AP United States Government and Politics
Reading Assignment
Chapter 14: The Presidency
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain the differences between the positions of president and prime minister.
Discuss the approach taken by the Founders in regard to executive power.
Sketch the evolution of the presidency from 1789 to the present.
List and describe the various offices that make up the executive branch.
Review discussions of presidential character, and explain how they relate to the achievements in
office of various presidents.
6. Enumerate and discuss the various facets—formal and informal—of presidential power.
Discussion Questions:
Correlates with “Theme A: The Power of the President Versus Other Institutions”
1. Given the resources and the constraints that confront presidents and prime ministers, which office
would you prefer to hold if you were allowed such a choice? Which structure—presidential or
parliamentary—would you prefer to be governed by, if such a choice could be made? Compare and
contrast these assessments of power and legitimacy.
2. To what degree is our understanding of presidential greatness directly connected to the use of
presidential power? Why, for example, is President Lincoln considered significant, but President
Grant is not? Similarly, why is President Theodore Roosevelt carved on Mount Rushmore, but not
President McKinley, his predecessor? Does a president’s quest for historical significance affect his
use of power today? In other words, do you think a president intentionally exercises power in order
to secure a legacy for himself?
3. Is it likely that we will ever return to a system of government that is centered on the will of
Congress, rather than that of the president? Does any part of our current arrangement make this
more or less likely? Would future presidents be likely to let Congress lead on domestic affairs? On
foreign affairs?
4. The text suggests that Congress generally hesitates to challenge a popular president. Under what
circumstances might this maxim not hold true? How can you explain the congressional investigation
of the Reagan administration or the impeachment of President Clinton, given each man’s successful
reelection campaign and consistently strong approval ratings?
Correlates with “Theme B: The Institutionalization of the Presidency”
5. Why has the president’s staff grown so much in the last seventy years? Many presidents enter office
with a commitment to cutting the size of their staff, but is this realistic? Why or why not? Why do
presidents rely more on the White House staff than on the various other offices in the Executive
Office of the President? Why don’t presidents rely more heavily on their cabinets?
6. Which do you think is more important to the American people: having a hands-on president who is
actively involved in all forms of executive decision making? Or having a president who focuses on
the big picture and allows his staff to formulate and implement the details? Are there advantages or
disadvantages to either approach?
7. Presidents frequently sign legislation with which they disagree. Why doesn’t the president simply
veto such laws, since Congress seldom manages to override a veto? What kinds of veto strategies
AP United States Government and Politics
would you recommend to a president whose party controlled Congress? Whose party was in the
minority in Congress?
8. President Nixon’s request to shield his office from outside investigation prompted many critics to
declare that he had created an “imperial presidency.” What does this term imply? Do you think
presidents have created a quasi-monarchical position? How does the need to shield the president
from constant public scrutiny compare with the commitment to the rule of law? Do you think the
Founders would have supported the concept of executive privilege? Why or why not?
Correlates with “Theme C: Presidential Succession”
9. What does the peaceful and orderly transfer of power from one president to the next have to do
with presidential legitimacy? Can a revolutionary government or a military junta ever be legitimate?
10. What factors have precluded vice presidents from succeeding “their” presidents in office? Recent
vice presidents who have failed in this effort include Richard M. Nixon in 1960, Hubert H. Humphrey
in 1968, and Al Gore, Jr. in 2000. George H. W. Bush, who was elected president in 1988, was the
only incumbent vice president in the twentieth century to win his presidential bid.
11. Unless a president resigns, he can be politically removed only through impeachment proceedings.
These proceedings are extremely involved and are undertaken only in extraordinary circumstances.
Is it a strength or a weakness of the presidential system that its chief executive is so difficult to
remove? Does this provide the system with greater stability or does it increase the likelihood of
corruption in the executive branch? In other words, does the impeachment process contribute to or
detract from the legitimacy of the government? Answer your question in light of the Clinton
impeachment proceedings.
12. Some have argued that the controversy surrounding the 2000 presidential election may have
damaged President George W. Bush’s presidency from the beginning. How important is it today for
a president to be elected with a majority of the popular vote? Are Americans more likely to
recognize the legitimacy of the president if he is the clear-cut popular winner? Did Bush’s standing
with the American public improve after his decisive victory in 2004?
Key Terms:
1. ad hoc structure
2. bully pulpit
3. cabinet
4. circular structure
5. divided government
6. Electoral College
7. gridlock
8. impeachment
9. lame duck
10. legislative veto
11. line-item veto
12. pocket veto
13. pyramidal structure
14. signing statement
15. unified government
16. veto message
Chapter Outline