Government Chapters 6 and 7

Why did the framers have an executive

Economic and defensive needs

22nd amendment

-limits pres to two 4 year terms or 10 years

-response to FDR 4 terms

Electoral College

-E=H+S

-most electors vote according to state’s popular vote

Causes for impeachment

Treason, bribery, or other high crimes

Impeachment

-First formal step to remove an official from office

Roles of Federal branches in impeachment

-House impeaches by simple vote

-Senate acts as court of law

-Chief Justice presides

-2/3 majority of Senate necessary

Executive Privilege

Implied presidential power that allows president to refuse to disclose information regarding national security to other branches

US v. Nixon

Watergate Scandal

How far does executive privilege go?

Vice President Constitutional duties

-To preside over senate and cast tie breaking vote

-Waits to take over for president

25th Amendment 1967

Should vacancy occur in VP office, president appoints new VP to a simple majority vote in Congress

Presidential Succession Act of 1947

-Lists order of line to succeed President

-Vice President

-Speaker of the House

-President Pro Tempore of Senate

-Secretary of State

-Secretary of Treasury

-Secretary of Defense

Appointment Power

President’s ability to control what happens in departments and agencies for near future

-Ability to shape the judiciary far into the future

People President Can Appoint

-Ambassadors

-Judges (federal and Supreme Court)

-Cabinet (advisory group for president)

-President looks for IDEOLOGICAL LOYALTY

Power to Convene Congress

Used on extraordinary occasions when NOT in session

-ex. Treaty ratification by Senate

Federalist No. 77

“Might often be necessary to call (Senate) together with a view to this object, when it would be UNNECESSARY and IMPROPER to convene HOR”

Power to Make Treaties

Power to negotiate treaties with other countries

-Requires 2/3 Senate approval

-90% get ratified

Fast Track Trade Agreements

Must be unaltered and voted on in 90 days

Executive Agreements

NO APPROVAL needed-President acts as a global leader and makes a simple agreement with another head of state

Power to receive ambassadors

President has the power to recognize or deny recognition of a governing authority should he find their government informal

Andrew Jackson (Jacksonian Era)

-Democratization of presidency

-Loved by the masses (common man)

-Party politics--spoil system

-ACTIVIST presidency

Abraham Lincoln

-Extraordinary war powers WITHOUT congress

-INHERENT powers of office allowed the bypass of congress in TIMES OF CRISIS

-Constitution gave president right to enforce laws as he saw constitutionally fit

-ACTIVIST presidency

Franklin D. Roosevelt

-four terms

-22nd amendment

Great Depression

-Under FDR

-Economic challenges states could not handle alone

New Deal

-FDR

-Bureaucracy built to execute laws increased federal government

-President range of command was expanded

World War II

-FDR led major war

-Exerted leadership in extraordinary domestic and foreign policy circumstances

Fire Side Chats

-FDR spoke to the public in a relaxed and informal manner about important policies

Vice President Candidate

-Often chosen to “balance the ticket”

-Sought on ideological, racial, ethnic, religious, or gender lines

Executive Office of President

A mini bureaucracy created in 1939 to help the president oversee the executive branch bureaucracy.

National Security Council (NSC)

-Advises the president on national security

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)

-Advises president on economic policy

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

-Prepares the president’s annual budget

Office of Vice President

-Advises President on policy

Office of U.S. Trade Representatives

-Advises President on foreign trade matters

White House Staff

-President’s personal staff

-NOT approved by Senate

-Personal assistants, senior aides, etc.

-Chosen for loyalty

-More influence and access to President than cabinet

-Too large and diverse to be a collective board

Presidential Leadership and Personality

-The intuitive ability to secure backing of public and Congress for policies

“Power to Persuade”

-The ability to influence Congress and the people

-FDR and Lincoln

“Going Public”

-President can bypass Congress by speaking publicly to voters on broadcast and directly appeal to public

-President can gain support from voters who can then PRESSURE other elected officials

“Bully Pulpit”

-Roosevelt was the first president to speak directly to the public to gain support for his agenda

Approval Ratings

-High- -MANDATE to implement policy, makes it EASIER to influence Congress

-Low--DIFFICULT to influence Congress

Perception of Mandate Matters

Modern presidents are more dependent of the PEOPLE for reelection than electoral than in the past

Approval ratings throughout term

Highest when a president takes term, and decline throughout the term

High Approval Ratings

Candidates from the president’s same party want support from him

Low Approval Ratings

-Candidates from the president’s same party want to DISTANCE from him

Rally-Round-The-Flag Effect

When a crisis occurs and there is a brief spike in presidential approval ratings as the nation bands together and forgets party ideologies

line-item veto

-President can delete part of a bill passed by the legislature that involves taxing or spending.

