ANG Unit 3
Establishing the Presidency
Article II: “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
It states that the chief executive is to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
It also implies that the president should serve as America’s head of state.
Constitutional Requirements
Unitary Office
Requirements to run: Natural-born citizen, Lived in the U.S for 14 years prior (not consecutively), Must be 35 years or older.
Electoral Collect Elects president
Person elected serves a four-year term
12th amendment allows the president to choose the Vice President
22nd amendment limits a person to two terms
25th amendment outlines presidential succession
Expressed Powers: Military
The President serves as the commander of the entirety of the US Armed Forces
The President also serves as the chief of all intelligence services (CIA, FBI, NSA, and 20 others)
The President may deploy federal troops domestically to maintain public order
What is the norm around deploying the military domestically? We usually don’t see this happen. Navy troops deployed for natural disasters. President Biden deployed federal troops after hurricane Helene. It is usually the national guard and they are a state level, so it is not a presidential task
Why is this in the news recently? Donald Trump deploy military against political rivals. Would be stark departure if it is something he actually does if he’s reelected.
Expressed Powers: Judicial
Presidents have the power to grant pardons and blanket amnesty
Many use of the pardon have been meaningful or controversial
In 1868, Andrew Johnson pardoned all Southerners who participated in the Civil War
Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon after Watergate
Donald Trump pardoned many of his close allies who were under criminal investigation or conviction, including Stephen Bannon, Joe Arpaio, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn
Expressed Powers: Diplomatic
Treaties: Contacts with other countries that require 2/3 senate approval
Executive Agreements: Contracts with other countries that do not acquire Senate approval, but that the Judicial Branch has ruled are the same as treaties
Examples can include trade deals, military alliances, intelligence sharing effort, nuclear deals, etc.
Presidents can “recognize” countries as legitimate, or place embassies in different places
Any places where this kind of behavior would be meaningful? If you were government of a country you would like to have to US recognize your country as legitimate. Does not recognize = bad. Symbolically placing embassies or recognizing them in different countries can have a big impact on global diplomacy. Especially in tempestuous places like the middle east.
Expressed Powers: Executive
The President: Appoints federal judges, Sees that laws are faithfully executed, Appoints (and can fire) executive federal officers (Department Secretaries, leaders, and other higher staff)
What about ordinary federal bureaucrats? 99 percent long term, A political, professional bureaucrats and new administration comes through and president appoints top .5% of officials that run things.
Executive Privilege: The claim that communications between a President and close advisors cannot be revealed without a presidents consent
Donald trump has repeatedly claimed Executive Privilege, even when out of office, to block the release of documents and evidence surrounding January 6th, the Mueller Report, and investigations surrounding his likely illegal retention of classified documents
Expressed Powers: Legislative
Presidents have increasingly used their platforms to be the primary driver for government policy and public awarness of national issues (see: Agenda-setting)
The President submits the budget for the Federal Government every year for Congress to consider; in doing so, that gives the President a lot of influence over policy priorities and discussions
Expressed Powers: The Veto
Veto: The Presidents power to turn down/reject acts of Congress
A veto may in turn be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each house of Congress
Out of 2500+ veto’s, only 110 have been overridden
The veto is an example of what key term from the first section of class? Checks and Balance
Implied Powers
What is an implied power? Power that is derived from an expressed power.
Legislative initiative: The ability to formulate policy proposals to address different issues and present them to Congress for consideration. A good, consistently repeating examples is the federal budget. Other examples include Obamacare and the Trump Administration tax reforms
Delegated Powers
Congress cannot execute and administer all the programs it creates and all the laws it enacts, so it often delegates power to the Executive Branch and the federal bureaucracy
It often defines broad goals and objectives instead of specifics, which gives a lot of power to the federal bureaucracy, and to the President as well
The it delegates power to the executive branch agencies to determine how its goals are to be achieved
Inherent Powers
Implied powers are those not directly stated in the U.S Constitution, but inferred from it. Inherent powers derive from the idea of national sovereignty, which is the idea that under international law and custom, sovereign states have a number of rights. These include the right to engage in relations with other states, curb internal violence, and defend themselves
These power are often asserted during wartime and emergencies
White House Staff
Under no circumstance can a president do their job without a ton of help
White House staff include range of analyst and advisors that provide the president wit advice that tends to ne more political
Often White House staff are longtime trusted allies or campaign officials
This was especially true in the Trump White House, where he elevated the family members to important advisory roles
Executive office of the President
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is the blanket system term for a number of agencies that support the President in performing their duties
The EOP has expanded alongside the importance and expanded role of the presidency
Key agencies within the EOP include the National Security Council, The Council of Economic Advisors, and the Office of Management and Budget
Office of Management and Budget
The OMB is the largest agency in the EOP
They are responsible for setting the terms of the budget, which in turns grant the agency, and especially the OMB director, with a lot of power
This means that they set the “negotiating baseline”, so to speak, for budget allocations to various departments and agencies
Cabinet
The Cabinet is the designation for all the heads of the major department (Defense, Homeland Security, Agriculture, etc.)
The cabinet makes no decisions as a group, but oftentimes testify in front of Congress on polices or issues, and advise the President and implement the Presidents polices within their respective spheres of influence
Elements of Federal Bureaucracy
Department: An “administrative unit” within the federal government responsible for overseeing a particular area, such as Defense, Energy, Transportation, etc. Departments are often composed of many different agencies and other entities
Independent Agency: Many important government agencies are not under a department umbrella and are considered independent (Example: CIA, EPA, Federal Reserve)
Government Corporation: A company owned by the government that operates independently (FDIC, USPS)
Why would these exist? Organize and carry out the various functions of the federal government efficiently and effectively,
What is the purpose of the USPS? Deliver mail.
Restraints on the President
Congress can override a veto
Congress approves judicial and executive appointments
Congress approves the budget
The Supreme Court and Congress can investigate the actions of the president
Congress can impeach the president and remove him from office
How common is impeachment? Why Why would a lawmaker be reluctant to impeach Donald Trump. Not common. 2/3 vote, electoral risk, party and voters turn against.
What are other things might be a constraint on President? Judicial Review, Public Opinion, Federal Bureaucracy, State Governments, International Factors, Party and Congress Dynamics, Ethics and Oversight
Office of the Vice President
Created by the Constitution
Has only two official functions-presiding over and breaking ties in the senate, and succeeding the president in case of death or incapacitation. All other duties are unofficial or inconsistently applied.
What factors go into choosing a Vice Presidential candidate? shares policy goals, electoral considerations, appeals to certain demographics.
Summary of Congressional Powers
Power to make laws, declare wars, raise money (taxes) and over see expenditures (spending) referred to as the “power of the purse”, to impeach federal officials , approve presidential appointments, approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch, and to perform oversight and investigate items pertaining to government action.
House = Local Senate = Local and State
More differences between house and senate
435 House members versus 100 senators
House members are elected by districts that are apportioned by population
Senators are elected by statewide vote since 1913
The house is more centralized and organized
No term limits for either house members or senators
What might be some differences between the house and senate in terms of partisanship, outlook, etc.? House is more partisan. People is house are more constituencies them more partisan
Senators represent much more diverse constituencies than house members
What does this mean for their platforms? Messages? Partisanship? More partisan and more general. Want to appeal more to state and rural voters, minorities, white people. Work on longer time frame for policy. Larger scale projects. House is more regional.
