Overall concepts, Task 1: Presidential Powers and SOTU, Task 2: Foreign Policy Crisis

Formal power

Veto, pocket veto, commander in chief, executive orders, pardoning, foreign policy, appointing officials and judges

Informal power

Bargaining and persuasion, executive agreement, signing statements

Limits on presidential power

Senate confirmation and policy conflicts with congressional agenda

Cabinet/Supreme court nomination

Nominated by president and confirmed by the Senate

Bureaucracy powers and checks on the bureaucracy

Federal budget

Article 2 of the Constitution

Outlines the power and responsibilities of the president

Vice president

Formally in charge of the Senate to break ties in votes. Informal: second in charge of the President

Cabinet

Must be confirmed by the Senate

Executive Office of the president

Agencies and offices like the VP and Cabinet that support the president’s duties

Policy agenda

A set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention

Formal powers

Power of the president in the Constitution

Informal powers

Powers that aren’t in the constitution

Veto

Formal power that enables the president to check Congress that can overridden with a 2/3 vote

Pocket veto

Cannot be overridden with a 2/3 vote

Bargaining and persuasion

Informal powers that enables the president to secure congressional action

Executive order

Allows the president to manage the federal government and are implied by the president’s vested executive power or by power delegated by Congress

Signing statement

informal power that inform Congress and the public of the president’s interpretation of laws passed by Congress and signed by the president

State of the Union

Messages to influence public views about which policies are important

Social media rapid response

Modern technology responses to political issues

Agenda setting

takes place when traditional news media, new communication technologies influence the public perception of what issues are important

Bully pulpit

To appeal to the public to pressure other branches of government to support their policies

Federalist 70

Justifies for a single executive by arguing a strong executive with too much power is protecting liberty and ensuring good government

22nd Amendment

2 term limitation for presidents

Commander-in-chief powers

Formal power in foreign policy powers that influence relation with foreign nations. Military

Treaty powers

Constitutional authority granted to the President and the Senate to negotiate and ratify international treaties on behalf of the United States.

Executive agreements

Informal power with foreign nations