-Ruled UNCONSTITUTIONAL by the U.S. Supreme Court.

pardon

-Executive grant providing restoration of all rights and privileges of citizenship to a specific individual charged or convicted of a crime.

signing statements

-Occasional written comments attached to a bill signed by the president

executive order

Rule or regulation issued by the president that had the effect of law. All executive orders must be published in the Federal Register.

War Powers Resolution

-Passed by Congress in 1973

-the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period in peacetime (which can be extended for an extra thirty days to permit withdrawal)

Eligibility for House of Reps

-25 years old

-Citizen for 7 years

-Live in representative state

Apportionment for House

-More responsible to the people

-Elected DIRECTLY

-Reelected every 2 years

Eligibility for Senate

-30 years old

-Citizens for 9 years

-Live in representative state

Reelection of Senators

-Continuous body

-1/3 reelected every 2 years

-6 year term

Senator Election

-Originally selected by state legislature

-17th Amendment, voters vote directly

Census

-Conducted every 10 years to determine # of members from each state in the House

Congressional Seat Allotment

-Allotted according to PROPORTION after census

Number of House Reps

-1790, 1 per 30,000

-1929, # FIXED at 435

Redistricting

-Redrawing congressional districts to reflect changes in # of seats allotted to a state

Congressional Demographics

-Better educated

-2/3 hold advanced degrees

-Wealthier than general public

-White, male, old

Advantages of Incumbency

-Name recognition

-Credit claiming

-Casework

-Franking Privilege

-Media Access

-Fundraising ease

-Campaign Experience

-Redistricting

Name Recognition

-Voters associate names with programs

Credit Claiming

-Responsible for federal money brought to district

Casework

-Solve problems with government (red tape, federal aid, etc.)

Franking Privilege

-Send mail and use signature as stamp

Media Access

-Relationships with reporters

-Spin stories

Fundraising Ease

-High reelection rate makes safe bet for donations

Campaign Experience

-Understand constituent concerns

Redistricting

-Enhances electability

Voting Rights Act of 1965

-SCOTUS rules that gerrymandering is UNCONSTITUTIONAL

-District lines must be continuous

Cracking

-Gerrymandering a congressional district to dilute minority strength

Packing

-Gerrymandering to enhance minority strength

House Terms

-Each term is 2 years

-2 sessions in which legislative business is conducted

Party Caucus

-Democrats meeting place in the house

Party Conference

-Republicans meeting place in the house

Role of Caucus/Conference

-Nominate and elect party officers

-Review Committee chairs

-Discuss party policy

-Impose party discipline

Steering Committee

-Democrat Committee chair in the house

-Committee on Committees

-Republican Committee chair in the house

Majority Leader of the House

-The head of the party controlling the most House seats

-Next most powerful in the house behind the speaker

-Elected in Caucuses

-Helps speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate

Minority Leader of the House

-Head of the party with FEWER seats in the house

Whips

-Assist leaders and “whip” party members to toe in line on partisan issues

Vice President Role in the Senate

-Presides over Senate

-Votes ONLY to break a tie

President pro tempore

-Official chair of the Senate

-Selected by the majority party

-Presides over Senate in absence of Vice President

Majority leader of the Senate

-True leader of the senate

-Selected by the majority party

-Ensures party members vote for party bills

Minority Leader of the Senate

-Represents opposition in negotiations with the majority party

Congressional Research Service

-Administered by Library of Congress

-Responds to congressional requests for information

-Conducts studies of public issues

-Tracks progress of bills and prepares summaries

Government Accountability Office

-Established to audit financial expenditures of federal agencies

-Sets government standards for accounting

-Provides legal opinions

-Settles claims against government

-Conducts studies upon congressional request

Congressional Budgeting Office

-Evaluates economic effect of different spending problems

-Provides info on cost of proposed policies

-Analyzes President’s budget

Logrolling

-Supporting another member’s legislation in exchange for future support

-”vote trading”

Special Interest Caucuses

-Informal groups based on shared interests

Trustees

-Listen to constituent concerns but USE THEIR BEST JUDGEMENT

Delegates

-Vote HOW THEIR CONSTITUENTS WANT

Politico

-Vote as trustees unless there is a clear and loud public opinion

Standing Committees

-First and last place proposed bills go for consideration

Subcommittees

-Allow greater division of labor in standing committees

Joint Committees

-Include members from both chambers

-Special studies, investigations, major issues

Conference Committee

-Special joint committees that iron out bills passed by the House and Senate

Select Committees

-Temporary committees set up for FOCUSED purpose

Senate committee chairs

-Long-serving members of majority party

House Committee Chairs

-Party leaders interview for party loyalty

-Decide when to hold meetings

-Kill bills by refusing to schedule for hearings

-6 year limit on all committee chairs

House Rules Committee

-Most powerful committee in Congress

-Reviews bills before they go to the floor for action

-Set procedural rules