House members typically cater more to local interest groups with specific agendas
Senators tend to act as agents for groups and interest that operate on larger (statewide or even national) scale over a large time frame
Trustee vs. Delegate Representation Styles
Delegates act on express perceived preferences of their constituents
Trustees make decisions for their best constituents that they think are best
Sociological vs. Agency Representation
Sociological Representation: Represent where the representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, etc. backgrounds as their constituents-this is assumed to promote good representation
Agency Representation: Holds that representatives should be accountable to those they represent regardless of background. The threat of some sort of consequences for their actions should promote good representation
Demographics
Almost all of congress are religious to some sort, mostly Christians of some sort
Overrepresentation of men, but it is becoming more even over times. Most females are democratic
Only a fifth of congress are racial minorities, but 40% of the Us pop is a minority. This margin is increasing, but slower than the percent of women
Discussion
Congress is disproportionately: Old, white, religious, wealthy, male
Can represenatives’s be effective if they don’t resembled mirror their constituents
If so, what problems might arise still, if representatives don’t resemble their constituents?
The Electoral Connection
Three main factors that affect who gets elected
Who runs for Congress
Incumbency/financial advantage
Drawing of House Districts
Typically, what might make for a good candidate? Government experience, well spoken, smart/educated, credibility/track record/history of success, money?, integrity, respectable, toughness, connections, bipartisan/diplomatic, veteran, platform/messaging, presentation
Keys to Power in Congress
Control of one or both chambers
Control of the committees
Control of the rules
Regular Order
The traditional method of lawmaking
Bills are: Proposed, Referred to the appropriate committee, if they don’t make it out of the committee, they are debated on the floor and voted on, bills can be amended to standardized language.
A long, deliberative process with many opportunities for adjustment, altercation, and also bill failure
Pros? more time to understand, fix and improve Cons? long time, chance of not making it
Unorthodox Lawmaking
Increasing replacing “regular order” in law making. (example: Omnibus budget bills)
Includes several distinct elements":
Closed Rules: Limits on amendments and debate over bills to speed legislation
Sometimes bills 1000+ pages long are made available and then voted on less than an hour later under these rules
Multiple Referral: Referring a bill to multiple committees for consideration
Prevents any individual committee from killing a bill
Why employ unorthodox lawmaking instead of regular order? More partisan
Important Considerations
Do constituents have strong opinions/knowledge on everything? (What does that mean for Congress people?) Not really. Do whatever. Lots of power in the situation.
Caucus: A group of senator or representatives who share similar interest/goals
Examples? African American, women
Congressional Staff
Congresspeople are supported by a large number of staff (11000) who help with constituents, do research, work with lobbyist, etc.
Particular committees also have attached staffers, who work on research, scheduling, etc. for the particular committee
There are several staff agencies: agencies under the legislative branch that provide Congress with resources and expertise
Key Congressional Agencies
Congressional Research Service: Researches issues for legislators pertaining to policy proposal, legislation, etc.
Congressional Budget Office: Calculates the cost of various legislative proposal
Often influential and cited very often
Calculating the cost of expansive programs like the IRA, or the ACA, ca be extraordinarily challenging
Filibuster
Filibuster: A method in the Senate only; a lawmaker can continuously speak until the supporters of a bill back down or the legislative session ends
Cloture: How you end a filibuster; 60 senators must agree to suspend debate
Recently Democrats (including VP Harris) have proposed ending the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade
Why? Pros? Cons?
In a recent famous example, Ted Cruz filibustered ACA funding, and in his hours-long speech on the floor, read his children a bible story and Dr. Suess from the Senate floor
Impeachment
Congress can vote to remove a president from office for “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Somewhat vague language
Presidential conduct that has been deemed worthy of impeachment is very rare
Andrew Johnson dodged impeachment by
Speaker of the House
Administrative head of the Congress
Performs many procedural duties
Second in presidential line of succession
Often viewed as the leader of the party not in the presidency
Current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson
Senate Majority Leader
Performs many procedural duties
Can be the chief spokesperson for the party not in the presidency
Heavily assisted by the party’s whip
Congressional Dysfunction 1900 v. 2000s
1900
More institutional unity and adherence to the ideal of Congress as an important, deliberative body that gets things done
More workmanship and courtesy, less public attention on Congressional members
Minimal filibuster usages
Adherence to “norms”, less chaotic behavior
2000s
Increased use/threat of use of filibuster tactic
More individualistic membership
More extreme partisan examples dividing parties into different sections
Increased incentives for members to obstruct Congress and not follow norms
A Bureaucracy is
Bureaucracy: The complex structure of offices, task, rules, etc. that larger institutions ’s employ to coordinate work
Ex: U of A, Us Government, City of Fayetteville, etc.
Bureaucrats are professionals who work for a bureaucracy
Government officials, your stalwart ANG professor, Police Officers, Public school teachers
Features of Bureaucrats
One key goal is consistency; outputs should remain the same regardless of leadership, unless directives change
For example, who the Chancellor is should not affect how I teach
Street-level-bureaucrats: Lower level bureaucrats who often interact with the public and impalement policy: park rangers, teachers, customs officers
Implementation: The translation of laws into rules and/or actions
When a police officers the law, they are implementing that law
Oftentimes requires expertise/experience/special training
What do bureaucrats do?
Implements laws: Congress makes laws, but the bureaucracy puts them into effect
This falls into the gray area idea: Congress sets broad parameters, and the bureaucracy has the leeway to creatively implement tins ide those parameters as long as they stay within the boundaries Congress sets
Makes rules: Oftentimes, bureaucrats makes rules/regulations to fill in the specifics on laws and policies
When congress passes a law:
The implementation is assigned to a relevant agency
The agency studies the law and proposes rules to guide implementation to the OMB
The proposed rules are published for months-long public comment period
Public comments are then compiled and reviews and adjusted, and then sent back to the OMB for final publication
This a long, exhaustive, detailed process
About Bureaucratic Rules
They have the force of laws
Rules are easily changed from administration to administration
Lobbyist and interest groups work to affect rules as often as they seek to affect actual laws
What are some advantages of this rule making process? Gather more information about decision. Outweigh disadvantages.
Disadvantages? Time to put into affect. Differentiates from bills.
Public opinions? Feels valued. Positive of Government. Government functions more with this positive aspect.
Who do we compare government outputs and efficiency to? Governments are compared to the private sector for efficiency and adaptability, and to other governments for service quality, regulatory effectiveness, and costs.
What else do bureaucrats do?
Enforcement: Bureaucrats enforce laws and rules, giving them meaningful influence over private actors
Enforcement mechanism include warnings, fines, possible embargos, etc.
(Good example form the book: Volkswagen cheated emissions tests for years-when caught, the EPA forced them to finance clean air programs and pay 14.7 billion)
Innovation: Bureaucrats often innovate when rulemaking in the gray area; oftentimes, new technologies or policy approaches are the result
The internet came about due to bureaucratic innovation
Is the Bureaucracy Efficient?
Who do we compare the federal bureaucracy to? Private sectors
Is comparison fair? No
Is the federal bureaucracy efficient? Efficiency varies widely by agency and function. Some agencies are seen as models of efficiency, while others struggle with delays and waste
How do we define efficiency? Speed and responsiveness, Cost-effectiveness, Outcome quality
Who is held to a higher bar by the public? The Federal Bureaucracy is held to a higher bar
How to build an effective bureaucracy
What do we want in a bureaucracy? Efficient, qualified, good at job, educated, non partisan, competitive wages, good work environment, benefits/protection, union, consistency, impartiality, apolitical, clear rules and hierarchies, equal treatment, long-term employment
Important Legislation
Hatch Act: Prevents federal employees from engaging in certain political activities, especially in their work setting/context of their jobs
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883:
Establishes that most bureaucrats are hired on the basis of merit
Prevent most bureaucrats from being fire for political reasons
Chevron and Post-Chevron
The case of Chevron v. NRDC established the precedent that when agencies are left with choices about how they implement policy, they are permitted to leverage their expertise to interprets Congress’s intent
Recently, in Loper v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court ruled that federal judges have the final say over experts in interpreting Congressional intent, even in areas where judges lack expertise (nuclear regulations, medical treatment, abortion pill access, etc.)
