More on Presidency (Lectures 3/4 and some of 3/16)

What are the expressed powers of the legislation?

State of the Union Speech: President presents an agenda to Congress

What’s a pocket veto?

By ignoring a bill for the last ten years, it automatically becomes vetoed.

What’s a line item veto (president)?

Power to veto specific provisions in a bill (ruled unconstitutional)

What’s veto bargaining?

The president can use the threat of a veto to get Congress to change legislation

What are the president’s military expressed powers?

Commander-in-chief

What are the president’s judicial expressed powers?

May grant reprieves, amnesties, pardons

What are the president’s expressed executive powers?

Appoint ambassadors, judges, and offices

What are expressed powers?

Clearly defined in the Constitution

What are delegated powers?

Congressional powers delegated to executive branch agencies

• Can be altered by Congress

What are inherent powers?

Powers asserted or claimed by presidents but not expressed in the Constitution

Who can declare war?

Congress

What did the War Powers Resolution (1973) do?

Presidents can send troops into action if they commit to a reporting requirement

What two things limit the president’s commander-in-chief authority?

Spending and oversight

What is the power of legislative initiative?

Making recommendations to Congress

What are executive orders?

Rules/regulations issued by the president with the effect and status of a legislative statute

What are the limits of executive orders?

Can only be issued to government members

What are the qualities of the pre-modern presidency?

• Congressional government

• Weak presidents

• Small national government

What occurred during the New Deal presidency?

• Huge expansion of federal power

• Congress delegated power to the executive branch to oversee new programs

What is presidential government?

Successor to congressional government, president is the center of power

What are the formal resources of presidential government?

• Cabinet and executive branch agencies, VP

• White House staff, EOP

What are informal resources of presidential government?

• Party, public appeals, persuasion

• President faces huge management challenges

What are two ways that the president deals with the principal-agent theory?

Centralization and politicization

What’s centralization?

Concentration of power and decision-making authority in the Executive Office of the President

What’s politicization?

The president appoints individuals based on personal or political loyalty to the president to manage and monitor federal agencies

Who serves on the cabinet?

The secretaries and directors of the major departments of the federal government

What did cabinet members initially serve as?

Advisors, now they only supervise huge federal agencies

Who are the white house staff?

• Analysts and advisors to the president

• Key staff

What other offices are in the white house staff?

• Chief of Staff

• Press secretary

• Special assistants

• Senior advisors

What’s in the Executive Office of the President (EOP)?

Permanent agencies that help manage the executive branch

What does the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) do?

Prepares the budget, oversees regulation, and reports on executive agencies

What’s an example of centralization?

The EOP requires checks from the OMB

What does the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) do?

Assist the president with economic policy, analyzes economic trends

What does the National Security Council (NSC) do?

Assists with national security and intelligence

What are the official powers of the vice presidency?

• Succeed the president in case of death, incapacitation, or resignation

• Preside over the Senate and break ties

What’s the VP’s main purpose for the president?

Help win the election and reelection

How can the president affect the national policy agenda?

• Speeches

• Public appearances

• National addresses

What’s the most notable way for the president to affect the national policy agenda?

State of the Union speech

What are some downfalls of engaging the public?

Expectations of the presidents are high and sometimes contradictory (impossible presidency)

What are some of the president’s powers without persuasion?

• Appointments and regulatory review

• Executive Orders

• Signing statements

What are appointments and regulatory review?

OMB reviews regulations and rules made by other agencies before they become policy

What are executive orders?

• Executive decrees that set policy and instruct government officials

What’s some more info about executive orders?

• Can be revoked/altered by future presidents

• Power can be checked by Congress and the courts

What are signing statements?

Statements made by the president when signing a bill into law, can only be made to government officials