American Government: Power and Purpose Chapter 7

how does the president get power

the constitution endows the president with a limited number of expressed powers. other presidential powers are delegated by congress or are claimed by presidents without specific statutory authority

why has the presidency accumulated more powers relative to other institutions of the government over time

partly because the pres does not face the same collective action problems as congress

how can a president broaden their power

presidents can broadened their powers through successful execution of the law

-presidential powers can also be enhanced through strategic interactions with other political actors and through a president's ability to build popular support

-historical events requiring bold action and leadership by the president, such as the great depression can also contribute to the president's powers

Qualifications for President

35 years old, born in the U.S., and has to have lived in the U.S. for 14 years

National Convention system

major meeting of a political party every four years to write the party platform and nominates candidates for president and vice president.

-increased pres's power bc prior candidates had been nominated by congressional districts

expressed powers

the powers enumerated in the constitution that are granted to the federal government

delegated powers

constitutional powers assigned to one government agency but exercised by another agency with the express permission of the first

-in principle, congress delegates to the president only the power to identify or develop the means through which to carry out its decisions

-in practice congress substantially enhanced the importance of the presidency

inherent powers

powers claimed by a president that are not expressed in the constitution but are inferred from it

often asserted by the pres in times of war or national emergency

Military Expressed Powers

Commander in Chief. head of intelligence agencies.

domestic defense powers

commander in chief

the power of the president as commander of the national military and the state national guard units (when called into service)

Judicial Expressed Powers

Grant reprieves, pardons, and amnesty

reprieve

cancellation or postponement of a punishment

pardon

forgiveness of a crime and cancellation of relevant penalty

amnesty

a pardon extended to a group of persons

Diplomatic Expressed Powers

-Negotiate treaties

-president head of state, -makes execute agreements

-make treaties

-can recognize other countries;

-head of state phone calls/meetings

executive agreement

an agreement between the president and another country that has the force of a treaty but does not require in the Senate's "advice and consent"

executive expressed powers

-The president "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

-The president may nominate executive and judicial officials.

executive privilege

the claim that confidential communications between the president and the president's close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president

Legislative Expressed Powers

- The president gives information to the Congress and recommends measures

- The veto

veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

line-item veto

the power of the executive to veto specific provisions (lines) of a bill passed by the legislature

when do presidents use their veto

when they want to equalize or upset the balance of power with congress

veto bargaining

A process of negotiation between the president and Congress in which the president uses the implicit and/or explicit threat of his veto authority to exert pressure on Congress. try to influence beliefs about what they must do to keep him from veto-ing

Rationality Principle

a pres must way the advantages of using the veto or threatening to do so against the hit he might take in popularity

why does congress delegate powers?

congress can't execute and administer all the programs it creates and the laws it enacts. Inevitably congress must turn to the hundreds of departments and agencies in the executive branch or, when necessary, create new agencies to implement its goals

why has congress's distribution of power changed

congress moved from issuing relatively well-defined congressional guidelines for administrators, to the more contemporary pattern of broadly delegated congressional power to the executive branch is bc of the complex tasks of contemporary us gov

war powers resolution

a resolution of congress declaring that the president can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of congress or if US troops are already under attack or seriously threatened

legislative initiative

the president's inherent power to bring a legislative agenda before congress

executive orders

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect and formal status of legislative

-most provide for the reorganization of structures and procedures or otherwise direct affairs of the executive branch

what does the power to issue executive orders illustrate

the pres has the ability to govern without the necessity to persuade

The Legislative Epoch (1800-1933)

- Presidential power has varied over time and among particular occupants of the office

- Most of our institutional history (1800-1933) can be described as "the legislative epoch"

—an era when Congress dominated national policy making

New Deal

A series of reforms enacted by the Franklin Roosevelt administration between 1933 and 1942 with the goal of ending the Great Depression.

cabinet

the secretaries or chief administrators of the major departments of the federal government. secretaries are appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate

national security council

a presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretaries of state, defense, and the treasury, the attorney general and the other officials invited by the president

white house staff

the analysts and advisers to the president often given title "special assistant"

kitchen cabinet

an informal group of advisers to whom the president turns for counsel and guidance. Members of the official cabinet may or may not be members

executive office of the president

the permanent agencies that perform defined management tasks for the president. includes the office of management and budget, the council of economic advisers, the national security council and other agencies

Vice President

President of the Senate (casts a tie-breaking vote when necessary)

-most pres use the vice as management resources

the president and policy

pres can't introduce new legislation. only members of congress can formally propose new programs and policies

Gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

Contemporary Bases of Presidential Power

1. Generally, presidents have expanded their power in three ways: party, popular mobilization, and administration.

party, going public,

3.

4. Contemporary presidents have increased the administrative capabilities and power of their office by enhancing the reach and power of the Executive Office of the President, increasing White House control over the federal bureaucracy, and expanding the role of executive orders and other instruments of direct presidential governance.

Party as a Source of Power

Although all presidents rely on the members and leaders of their own party to implement their legislative agendas, the president does not control his own party; party members have considerable autonomy. During periods of divided government, the president's party is in the minority in Congress.

Going Public

a tactic through which presidents reach out directly to the American people with the hope that the people will, in turn, put pressure upon their representatives and senators to press for a president's policy goals

"Going public" as a source of presidential power has been especially significant in the past fifty years. But popular support for the president can be fickle and tends to decline over the course of a president's administration.

limits of going public

Approval rating could go down or could be ineffective (Obama and his healthcare speech, public opinion stayed flat)- Popular support is not a firm foundation for presidential power

- Declines in popular approval are nearly inevitable and follow a predictable pattern

- Presidential performance rarely meets expectations

How have contemporary presidents increased the administrative capabilities of their office

1. sought to increase white house control over the federal bureaucracy

2. expanded the role of executive orders and other instruments of direct presidential governance

pres increasing influence Appointments and Regulatory Review

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews regulations and rules made by other agencies before they become policy.

-by appointing loyal supporters to top jobs in the bureaucracy, presidents make it more likely that agencies will follow the president's wishes

regulatory review

the OMB function of reviewing all agency regulations and other rule making before they become official policy

governing by decree: executive orders

signing statement

an announcement made by the president when a bill is signed into law

the advantage of the administrative strategy

enabled pres to achieve significant policy results despite congressional oppositioin

Limits on Presidential Power

Congress, Federal Courts, The Bureaucracy, and Public Opinion