Red Tape
Red tape refers to excessive rules/regulations/paperwork that slow “excessively” slow down the work of the bureaucracy
For example, it can take a really long time and so, so many forms to file an application for citizenship
Red tap is often cited as symptom of slow, inefficient bureaucracy
In reality, oftentimes these inefficiencies are the results of legal, political, judicial, and feedback-based restraints, which are often intended to promote equal treatment
Shrinking the Bureaucracy: Devolution
Devolution: When a program is removed from one level of the government by passing it down to a lower level of the government (Such as from the federal level to the state level)
Supporters argue that it gives states more powers, and allows for more flexible, tailored approaches to addressing issues
Opponents argue that states have fewer resources, financially or in terms of human resources, to address these issues. Also they cite the potential for inequality on a state to state basis
Overall, devolution tends to result in a wide range of outcomes depending on the state. Some states use the opportunity to implement services to introduce innovative systems that serve citizens well, while others dismantle programs entirely that they view unnecessary
Shrinking the Bureaucracy: Privatization
Privatization: When a formerly publicly provided service is now provided by a private company, which is paid by the government to render that service
The idea is that if private companies can provide government services for less money, tax payers win and the government can provide more services or cut taxes
We see a massive spike in this practice during the early 2000s under George W. Bush, with payments for federal contracts growing by 250% in that time
The threat of privatization alone can force government agencies and departments to streamline their procedures and polices which is a positive!
However, due to limited competition and in efficiency in private industry there is no evidence that privatization saves the government, and by extension the tax payer, any money overall
Privatization Critiques
Overspending or mis-spending in Iraq and Afghanistan
Reforms that would place limits and oversight on contractors are often difficult because contractors are often large, wealthy well-connected companies
Congress blocked a bill requiring contracts to divulge their campaign contributions
Unsafe work environments (President Trump instituted a rollback on a previous ban for contractors that had work place safety, labor, or wage rate violations)
Essentially, inefficiency in public or private position is often based on a human element that is impossible to remove and om present
Federal Bureaucracy in Statistics
Beyond the military and the postal service, around 2 million people are permanently employed directly by the federal government
This is in addition to 1.2 million members of the military and 800000 postal workers
Federal bureaucrats are majority female, disproportionately white, and primarily college graduates
Upper level executives are still overwhelmingly male
4 out of 5 federal employees work outside of the Washington, D.C. area
Controls on the Bureaucracy
Judicial oversight: Federal courts have the power to judge whether executive actions are constitutional, no matter if the actor is the president or the bureaucracy
Citizen Oversight: Ordinary citizens and journalist can request most all records from federal agencies-this kind of investigation has in the past revealed bureaucratic inefficiencies/failures
Whistleblowing: Employees who report wrongdoing in their workplace
Most recently, a whistleblower report led to the first impeachment of Donald Trump
Types of Statues/Laws
Law - A binding rule of conduct, including rules created by the federal Bureaucracy
Statue - A law specifically passed by a legislative body
Criminal Law - defines crimes and specifies punishments for criminal acts.
Civil Law - disputes among individuals, groups, corporations, and other private entities.
Terminology
Plaintiff: The party that brings the case/complaint to the court. In criminal cases, always the government
Precedent: A prior similar case used by judges as a reference to decide a present case. Precedent is USUALLY followed as a guide when determining similar cases.
Stare Decisis: The idea that precedent should be respected in similar cases unless the original idea is overturned
Jurisdiction: The sphere of court’s power/authority. Can be topical, geographical etc.
Standing: The right to participate in a court case based on having a stake in the outcome
Types of Courts
Trial/District court: the first court to hear a cases
Appeals Court: the courts that hears appeal to trial court decisions
Federal Court: a court that serves as a part of the federal government system and functions in federal cases
State Court: a court that is part of a state government and functions in cases concerning state law
Bottom to Top → District → Appeals → Supreme
State > Federal (In terms of court size)
Supreme Court Jurisdiction
Cases between the US and 1 of the 50 states
Cases between two or more states
Cases involving foreign ambassadors or other ministers
Cases that involve constitutional and federal law
Cases where the US is a party
The Supreme Court determines the merits of cases-individuals cannot assert relevance and have their case heard automatically
The importance of the Federal Court System
The federal courts interpret the Constitution and federal law. (Supremacy Clause!)
The federal court hears cases involving the expanding power of the national government and serves to check it
Given their power to review state court decisions, the federal court system dominates the overall American judicial system
History of the Supreme Court
Established by Article III of the Constitution
The ONLY court established by the Constitution-the others are statutory and can be reconstructed or abolished by Congress
The Constitution does not specify the size of the Supreme Court-originally at six members, the court expanded to 7 and then its current size of 9 justices in 1869
Nominee Appointment Process
President nominates, Senate approves
There are ZERO qualifications for serving as a federal judge-only norms
Generally, normative appointees are experienced legal experts whose partisan and ideological views align with the president nominating them
The battle for court nominations, especially to the Supreme Court, is one of the most intense partisan battles in Washington, D.C.
A comparison of Term Limits
United States’ Supreme Court Justices have no term limit and no mandatory retirement age
Many other courts across the world have either term limits or mandatory retirement ages, or both
Canada, our closest neighbor and ally, has a mandatory retirement age of 75
France and Germany have term limits of 9 of 12 years, respectively
Judicial Review
Judicial Review: The power of the judiciary to examine and invalidate actions taken by the executive or legislative branches if they are found to be unconstitutional
Judicial review DOES NOT refer to a higher court’s examination of a lower court’s decisions
(Example) in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, the Supreme Court ruled that the executive branch could not deny US citizens of their due process rights, even if they were also enemy combatants
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury petitions to be allowed to fill the office he had been approved for prior to Jefferson’s election as president
Chief Justice John Marshall turns down the petition, citing it as based on an unconstitutional premise
This case set the basis for judicial review, while avoiding a power struggle with the executive branch
Judicial Review of Acts of Congress
The court’s power to review acts of Congress has not been questioned since Marbury v. Madison in 1803
In part, this is because the court tends to error on the side of constitutionality when reviewing acts og Congress
In more than two centuries fewer than 200 acts have been deemed unconstitutional by judicia review (Often controversial cases!)
