APGOPO Executive Branch Quiz

Requirements to be the President of the US (3)

1. U.S. born citizen

2. At least 35 years of age

3. Lived in the U.S. a minimum of 14 years

Major duties and powers of the President (5)

1. Serves as the administrative head of the nation

2. Commander in Chief of Military

3. Veto legislation

4. Appoint various officials

5. Make treaties & receive ambassadors

Serves as administrative head of the nation...

- Take care laws are faithfully executed

- Supervise and offer leadership to various departments and agencies

Commander in Chief of the Military is the...

Highest ranking officer in the armed forces

What officials can the president appoint?

Federal court judges, ambassadors, cabinet members, other key policymakers (need Senate confirmation)

The president can make treaties and receive ambassadors with...

approval of at least two-thirds of senators

What are the two "powers" of the President?

1. Formal

2. Inherent

Formal powers of the President (4)

1. Veto power

2. Ability to report on the State of the Union

3. Commander in Chief

4. Pardon power

Which power have presidents used more aggressively?

formal powers

Why have vetoes increased historically, but significantly decreased under the last three administrations?

Congress members have realized there is "no point" in proposing a bill for a president they know will veto the bill

Presidents have clear...

policy goals when entering the office

Inherent powers of the President

1. Authority claimed by the president that is not clearly specified in the Constitution

2. Executive orders

3. Delegation of powers

Example of an authority claimed by the president that is not clearly specified in the Constitution

Establishment of military commissions for enemy combatants (GWBush)

Executive Order

presidential directives that create or modify laws and public policies without the direct approval of Congress

Delegate of Powers

the process by which Congress gives the executive branch the additional authority needed to address new problems

What do staff members do in the Executive Branch? (3)

1. Communicating with interest groups

2. Working with media

3. Lobbying Congress

Chief of Staff

Leader of president's staff

National Security Advisor

provides daily briefings on foreign and military affairs

Council of Economic Advisers

report on the state of the economy and discuss ways to promote growth

Key aides...

advise president on political choices and devise strategy for congressional and public support

Executive Office of the President

the president's executive aides and their staffs

Executive branch employs around _______ individuals and has a budget of ____________

2,000; $500 million

Three styles of advisory

1. Competitive Management Style

2. Hierarchical Staff Model

3. Collegial Staffing

Competitive Management Style

staff has overlapping authority and differing points of view (FDR)

Hierarchical Staff Model

clear lines of authority and a hierarchical structure (Eisenhower)

Collegial Staffing

loose staff structure that gave many top advisors access to the president (Clinton)

Vice President

most important duty to take over the presidency in the event of presidential death, disability, impeachment or resignation

What do VPs do?

campaign, fundraise, and rally the party faithful

VP's usually selected due to...

appeal to a geographic region or party coalition (Sometimes a rival from political primary campaign is chosen)

The Cabinet

a group of presidential advisers; the heads of the executive departments and other key officials

Growth of the cabinet over time reflects...

an increase in government responsibility and intervention

How relevant is the Cabinet? (3)

1. Large; 20 people, making meetings difficult

2. Cabinet members have limited areas of expertise

3. large White House staffs offer much advisory support to president

From WWII to the late 1980's, presidents focused on...

containing communist expansion around the globe

3 fundamental objectives in the new era in international relations

1. National security (home-front and overseas)

2. Peaceful international environment (UN & NATO)

3. Protection of US economic interests (NAFTA, tariffs)

Presidents can commit troops in...

emergency situations in cases where war is not declared

War Powers Resolution

an act of Congress that forces that body to decide whether a commitment of troops into a war zone is permissible

What does the War Powers Resolution require the president to do?

consult with Congress before involving US troops and notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops

If troops are deployed, they may not stay for ________________ without congressional approval (president may take ___________ to remove the troops "safely")

more than 60 days, up to 30 more days

Treaties

a legal agreement between two or more countries

Who provides advice and consent on treaties to the president?

the Senate

Executive Agreement

a pact between the heads of two countries

What type of power is an executive agreement?

inherent power; does not require senate approval

State Department

- Staffed by political appointees and permanent employees

- Includes secretaries and under-secretaries

- Lacks strong domestic constituency to exert pressure to support its policies

Defense Department

- Below defense secretary is civilian secretaries of the army, navy, and air force

- Military commanders make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff

National Security Council

Advisers who help president mold a coherent approach to foreign policy

The Intelligence Community

CIA, FBI, NSA

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Sometimes uses intelligence collection other times covert operations

National Security Agency (NSA)

Criticism for spying activities

- Satellites, supercomputers, and other equipment used to conduct surveillance around the world

Crisis Management

- Citizens sometimes vote for a president who shows careful judgement

- Good judgement and remain cool in crisis situations (ex: Kennedy/Cuban Missile Crisis)

Presidential influence comes from... (3)

1. Assigned responsibilities

2. Political skills

3. How effectively resources of the office is used

Leadership of a President is a function of...

his own character and skill and the political environment of the time

Presidential character

Americans make a broad evaluation of the candidates' personalities and leadership styles

What are the two presidential evaluations from Americans?

1. Character

2. Skill in political environment

When can damage be done to the presidential office?

if President is seen as untrustworthy and immoral

Presidential power

the power to persuade

Ability in ______, _________________, and _________________ separate the presidents from average to above-average

bargaining, dealing with adversaries, choosing priorities

Why would opposition parties want the president to look bad?

so as to not help accomplish legislative goals

What is a big philosophical question for presidents?

When do you compromise and when do you stand on principle?

How does the president mobilize public support?

Televised addresses, remarks to reporters, public speeches, or appearances

Polls are important in measuring public opinion through...

Approval ratings

Political context for presidents (3)

1. Both parties in Congress

2. Economy is good

3. Large election victory facilitates greater policy achievements

Divided government

the situation in which one party controls the White House and the other controls at least one house of Congress

Gridlock

a situation in which government is incapable of acting on important issues

Presidents align themselves with particular segments of the population just by...

running for office

Issue stances attract voters and...

drive others away so candidates are sometimes deliberately vague

Re-election

state of the economy, popularity of the sitting president, whether the country is at war and the degree public feels its "time for a change"

3 main categories of political context for presidents

1. Partisans in Congress

2. Elections

3. Political Party System

Presidential leadership is determined in party by...

whether the president is a member of the dominant political party and whether the public policies and political philosophy associated with his party have widespread support