over a period of
time
 Weak economic growth
 High unemployment
Increase approval ratings
Decrease approval ratings
Leadership: The Public
Political resource
 Operates in the background, sets limits

 Some will always support the president,
some never will
 Congress more in step with their
constituencies
―Going Public‖
 Gives the president leverage, not
command

Leadership: The Public

Mandate: the people have spoken
 Rarely exists, often claimed
 Powerful symbol-legitimacy and credibility
Leadership: The Public

Going Public
 Presidential appearances
 Head of State

Approval ratings
 Correlation b/w public approval and
presidential influence
 Frequently, POTUS does not have
widespread support
Leadership: The Public

Mobilizing the Public
 The president may attempt to motivate the
public to contact Congress.
 A difficult task, given inattentive and
apathetic public
 May backfire: a lack of response speaks
loudly
Leadership: The Public
Bully pulpit
 Presidents attempt to gain public
support through televised messages,
with little success

 The Public may not be receptive to the
president’s message or misperceive it all
together.
 Media advisers, skilled communicators
○ FDR, JFK, Reagan, Clinton, Obama
Leadership: The Public
Political party identification
 Honeymoon
 President’s efforts and positions NOT
personality or pocketbook
 Rally events: events involving
international relations directly involving
the US that are specific, dramatic and
sharply focused.

Leadership: The Media
Plays a key role in how the public
perceives the president.
 Generally more successful than members
of Congress in using the media to set the
agenda

Leadership: The Media

Following factors give the president an
advantage over Congress in gaining
media attention:
1. Represents the entire nation
2. Leader of the ―free world‖
3. More powerful than any individual member
of Congress
4. Single voice vs. 535 members of Congress
Leadership: The Media

Media interpret and analyze –
intermediary
 Media needs stories, president wants to get
a message out
Press Secretary
 Press Conferences
 ―Body Watch‖
 No systemic bias
 Tends to emphasize the negative

Robert Gibbs
Leadership: Chief of the Party
 The Bonds of Party
○ Being in the president’s party
creates a psychological bond
between legislators and
presidents, increasing
agreement.
 Personal loyalties
 Reelection
 General ideological agreement
 Distrust of the opposition party
Leadership: Chief of the Party
 Slippage in Party Support
○ Presidents cannot always count on party
support, especially on controversial issues.
 2/3rds of the time
 Presidents forced to be active in party leadership
○ Primary obstacle – lack of consensus
 Diverse constituencies
Leadership: Chief of the Party

Leading the party
 Presidents can offer party candidates
support and punishment by withholding
favors.
 Presidential coattails occur when voters cast
their ballots for congressional candidates of
the president’s party because they support
the president. Races are rarely won in this
way.
Understanding the American Presidency

The Presidency and Democracy
 Concerns over the president having too
much power often tied to policy concerns
 Others argue there are too many checks
and balances on the president

The Presidency and the Scope of
Government
 Some presidents have increased the
functions of government.
Summary
Americans expect a lot from presidents.
 Presidents work as part of an
organization.
 Presidential leadership of Congress is
central but difficult
 Presidential roles and responsibilities,
even national security, tied to
Madisonian system of checks and
balances


Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?
Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?
 How has the power of the presidency
grown since the country began?

Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?
 How has the power of the presidency
grown since the country began?
 What events cause presidential approval
ratings to increase? Decrease?

Is the term ―Imperial Presidency‖ a
criticism? Why or why not?
 How has the power of the presidency
grown since the country began?
 What events cause presidential approval
ratings to increase? Decrease?
 What is meant by presidential coattails
and how effective are they?


Describe what is meant by the term ―chief
legislator.‖
Describe what is meant by the term ―chief
legislator.‖
 To what extent does the office of the
presidency enlarge the scope of
government? Why or why not? Provide
examples.

Describe what is meant by the term ―chief
legislator.‖
 To what extent does the office of the
presidency enlarge the scope of
government? Why or why not? Provide
examples.
 Assess how public support and party support
affects the president’s relationship with
Congress.

Describe what is meant by the term ―chief
legislator.‖
 To what extent does the office of the
presidency enlarge the scope of
government? Why or why not? Provide
examples.
 Assess how public support and party support
affects the president’s relationship with
Congress.

Describe what is meant by the term ―chief
legislator.‖
 To what extent does the office of the
presidency enlarge the scope of
government? Why or why not? Provide
examples.
 Assess how public support and party support
affects the president’s relationship with
Congress.
 This is the unit that links the president’s key
foreign and military policy advisors.


What is the role and importance of the OMB?
What is the role and importance of the OMB?
 This limits the president to two terms.

What is the role and importance of the OMB?
 This limits the president to two terms.
 Describe and explain the significance of the
Watergate scandal.

What is the role and importance of the OMB?
 This limits the president to two terms.
 Describe and explain the significance of the
Watergate scandal.
 This determines who steps into the
presidency if the office is vacated.

What is the role and importance of the OMB?
 This limits the president to two terms.
 Describe and explain the significance of the
Watergate scandal.
 This determines who steps into the
presidency if the office is vacated.
 In the mid-term elections the party of the
president tends to do this.