Judicial Review of State Actions
The Supreme Court has frequently overturned state statues, provisions, court decisions, and local ordinances deemed contradictory to the rights and privileges granted under the constitution
Example include Brown v. board of Education, Cooper v. Harris, and Riley v. California
Judicial Review of Federal Agencies
Congress delegates the executive branch (read: federal bureaucracy) significant power to administer a wide range of programs
Courts are often called upon to determine if implementation by the executive branch is consistent with the intent of Congress
Federal agencies must develop rules and regulations to implement the policy passed by Congress that is based upon a “reasonable interpretation” of the Congressional statue
Generally the courts give a decent amount of leeway to administrative agencies as long as they follow proper procedure-however, following the overturning of the Chevron decision (See Federal Bureaucracy notes) this is somewhat in question
Judicial Review and Presidential Power
Generally, the federal court upholds powers claimed to be held by the president, which has contributed to the expansion of Presidential power over the course of American history
Technology Difficulties
One challenge for the modern court system is constantly having to update decisions to pertain to modern technology
For example, in Riley v. California, the courts ruled that warrantless search and seizure of cell phones was unconstitutional-a clarification that was unnecessary mere decades earlier
The Court System as a Reflection of Society
The power of the court and the power of judicial review, and the nature of the cases decided by the courts, change over time in response to societally changes
Examples include Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, and Obergefell v. Hodges and other assorted LGBTQ rights cases
Role of the Solicitor General
The Solicitor General serves as the top lawyer for the US government
The actions of the solicitor general in regard to the flow of cases from the government to the Supreme Court is not reviewed by ANY higher authority in the executive branch
The Solicitor General screens cases submitted by federal agencies before they are sent to the Supreme Court. Only a bare handful of agencies are exempted from this requirement, like the FCC and the Department of Agriculture
Bureaucracy → SG → USSC
Deciding Cases
Courts apply statues and legal precedents
Justices are aware of the Court’s places in history and care about protecting the Court’s reputation
Judicial philosophy
Originalism: “strictly constructionist” that refuse to go beyond the clear words of Constitution in interpretation. Typically the realm of conservative justices. Also referred to as judicial restraints or textualism
Judicial activism: those who feel the Court’s should go beyond the words of the Constitution and consider the broader societal implications. Typically the realm of more liberal justices, but can apply to conservative justices as well
Spread cut cases, incremental change,
Checks on Judicial Power
The courts cannot exercise on their own initiative
The courts lack enforcement powers on their own and must rely on executive or state agencies to ensure compliance
The president and the Congress share the composition of the Court
Congress can change the size of the court as well
Assignment Questions
What is the name for a company owned by the government?
Government Corporation
Legal Monopoly
Democratic Institution
Authoritarian Business
Which of the following did we consider a contemporary base of Presidential Power?
Position as head of party
Control of the Federal Bureaucracy
All of the choices
Appeals to the Public
What branch of the Institutional Presidency consists of the presidents closest and most political advisors?
The Office of Management and Budget
Cabinet
The White House Staff
Congress
What office in the EOP is largely responsible for crafting the federal budget?
The Cabinet
The White House Staff
The Office of Management and Budget
The Department of the Treasury
Per lecture, how many official functions does the Vice President actually have?
Dozens
1
5
2
What law (from the extra content) was passed after January 6th to make efforts like former President Trump's effort to invalidate election results more difficult?
Electoral Count Reform Act
Voting Rights Act
Civil Rights Act
Voting Transparency Act
Select the TRUE statement
A President can only issue 10 vetos a year
A veto is rarely overridden
Vetos are often overturned
A veto can only be overturned by a simple majority in the House and Senate
What type of power is it where Congress assigns/delegates power to the Executive Branch?
Implied Power
Assigned Power
Inherent Power
Delegated Power
Can Presidents deploy troops domestically when they deem it necessary to maintain public order?
Yes
No
Which of the following is NOT a power of the presidency?
Firing Federal Judges
Appointing Cabinet members
Being Commander-in-Chief of the military
Seeing that laws are faithfully executed
(From Extra Content) What social media personality is mentioned in the article as a leading source of misinformation?
Kelly Clarkson
Mark Zuckerberg
George Soros
Elon Musk
(From extra content) What country was responsible for creating the fake video of a worker ripping up Trump ballots, cursing the former president, and endorsing Kamala Harris?
Jamaica
Iran
Russia
China
Congress is disproportionately:
Wealthy
White
Religious
All of the answers
Taylen Green is a representative for Arkansas in the US House. When he votes, he votes for the bills that he thinks will best serve his constituents, regardless of whether the constituents actually support the legislation. This is an example of what kind of representation style?
Sociological
Delegate
Agency
Trustee
Which chamber of Congress tends to be more deliberative and embrace more long-term policy goals and priorities?
Senate
Federal Bureaucracy
House of Representatives
President
Which of the following is increasingly more common?
Unorthodox lawmaking
Neither of the other two answers
Regular order lawmaking
(From extra content) An AI generated (fake) video showed a poll worker in what state ripping up ballots from Trump voters and cursing the former president?
Pennsylvania
Florida
New York
Arizona
(From extra content; but also other things) Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the only way he will lose the election is if _.
He gets convicted of criminal charges
Democrats cheat in the election
The Electoral College unfairly hurts his chances
(From extra content) An election official in South Carolina notes that one of the key difficulties in fighting misinformation is how prevalent it is across the width and breadth of the internet, specifically by referring to what platform as an example?
ESPN
Nextdoor
UberEats
Glassdoor
(From extra content) Advances in what technology have made combatting misinformation much more challenging?
5G
AI
Starlink
Wafflemaking
(From the extra content) The overturning of the Chevron decision constitutes a shift in decision-making power from agencies to _.
Federal Courts
State Governments
Congress
The Presidency
The percentage of federal employees compared to the overall number of workers has _.
stayed the same
declined
increased
What legislation established the merit-based hiring system of the federal bureaucracy?
Scone Act
Hatch Act
Merit-based Hiring Act of 1965
Pendleton Civil Service Act
(From the extra content) The mother of what Supreme Court justice was the head of the EPA when the original Chevron decision was made?
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Neil Gorsuch
Samuel Alito
Who has more constraints on their potential efficiency?
The federal bureaucracy
Correct answer
Private industry
What legislation prevents federal employees from engaging in many political activities in their official roles as federal employees?
The Chili Act
The Scone Act
The Hatch Act
The Stevenson Act
A lower-level bureaucrat who likely interacts with the public is commonly referred to as a _.
teacher
implementer
street-level bureaucrat
intern
Which of the following statements about privatization is TRUE?
Bureaucrats find the threat of privatization unconcerning
Private industries are generally able to do a better job than the federal bureaucracy
Privatization is when the government takes over previously private industries
Historically, there has not been much evidence that privatization has meaningful advantages
Which of the following are examples of bureaucracies?
The US Executive Branch
All of the other choices
The City of Fayetteville government
The U of A
One of the law professors on the extra content podcast claimed that the overturning of Chevron would make it harder for the executive branch to react to _.
Polling results
State government legislation
Major crises
Resignations
Who serves as the top lawyer for the federal government?
The President
The Solicitor General
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The Attorney General
Which Supreme Court Justice's wife works as a legal recruiter, which has potentially opened him up to ethical concerns?
Samuel Alito
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Neil Gorsuch
Clarence Thomas's recent ethical issues pertain to the areas of _.
all of the answers
tuition payments for a relative
luxury trips
real estate issues
The defense offered by Justice Thomas for his failure to disclose lavish gifts is that the gifts _.
are not very expensive, and thus not requiring disclosure.
are made up, and therefore irrelevant.
were from a friend, and thus not required to be disclosed.
Phillip is a justice on the Supreme Court. When he is thinking about how to rule on a case, he tends to try to focus on strictly interpreting the original intent and meaning of the Constitution. This approach is called _.
Judicial Review
Socialism
Originalism
Judicial Activism
What are some situations where recusal is required?
If your spouse is a party to a case
If judges and justices can avoid the "appearance of impropriety"
all of the answers
If a justice has a financial stake
Which Supreme Court justice sold property in Colorado to a lawyer at a law firm that often has cases before the court?
Clarence Thomas
Samuel Alito
Neil Gorsuch
John Roberts
What court case establishes the practice of judicial review?
Jordan v. Murray
Brown v. Board of Education
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
What Republican megadonor is connected with many of the ethical issues surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas?
George Soros
Theo Raven
Harlan Crowe
Elon Musk
What does the term "recusal" mean?
Recusal is where an individual justice steps back from working on/rendering a decision on a case where they might have a conflict.
Recusal is the process where a case is removed to a lower level of federal court.
The standing procedure where the Supreme Court refuses to hear any cases that might involve judicial conflicts.
Establishing the Presidency
Article II: “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
It states that the chief executive is to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
It also implies that the president should serve as America’s head of state.
