Presidency Flashcards

rise and fall of line-item veto

rose when Congress granted it during Clinton’s presidency, fell in 1997 when Court deemed it unconstitutional (violated separation of powers)

signing statements and their use by Bush and Obama

a written message a president issues upon signing a bill into law, Bush used a ton (argued unconstitutionally modifying laws), Obama used a lot in attempts to shut down Guantanamo Bay

president’s role as chief economist

tools influence economy- submitting national budget sets priorities and tax spending, economic regulations, appointing Federal Reserve Board chair

compare and contrast chief executive and chief of state

executive- appointing staff and Cabinet, state- ceremonial, foreign, promotes unity, combo- overlap of foreign/domestic spheres and embodying US values

roles and functions of VP

ceremonial- state dinners, visiting foreign countries, etc. but sometimes working w/ Congress or being policy expert on certain issues

Executive Office of the President

made up of various offices, councils, boards, assists prez w/ day-to-day business and coordinates policy w/ diff agencies

members of National Security Council

president (head), VP, secretary of defense, secretary of state, secretary of treasury, assistant to prez for national security affairs (manages day to day), other advisors invited when needed

origins and passage of 25th amendment

origins- Wilson’s illness, Garfield’s shooting, JFK’s assassination, passed 1967 and says when a prez can’t serve they notify Congress and VP steps in

role of approval ratings

high ratings help prez succeed because it shows the people support the agenda (ex. Bush didn’t get support for war when people were unhappy w/ economy)

process of impeachment

House majority votes to impeach, articles of impeachment go to Senate, Senate tries prez and determines penalty (can be removal)

month typical of presidential nominations

August, party out of power goes first

electors needed to become president

270 out of 538

inauguration date

Jan 20, 20th amendment moved it from March

elections where popular vote failed

2000 Bush v. Gore, 2016 Trump v. Clinton

legislative powers of the president

lobbying Congress members, defining congressional agenda in State of the Union address, submitting budget plan, authority to sign or veto

vote needed to override presidential veto

2/3 majority in Congress

presidential use of line-item veto

stopped after 1997 when deemed unconstitutional

veto power and modern presidents

modern presidents veto more often, especially when opposite party controls Congress

FDR and the veto

issued the most (372) because he vetoed small bills he disagreed with

signing statements

a written message that the president issues upon signing a bill into law saying how it should be implemented

chair of the Federal Reserve Board

important role in managing economy, usually non-partisan

Obama’s Fed Chair

Janet Vellen, first women, focused on unemployment

party roles performed by president

unify party, get other party members elected, symbolic leader, appoints national party chair, fundraises, white house staff appointments, supporting next prez campaign

executive agreements

international agreement between the US and others, not subject to Senate approval, only in effect during that prez’s administration

presidential role as chief diplomat

leader of diplomatic corps, hosts state dinners at White House, receives other countries’s ambassadors,

powers vested in president by Constitution/enumerated powers in Article II

commander in chief, reprieves and pardons, treaties, nominations and appointments, convening Congress, veto

presidential functions/roles that overlap

Chief Executive and Chief of State

ceremonial presidential role

chief of state

VPs who were elected president

George HW Bush and LBJ

reasons for choosing VP

balanced ticket- adding diversity in ideology, region, age, gender, race, etc., and somebody who makes up for shortcomings

number of Cabinet departments

15

Cabinet as an advisory body begins with..

George Washington

most recent Cabinet

Kerry, Lew, Carter, Lynch, Jewell, Vilsack, Pritzker, Perez, Burwell, Castro, Foxx, Moniz, King, McDonald, Johnson

Janet Reno

one of the first women in a “big four” post as Clinton’s attorney general

Colin Powell

first Black Secretary of State

positions within White House office

chief of staff, press secretary, white house counsel, president’s secretary

chair of NSC

president- consults on foreign/domestic security issues

Office of Management and Budget

creates the president’s annual budget- anticipates revenue/expenses, key in policymaking

line of succession

VP, Speaker of House, President pro tem of Senate, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury

Wilson’s illness

incapacitated last few months of office, wife Edith stepped in

Kennedy’s assassination

led to LBJ being president

presidential powers granted by constitution

expressed and inherent powers

presidential powers granted by Congress

statutory powers- explicitly granted by congressional action/law ex. Line Item Veto Act

emergency powers

broad powers a president exercises during a national crisis, started w/ Lincoln in Civil War

take care clause

constitutional basis for inherent powers, says president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed”

Louisiana Purchase

use of inherent powers, bought LA for $1.5 mil w/out constitutional right, hypocritical bc Jeffy was an anti-Federalist, thought essential to avoid war w/ France

characterize executive orders

very few limitations except impeachment

Lincoln’s actions during civil war

suspended habeas corpus, drafted state militia into national service, federalized governance of southern states post-war

characterize executive privilege

US v. Nixon was a check on it

presidential use of “bully pulpit”

used to persuade the public

Bush’s approval ratings

spiked when he handled 9/11 well, dropped during War on Terror

public approval ratings

% of survey respondents who approve of the way a president is doing his job, high during honeymoon period

rally around the flag effect

peaks in presidential approval ratings during short term military action

populism

political philosophy emphasizing the needs of a common person, Jackson started

watergate

Nixon failed using executive privilege and got impeached, less trust in government, highlighted how prez was too powerful

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton

only 2 presidents ever impeached

first ladies and their roles

very dependent, some hands-on, some behind the scenes, some very public

the public and female candidates

willingness has increased since 1930s but a statistically significant amount said no, more nos when Clinton was running/rumored to