Constitutional Requirements
Unitary Office
Requirements to run: Natural-born citizen, Lived in the U.S for 14 years prior (not consecutively), Must be 35 years or older.
Electoral Collect Elects president
Person elected serves a four-year term
12th amendment allows the president to choose the Vice President
22nd amendment limits a person to two terms
25th amendment outlines presidential succession
Expressed Powers: Military
The President serves as the commander of the entirety of the US Armed Forces
The President also serves as the chief of all intelligence services (CIA, FBI, NSA, and 20 others)
The President may deploy federal troops domestically to maintain public order
What is the norm around deploying the military domestically? We usually don’t see this happen. Navy troops deployed for natural disasters. President Biden deployed federal troops after hurricane Helene. It is usually the national guard and they are a state level, so it is not a presidential task
Why is this in the news recently? Donald Trump deploy military against political rivals. Would be stark departure if it is something he actually does if he’s reelected.
Expressed Powers: Judicial
Presidents have the power to grant pardons and blanket amnesty
Many use of the pardon have been meaningful or controversial
In 1868, Andrew Johnson pardoned all Southerners who participated in the Civil War
Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon after Watergate
Donald Trump pardoned many of his close allies who were under criminal investigation or conviction, including Stephen Bannon, Joe Arpaio, Paul Manafort, and Michael Flynn
Expressed Powers: Diplomatic
Treaties: Contacts with other countries that require 2/3 senate approval
Executive Agreements: Contracts with other countries that do not acquire Senate approval, but that the Judicial Branch has ruled are the same as treaties
Examples can include trade deals, military alliances, intelligence sharing effort, nuclear deals, etc.
Presidents can “recognize” countries as legitimate, or place embassies in different places
Any places where this kind of behavior would be meaningful? If you were government of a country you would like to have to US recognize your country as legitimate. Does not recognize = bad. Symbolically placing embassies or recognizing them in different countries can have a big impact on global diplomacy. Especially in tempestuous places like the middle east.
Expressed Powers: Executive
The President: Appoints federal judges, Sees that laws are faithfully executed, Appoints (and can fire) executive federal officers (Department Secretaries, leaders, and other higher staff)
What about ordinary federal bureaucrats? 99 percent long term, A political, professional bureaucrats and new administration comes through and president appoints top .5% of officials that run things.
Executive Privilege: The claim that communications between a President and close advisors cannot be revealed without a presidents consent
Donald trump has repeatedly claimed Executive Privilege, even when out of office, to block the release of documents and evidence surrounding January 6th, the Mueller Report, and investigations surrounding his likely illegal retention of classified documents
Expressed Powers: Legislative
Presidents have increasingly used their platforms to be the primary driver for government policy and public awarness of national issues (see: Agenda-setting)
The President submits the budget for the Federal Government every year for Congress to consider; in doing so, that gives the President a lot of influence over policy priorities and discussions
Expressed Powers: The Veto
Veto: The Presidents power to turn down/reject acts of Congress
A veto may in turn be overridden by a 2/3 vote in each house of Congress
Out of 2500+ veto’s, only 110 have been overridden
The veto is an example of what key term from the first section of class? Checks and Balance
Implied Powers
What is an implied power? Power that is derived from an expressed power.
Legislative initiative: The ability to formulate policy proposals to address different issues and present them to Congress for consideration. A good, consistently repeating examples is the federal budget. Other examples include Obamacare and the Trump Administration tax reforms
Delegated Powers
Congress cannot execute and administer all the programs it creates and all the laws it enacts, so it often delegates power to the Executive Branch and the federal bureaucracy
It often defines broad goals and objectives instead of specifics, which gives a lot of power to the federal bureaucracy, and to the President as well
The it delegates power to the executive branch agencies to determine how its goals are to be achieved
Inherent Powers
Implied powers are those not directly stated in the U.S Constitution, but inferred from it. Inherent powers derive from the idea of national sovereignty, which is the idea that under international law and custom, sovereign states have a number of rights. These include the right to engage in relations with other states, curb internal violence, and defend themselves
These power are often asserted during wartime and emergencies
White House Staff
Under no circumstance can a president do their job without a ton of help
White House staff include range of analyst and advisors that provide the president wit advice that tends to ne more political
Often White House staff are longtime trusted allies or campaign officials
This was especially true in the Trump White House, where he elevated the family members to important advisory roles
Executive office of the President
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) is the blanket system term for a number of agencies that support the President in performing their duties
The EOP has expanded alongside the importance and expanded role of the presidency
Key agencies within the EOP include the National Security Council, The Council of Economic Advisors, and the Office of Management and Budget
Office of Management and Budget
The OMB is the largest agency in the EOP
They are responsible for setting the terms of the budget, which in turns grant the agency, and especially the OMB director, with a lot of power
This means that they set the “negotiating baseline”, so to speak, for budget allocations to various departments and agencies
Cabinet
The Cabinet is the designation for all the heads of the major department (Defense, Homeland Security, Agriculture, etc.)
The cabinet makes no decisions as a group, but oftentimes testify in front of Congress on polices or issues, and advise the President and implement the Presidents polices within their respective spheres of influence
Elements of Federal Bureaucracy
Department: An “administrative unit” within the federal government responsible for overseeing a particular area, such as Defense, Energy, Transportation, etc. Departments are often composed of many different agencies and other entities
Independent Agency: Many important government agencies are not under a department umbrella and are considered independent (Example: CIA, EPA, Federal Reserve)
Government Corporation: A company owned by the government that operates independently (FDIC, USPS)
Why would these exist? Organize and carry out the various functions of the federal government efficiently and effectively,
What is the purpose of the USPS? Deliver mail.
Restraints on the President
Congress can override a veto
Congress approves judicial and executive appointments
Congress approves the budget
The Supreme Court and Congress can investigate the actions of the president
Congress can impeach the president and remove him from office
How common is impeachment? Why Why would a lawmaker be reluctant to impeach Donald Trump. Not common. 2/3 vote, electoral risk, party and voters turn against.
What are other things might be a constraint on President? Judicial Review, Public Opinion, Federal Bureaucracy, State Governments, International Factors, Party and Congress Dynamics, Ethics and Oversight
Office of the Vice President
Created by the Constitution
Has only two official functions-presiding over and breaking ties in the senate, and succeeding the president in case of death or incapacitation. All other duties are unofficial or inconsistently applied.
What factors go into choosing a Vice Presidential candidate? shares policy goals, electoral considerations, appeals to certain demographics.
Summary of Congressional Powers
Power to make laws, declare wars, raise money (taxes) and over see expenditures (spending) referred to as the “power of the purse”, to impeach federal officials , approve presidential appointments, approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch, and to perform oversight and investigate items pertaining to government action.
House = Local Senate = Local and State
More differences between house and senate
435 House members versus 100 senators
House members are elected by districts that are apportioned by population
Senators are elected by statewide vote since 1913
The house is more centralized and organized
No term limits for either house members or senators
What might be some differences between the house and senate in terms of partisanship, outlook, etc.? House is more partisan. People is house are more constituencies them more partisan
Senators represent much more diverse constituencies than house members
What does this mean for their platforms? Messages? Partisanship? More partisan and more general. Want to appeal more to state and rural voters, minorities, white people. Work on longer time frame for policy. Larger scale projects. House is more regional.
House members typically cater more to local interest groups with specific agendas
Senators tend to act as agents for groups and interest that operate on larger (statewide or even national) scale over a large time frame
Trustee vs. Delegate Representation Styles
Delegates act on express perceived preferences of their constituents
Trustees make decisions for their best constituents that they think are best
Sociological vs. Agency Representation
Sociological Representation: Represent where the representatives have the same racial, gender, ethnic, religious, etc. backgrounds as their constituents-this is assumed to promote good representation
Agency Representation: Holds that representatives should be accountable to those they represent regardless of background. The threat of some sort of consequences for their actions should promote good representation
Demographics
Almost all of congress are religious to some sort, mostly Christians of some sort
Overrepresentation of men, but it is becoming more even over times. Most females are democratic
Only a fifth of congress are racial minorities, but 40% of the Us pop is a minority. This margin is increasing, but slower than the percent of women
Discussion
Congress is disproportionately: Old, white, religious, wealthy, male
Can represenatives’s be effective if they don’t resembled mirror their constituents
If so, what problems might arise still, if representatives don’t resemble their constituents?
The Electoral Connection
Three main factors that affect who gets elected
Who runs for Congress
Incumbency/financial advantage
Drawing of House Districts
Typically, what might make for a good candidate? Government experience, well spoken, smart/educated, credibility/track record/history of success, money?, integrity, respectable, toughness, connections, bipartisan/diplomatic, veteran, platform/messaging, presentation
Keys to Power in Congress
Control of one or both chambers
Control of the committees
Control of the rules
Regular Order
The traditional method of lawmaking
Bills are: Proposed, Referred to the appropriate committee, if they don’t make it out of the committee, they are debated on the floor and voted on, bills can be amended to standardized language.
A long, deliberative process with many opportunities for adjustment, altercation, and also bill failure
Pros? more time to understand, fix and improve Cons? long time, chance of not making it
Unorthodox Lawmaking
Increasing replacing “regular order” in law making. (example: Omnibus budget bills)
Includes several distinct elements":
Closed Rules: Limits on amendments and debate over bills to speed legislation
Sometimes bills 1000+ pages long are made available and then voted on less than an hour later under these rules
Multiple Referral: Referring a bill to multiple committees for consideration
Prevents any individual committee from killing a bill
Why employ unorthodox lawmaking instead of regular order? More partisan
Important Considerations
Do constituents have strong opinions/knowledge on everything? (What does that mean for Congress people?) Not really. Do whatever. Lots of power in the situation.
Caucus: A group of senator or representatives who share similar interest/goals
Examples? African American, women
Congressional Staff
Congresspeople are supported by a large number of staff (11000) who help with constituents, do research, work with lobbyist, etc.
Particular committees also have attached staffers, who work on research, scheduling, etc. for the particular committee
There are several staff agencies: agencies under the legislative branch that provide Congress with resources and expertise
Key Congressional Agencies
Congressional Research Service: Researches issues for legislators pertaining to policy proposal, legislation, etc.
Congressional Budget Office: Calculates the cost of various legislative proposal
Often influential and cited very often
Calculating the cost of expansive programs like the IRA, or the ACA, ca be extraordinarily challenging
Filibuster
Filibuster: A method in the Senate only; a lawmaker can continuously speak until the supporters of a bill back down or the legislative session ends
Cloture: How you end a filibuster; 60 senators must agree to suspend debate
Recently Democrats (including VP Harris) have proposed ending the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade
Why? Pros? Cons?
In a recent famous example, Ted Cruz filibustered ACA funding, and in his hours-long speech on the floor, read his children a bible story and Dr. Suess from the Senate floor
Impeachment
Congress can vote to remove a president from office for “Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Somewhat vague language
Presidential conduct that has been deemed worthy of impeachment is very rare
Andrew Johnson dodged impeachment by
Speaker of the House
Administrative head of the Congress
Performs many procedural duties
Second in presidential line of succession
Often viewed as the leader of the party not in the presidency
Current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson
Senate Majority Leader
Performs many procedural duties
Can be the chief spokesperson for the party not in the presidency
Heavily assisted by the party’s whip
Congressional Dysfunction 1900 v. 2000s
1900
More institutional unity and adherence to the ideal of Congress as an important, deliberative body that gets things done
More workmanship and courtesy, less public attention on Congressional members
Minimal filibuster usages
Adherence to “norms”, less chaotic behavior
2000s
Increased use/threat of use of filibuster tactic
More individualistic membership
More extreme partisan examples dividing parties into different sections
Increased incentives for members to obstruct Congress and not follow norms
A Bureaucracy is
Bureaucracy: The complex structure of offices, task, rules, etc. that larger institutions ’s employ to coordinate work
Ex: U of A, Us Government, City of Fayetteville, etc.
Bureaucrats are professionals who work for a bureaucracy
Government officials, your stalwart ANG professor, Police Officers, Public school teachers
Features of Bureaucrats
One key goal is consistency; outputs should remain the same regardless of leadership, unless directives change
For example, who the Chancellor is should not affect how I teach
Street-level-bureaucrats: Lower level bureaucrats who often interact with the public and impalement policy: park rangers, teachers, customs officers
Implementation: The translation of laws into rules and/or actions
When a police officers the law, they are implementing that law
Oftentimes requires expertise/experience/special training
What do bureaucrats do?
Implements laws: Congress makes laws, but the bureaucracy puts them into effect
This falls into the gray area idea: Congress sets broad parameters, and the bureaucracy has the leeway to creatively implement tins ide those parameters as long as they stay within the boundaries Congress sets
Makes rules: Oftentimes, bureaucrats makes rules/regulations to fill in the specifics on laws and policies
When congress passes a law:
The implementation is assigned to a relevant agency
The agency studies the law and proposes rules to guide implementation to the OMB
The proposed rules are published for months-long public comment period
Public comments are then compiled and reviews and adjusted, and then sent back to the OMB for final publication
This a long, exhaustive, detailed process
About Bureaucratic Rules
They have the force of laws
Rules are easily changed from administration to administration
Lobbyist and interest groups work to affect rules as often as they seek to affect actual laws
What are some advantages of this rule making process? Gather more information about decision. Outweigh disadvantages.
Disadvantages? Time to put into affect. Differentiates from bills.
Public opinions? Feels valued. Positive of Government. Government functions more with this positive aspect.
Who do we compare government outputs and efficiency to? Governments are compared to the private sector for efficiency and adaptability, and to other governments for service quality, regulatory effectiveness, and costs.
What else do bureaucrats do?
Enforcement: Bureaucrats enforce laws and rules, giving them meaningful influence over private actors
Enforcement mechanism include warnings, fines, possible embargos, etc.
(Good example form the book: Volkswagen cheated emissions tests for years-when caught, the EPA forced them to finance clean air programs and pay 14.7 billion)
Innovation: Bureaucrats often innovate when rulemaking in the gray area; oftentimes, new technologies or policy approaches are the result
The internet came about due to bureaucratic innovation
Is the Bureaucracy Efficient?
Who do we compare the federal bureaucracy to? Private sectors
Is comparison fair? No
Is the federal bureaucracy efficient? Efficiency varies widely by agency and function. Some agencies are seen as models of efficiency, while others struggle with delays and waste
How do we define efficiency? Speed and responsiveness, Cost-effectiveness, Outcome quality
Who is held to a higher bar by the public? The Federal Bureaucracy is held to a higher bar
How to build an effective bureaucracy
What do we want in a bureaucracy? Efficient, qualified, good at job, educated, non partisan, competitive wages, good work environment, benefits/protection, union, consistency, impartiality, apolitical, clear rules and hierarchies, equal treatment, long-term employment
Important Legislation
Hatch Act: Prevents federal employees from engaging in certain political activities, especially in their work setting/context of their jobs
Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883:
Establishes that most bureaucrats are hired on the basis of merit
Prevent most bureaucrats from being fire for political reasons
Chevron and Post-Chevron
The case of Chevron v. NRDC established the precedent that when agencies are left with choices about how they implement policy, they are permitted to leverage their expertise to interprets Congress’s intent
Recently, in Loper v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court ruled that federal judges have the final say over experts in interpreting Congressional intent, even in areas where judges lack expertise (nuclear regulations, medical treatment, abortion pill access, etc.)
Red Tape
Red tape refers to excessive rules/regulations/paperwork that slow “excessively” slow down the work of the bureaucracy
For example, it can take a really long time and so, so many forms to file an application for citizenship
Red tap is often cited as symptom of slow, inefficient bureaucracy
In reality, oftentimes these inefficiencies are the results of legal, political, judicial, and feedback-based restraints, which are often intended to promote equal treatment
Shrinking the Bureaucracy: Devolution
Devolution: When a program is removed from one level of the government by passing it down to a lower level of the government (Such as from the federal level to the state level)
Supporters argue that it gives states more powers, and allows for more flexible, tailored approaches to addressing issues
Opponents argue that states have fewer resources, financially or in terms of human resources, to address these issues. Also they cite the potential for inequality on a state to state basis
Overall, devolution tends to result in a wide range of outcomes depending on the state. Some states use the opportunity to implement services to introduce innovative systems that serve citizens well, while others dismantle programs entirely that they view unnecessary
Shrinking the Bureaucracy: Privatization
Privatization: When a formerly publicly provided service is now provided by a private company, which is paid by the government to render that service
The idea is that if private companies can provide government services for less money, tax payers win and the government can provide more services or cut taxes
We see a massive spike in this practice during the early 2000s under George W. Bush, with payments for federal contracts growing by 250% in that time
The threat of privatization alone can force government agencies and departments to streamline their procedures and polices which is a positive!
However, due to limited competition and in efficiency in private industry there is no evidence that privatization saves the government, and by extension the tax payer, any money overall
Privatization Critiques
Overspending or mis-spending in Iraq and Afghanistan
Reforms that would place limits and oversight on contractors are often difficult because contractors are often large, wealthy well-connected companies
Congress blocked a bill requiring contracts to divulge their campaign contributions
Unsafe work environments (President Trump instituted a rollback on a previous ban for contractors that had work place safety, labor, or wage rate violations)
Essentially, inefficiency in public or private position is often based on a human element that is impossible to remove and om present
Federal Bureaucracy in Statistics
Beyond the military and the postal service, around 2 million people are permanently employed directly by the federal government
This is in addition to 1.2 million members of the military and 800000 postal workers
Federal bureaucrats are majority female, disproportionately white, and primarily college graduates
Upper level executives are still overwhelmingly male
4 out of 5 federal employees work outside of the Washington, D.C. area
Controls on the Bureaucracy
Judicial oversight: Federal courts have the power to judge whether executive actions are constitutional, no matter if the actor is the president or the bureaucracy
Citizen Oversight: Ordinary citizens and journalist can request most all records from federal agencies-this kind of investigation has in the past revealed bureaucratic inefficiencies/failures
Whistleblowing: Employees who report wrongdoing in their workplace
Most recently, a whistleblower report led to the first impeachment of Donald Trump
Types of Statues/Laws
Law - A binding rule of conduct, including rules created by the federal Bureaucracy
Statue - A law specifically passed by a legislative body
Criminal Law - defines crimes and specifies punishments for criminal acts.
Civil Law - disputes among individuals, groups, corporations, and other private entities.
Terminology
Plaintiff: The party that brings the case/complaint to the court. In criminal cases, always the government
Precedent: A prior similar case used by judges as a reference to decide a present case. Precedent is USUALLY followed as a guide when determining similar cases.
Stare Decisis: The idea that precedent should be respected in similar cases unless the original idea is overturned
Jurisdiction: The sphere of court’s power/authority. Can be topical, geographical etc.
Standing: The right to participate in a court case based on having a stake in the outcome
Types of Courts
Trial/District court: the first court to hear a cases
Appeals Court: the courts that hears appeal to trial court decisions
Federal Court: a court that serves as a part of the federal government system and functions in federal cases
State Court: a court that is part of a state government and functions in cases concerning state law
Bottom to Top → District → Appeals → Supreme
State > Federal (In terms of court size)
Supreme Court Jurisdiction
Cases between the US and 1 of the 50 states
Cases between two or more states
Cases involving foreign ambassadors or other ministers
Cases that involve constitutional and federal law
Cases where the US is a party
The Supreme Court determines the merits of cases-individuals cannot assert relevance and have their case heard automatically
The importance of the Federal Court System
The federal courts interpret the Constitution and federal law. (Supremacy Clause!)
The federal court hears cases involving the expanding power of the national government and serves to check it
Given their power to review state court decisions, the federal court system dominates the overall American judicial system
History of the Supreme Court
Established by Article III of the Constitution
The ONLY court established by the Constitution-the others are statutory and can be reconstructed or abolished by Congress
The Constitution does not specify the size of the Supreme Court-originally at six members, the court expanded to 7 and then its current size of 9 justices in 1869
Nominee Appointment Process
President nominates, Senate approves
There are ZERO qualifications for serving as a federal judge-only norms
Generally, normative appointees are experienced legal experts whose partisan and ideological views align with the president nominating them
The battle for court nominations, especially to the Supreme Court, is one of the most intense partisan battles in Washington, D.C.
A comparison of Term Limits
United States’ Supreme Court Justices have no term limit and no mandatory retirement age
Many other courts across the world have either term limits or mandatory retirement ages, or both
Canada, our closest neighbor and ally, has a mandatory retirement age of 75
France and Germany have term limits of 9 of 12 years, respectively
Judicial Review
Judicial Review: The power of the judiciary to examine and invalidate actions taken by the executive or legislative branches if they are found to be unconstitutional
Judicial review DOES NOT refer to a higher court’s examination of a lower court’s decisions
(Example) in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, the Supreme Court ruled that the executive branch could not deny US citizens of their due process rights, even if they were also enemy combatants
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury petitions to be allowed to fill the office he had been approved for prior to Jefferson’s election as president
Chief Justice John Marshall turns down the petition, citing it as based on an unconstitutional premise
This case set the basis for judicial review, while avoiding a power struggle with the executive branch
Judicial Review of Acts of Congress
The court’s power to review acts of Congress has not been questioned since Marbury v. Madison in 1803
In part, this is because the court tends to error on the side of constitutionality when reviewing acts og Congress
In more than two centuries fewer than 200 acts have been deemed unconstitutional by judicia review (Often controversial cases!)
Judicial Review of State Actions
The Supreme Court has frequently overturned state statues, provisions, court decisions, and local ordinances deemed contradictory to the rights and privileges granted under the constitution
Example include Brown v. board of Education, Cooper v. Harris, and Riley v. California
Judicial Review of Federal Agencies
Congress delegates the executive branch (read: federal bureaucracy) significant power to administer a wide range of programs
Courts are often called upon to determine if implementation by the executive branch is consistent with the intent of Congress
Federal agencies must develop rules and regulations to implement the policy passed by Congress that is based upon a “reasonable interpretation” of the Congressional statue
Generally the courts give a decent amount of leeway to administrative agencies as long as they follow proper procedure-however, following the overturning of the Chevron decision (See Federal Bureaucracy notes) this is somewhat in question
Judicial Review and Presidential Power
Generally, the federal court upholds powers claimed to be held by the president, which has contributed to the expansion of Presidential power over the course of American history
Technology Difficulties
One challenge for the modern court system is constantly having to update decisions to pertain to modern technology
For example, in Riley v. California, the courts ruled that warrantless search and seizure of cell phones was unconstitutional-a clarification that was unnecessary mere decades earlier
The Court System as a Reflection of Society
The power of the court and the power of judicial review, and the nature of the cases decided by the courts, change over time in response to societally changes
Examples include Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, and Obergefell v. Hodges and other assorted LGBTQ rights cases
Role of the Solicitor General
The Solicitor General serves as the top lawyer for the US government
The actions of the solicitor general in regard to the flow of cases from the government to the Supreme Court is not reviewed by ANY higher authority in the executive branch
The Solicitor General screens cases submitted by federal agencies before they are sent to the Supreme Court. Only a bare handful of agencies are exempted from this requirement, like the FCC and the Department of Agriculture
Bureaucracy → SG → USSC
Deciding Cases
Courts apply statues and legal precedents
Justices are aware of the Court’s places in history and care about protecting the Court’s reputation
Judicial philosophy
Originalism: “strictly constructionist” that refuse to go beyond the clear words of Constitution in interpretation. Typically the realm of conservative justices. Also referred to as judicial restraints or textualism
Judicial activism: those who feel the Court’s should go beyond the words of the Constitution and consider the broader societal implications. Typically the realm of more liberal justices, but can apply to conservative justices as well
Spread cut cases, incremental change,
Checks on Judicial Power
The courts cannot exercise on their own initiative
The courts lack enforcement powers on their own and must rely on executive or state agencies to ensure compliance
The president and the Congress share the composition of the Court
Congress can change the size of the court as well
Assignment Questions
What is the name for a company owned by the government?
Government Corporation
Legal Monopoly
Democratic Institution
Authoritarian Business
Which of the following did we consider a contemporary base of Presidential Power?
Position as head of party
Control of the Federal Bureaucracy
All of the choices
Appeals to the Public
What branch of the Institutional Presidency consists of the presidents closest and most political advisors?
The Office of Management and Budget
Cabinet
The White House Staff
Congress
What office in the EOP is largely responsible for crafting the federal budget?
The Cabinet
The White House Staff
The Office of Management and Budget
The Department of the Treasury
Per lecture, how many official functions does the Vice President actually have?
Dozens
1
5
2
What law (from the extra content) was passed after January 6th to make efforts like former President Trump's effort to invalidate election results more difficult?
Electoral Count Reform Act
Voting Rights Act
Civil Rights Act
Voting Transparency Act
Select the TRUE statement
A President can only issue 10 vetos a year
A veto is rarely overridden
Vetos are often overturned
A veto can only be overturned by a simple majority in the House and Senate
What type of power is it where Congress assigns/delegates power to the Executive Branch?
Implied Power
Assigned Power
Inherent Power
Delegated Power
Can Presidents deploy troops domestically when they deem it necessary to maintain public order?
Yes
No
Which of the following is NOT a power of the presidency?
Firing Federal Judges
Appointing Cabinet members
Being Commander-in-Chief of the military
Seeing that laws are faithfully executed
(From Extra Content) What social media personality is mentioned in the article as a leading source of misinformation?
Kelly Clarkson
Mark Zuckerberg
George Soros
Elon Musk
(From extra content) What country was responsible for creating the fake video of a worker ripping up Trump ballots, cursing the former president, and endorsing Kamala Harris?
Jamaica
Iran
Russia
China
Congress is disproportionately:
Wealthy
White
Religious
All of the answers
Taylen Green is a representative for Arkansas in the US House. When he votes, he votes for the bills that he thinks will best serve his constituents, regardless of whether the constituents actually support the legislation. This is an example of what kind of representation style?
Sociological
Delegate
Agency
Trustee
Which chamber of Congress tends to be more deliberative and embrace more long-term policy goals and priorities?
Senate
Federal Bureaucracy
House of Representatives
President
Which of the following is increasingly more common?
Unorthodox lawmaking
Neither of the other two answers
Regular order lawmaking
(From extra content) An AI generated (fake) video showed a poll worker in what state ripping up ballots from Trump voters and cursing the former president?
Pennsylvania
Florida
New York
Arizona
(From extra content; but also other things) Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the only way he will lose the election is if _.
He gets convicted of criminal charges
Democrats cheat in the election
The Electoral College unfairly hurts his chances
(From extra content) An election official in South Carolina notes that one of the key difficulties in fighting misinformation is how prevalent it is across the width and breadth of the internet, specifically by referring to what platform as an example?
ESPN
Nextdoor
UberEats
Glassdoor
(From extra content) Advances in what technology have made combatting misinformation much more challenging?
5G
AI
Starlink
Wafflemaking
(From the extra content) The overturning of the Chevron decision constitutes a shift in decision-making power from agencies to _.
Federal Courts
State Governments
Congress
The Presidency
The percentage of federal employees compared to the overall number of workers has _.
stayed the same
declined
increased
What legislation established the merit-based hiring system of the federal bureaucracy?
Scone Act
Hatch Act
Merit-based Hiring Act of 1965
Pendleton Civil Service Act
(From the extra content) The mother of what Supreme Court justice was the head of the EPA when the original Chevron decision was made?
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Neil Gorsuch
Samuel Alito
Who has more constraints on their potential efficiency?
The federal bureaucracy
Correct answer
Private industry
What legislation prevents federal employees from engaging in many political activities in their official roles as federal employees?
The Chili Act
The Scone Act
The Hatch Act
The Stevenson Act
A lower-level bureaucrat who likely interacts with the public is commonly referred to as a _.
teacher
implementer
street-level bureaucrat
intern
Which of the following statements about privatization is TRUE?
Bureaucrats find the threat of privatization unconcerning
Private industries are generally able to do a better job than the federal bureaucracy
Privatization is when the government takes over previously private industries
Historically, there has not been much evidence that privatization has meaningful advantages
Which of the following are examples of bureaucracies?
The US Executive Branch
All of the other choices
The City of Fayetteville government
The U of A
One of the law professors on the extra content podcast claimed that the overturning of Chevron would make it harder for the executive branch to react to _.
Polling results
State government legislation
Major crises
Resignations
Who serves as the top lawyer for the federal government?
The President
The Solicitor General
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
The Attorney General
Which Supreme Court Justice's wife works as a legal recruiter, which has potentially opened him up to ethical concerns?
Samuel Alito
Clarence Thomas
John Roberts
Neil Gorsuch
Clarence Thomas's recent ethical issues pertain to the areas of _.
all of the answers
tuition payments for a relative
luxury trips
real estate issues
The defense offered by Justice Thomas for his failure to disclose lavish gifts is that the gifts _.
are not very expensive, and thus not requiring disclosure.
are made up, and therefore irrelevant.
were from a friend, and thus not required to be disclosed.
Phillip is a justice on the Supreme Court. When he is thinking about how to rule on a case, he tends to try to focus on strictly interpreting the original intent and meaning of the Constitution. This approach is called _.
Judicial Review
Socialism
Originalism
Judicial Activism
What are some situations where recusal is required?
If your spouse is a party to a case
If judges and justices can avoid the "appearance of impropriety"
all of the answers
If a justice has a financial stake
Which Supreme Court justice sold property in Colorado to a lawyer at a law firm that often has cases before the court?
Clarence Thomas
Samuel Alito
Neil Gorsuch
John Roberts
What court case establishes the practice of judicial review?
Jordan v. Murray
Brown v. Board of Education
Gibbons v. Ogden
Marbury v. Madison
What Republican megadonor is connected with many of the ethical issues surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas?
George Soros
Theo Raven
Harlan Crowe
Elon Musk
What does the term "recusal" mean?
Recusal is where an individual justice steps back from working on/rendering a decision on a case where they might have a conflict.
Recusal is the process where a case is removed to a lower level of federal court.
The standing procedure where the Supreme Court refuses to hear any cases that might involve judicial conflicts.