Executive

Question 1

What are formal (enumerated) powers of the president?

Answer 1

Written explicitly in the constitution
- approve legislation
- State of the union
- appointments
- executive power
- grant reprieves and pardons
- convene special sessions of congress
- commander in chief
- make treaties
- receive ambassadors
- role as head of state & govt

Question 2

What are the details of the president’s formal power to approve legislation?

Answer 2

The president signs a bill and then it becomes law
A president has 10 days to decide what to do with a bill after that action on the bill becomes automatic i.e. pocket veto

Question 3

Give an example of the president approving legislation?

Answer 3

• in 2018 Trump signed legislation that allowed websites to be prosecuted for facilitating online sex trafficking
• the power of the veto - Obama vetoed keystone pipeline bill (2015)

Question 4

What are the details of the president’s formal power of his state of the union address?

Answer 4

• Annual legislative request from president to congress

Question 5

What is a state of the union address?

Answer 5

The annual address delivered by the president in congress outlining his legislative agenda for the coming year

Question 6

Give an example of a state of the union address

Answer 6

failure = Obama on immigration reform (2016) he relied on exec actions instead

success = Obama on gay rights (2010) ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ repeal act signed

Question 7

How much power does the president’s formal power of approving legislation give him?

Answer 7

Quite powerful but can’t always exercise these powers as a healthy relationship is needed with congress to help pass the president’s legislative program

Question 8

What are the details of the president’s formal power to appoint government officials?

Answer 8

• Typically president’s appoint around 4000 officials and around 1200 of those need senate confirmation e.g. sc justices

Question 9

Give an example of a presidential appointment

Answer 9

• Trump appointed Brett Kavanaugh (2018) & Amy Coney Barett (2020) to the SC
• Obama made 32 recess appointments

Question 10

What are the details of the president’s formal executive power?

Answer 10

executive power is allowed by article II of the constitution - allows a president to carry out policy aims without congressional approval e.g. exec orders, signing statements etc

Question 11

Give an example of executive power?

Answer 11

executive orders - used to create & shape policy when congress would not pass a law that the president wanted e.g. 2009 Obama EO13492 which ensured unlawful interrogation

Question 12

What are the details of the formal power of the president to grant reprieves and pardons?

Answer 12

• the president has the right to pardon (forgive federal not state offences)
• can grant reprieves - reducing the sentence issued fora crime or free people from a current sentence

Question 13

Give examples of a president granting reprieves and pardons

Answer 13

Donald Trump made a total of 237 pardons whilst on office

on his last day in office Obama issued 330 commutations to people convicted of drug offences

Biden pardoned federal marijuana offences of simple possession - 2022 (this lifts barriers to housing, educational opportunities & educational opportunities)

Question 14

What are the details of the president’s formal power to convene special sessions of congress

Answer 14

• the power to call a special session of congress - can call either or both houses back from recess (rarely used today)

Question 15

Give an example of the president using his formal power to convene special sessions of congress

Answer 15

the whole of congress has been recalled to deal with international situations e.g. Roosevelt convened a special session in 1939 regarding US neutrality in what would be WW2

Question 16

What are the details of the president’s formal power of being commander in chief?

Answer 16

the president is constitutionally the head of the navy & army yet only congress can declare war - this power increased after passing the war powers resolution act (1973)

Question 17

What are the details of the president’s formal power to make treaties?

Answer 17

the president (with the senate’s consent) has the right to create treaties with other nations - a president can leave a treat without asking a senate

executive agreements are similar to treaties yet don’t require senate approval

Question 18

Give an example of the president negotiating a treaty

Answer 18

the new strategic arms reduction treaty in 2010 required negotiation by the president and 2/3rds of senate approval

Question 19

What are the details of the president’s formal power to receive ambassadors?

Answer 19

as the head of state the president receives ambassadors from foreign nations - the president can use this power to recognise nations and decide with whom the US is prepared to work with

A FOREIGN POWER

Question 20

Give an example of a president receiving ambassadors

Answer 20

President Bush recognised Kosovo in 2008

President Obama recognised Sudan in 2011

Question 21

What are the details of the presidents formal power as the head of state and government?

Answer 21

head of state, highest ranking position in state = ceremonial roles, greater oversight over foreign policy

head of govt = dealing with domestic policy, national budget, preside over the cabinet and the exec branch

Question 22

Give examples of the president fulfilling his role as head of state

Answer 22

ceremonial roles = the annual pardoning of the turkey

greater oversight over foreign policy = attending world summits like G7 or G20 as head of state, brokering deals & treaties on behalf of the US

Question 23

Give an example of how the president fulfils his role as head of government

Answer 23

responsible for EXOP
signs & veto’s legislation

Question 24

What five powers does the constitution give the vice president?

Answer 24

• presiding officer of the state
• voting in the case of a tied vote in the senate
• counting the ECV’s after a presidential election
• Becoming president (if the current president dies, resigned or is impeached)
• Becoming acting president when the president is declared or declares himself disabled

Question 25

Give an example of a VP voting in the case of a tied vote in the senate

Answer 25

VP Mike Pence voted 13 times in the senate more than most VP's (Trump's VP)

Question 26

How many times has the VP had to become president in the event of death, resignation or impeachment of the current president?

Answer 26

This has occurred a total of 9 times

Question 27

What are the informal source of power for the president? (not explicitly stated in the constitution)

Answer 27

The cabinet Powers of persuasion executive office of the president White House office (WHO) National Security Council (NSC) Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Question 28

Who coined the phrase 'power of persuasion'?

Answer 28

Coined by neustadt as he suggested that the power of the presidency is the power to persuade

Question 29

What is the power of persuasion?

Answer 29

The president uses personal influence, authority of office and political capital to obtain the support of key political figures

Question 30

How can the president use his power of persuasion?

Answer 30

- persuade through appealing directly & morally to congress - use White House as a 'bully pulpit' (a strong & significant platform from which the president can advance his policy) - personal interactions/inducements to members of congress

Question 31

Give an example of the president persuading through appealing directly & morally to congress (power of persuasion)

Answer 31

Obama's rose garden speech 2013 - convinced them of the need to take military action in Syria

Question 32

Give an example of the president using the White House as a bully pulpit (power of persuasion)

Answer 32

Obama address from the Oval Office in 2015 to call for gun control after the San Bernardino shooting

Question 33

Give an example of the president using personal interactions & inducements to persuade members of congress (power of persuasion)

Answer 33

Obama's deputations chief of staff Messina called senators to ensure that they would still vote to ratify Sotomayor after a difficult quote came to light during her confirmation hearings

Question 34

What can effect the president's power of persuasion?

Answer 34

- Dependent on popularity i.e. the more pop a president the more likely congress is to listen to him - Determined by a president's personal style and how they utilise their skills e.g. charisma, telegenic etc

Question 35

How does the president's cabinet act as an informal source of power?

Answer 35

- Advisory body for the president, comprised of 15 heads of department who are largely experts in their field - They help the president form policy objectives - Undertake work on behalf of the president - They can make the cabinet 'look like America' (reflect the different ages, ethnicities, genders etc in America)

Question 36

Give an example of the president's cabinet undertaking work on behalf of him?

Answer 36

Mike Pompeo (CIA director) meeting with the Mexican president on behalf of Trump

Question 37

Give an example of a diverse cabinet

Answer 37

Obama's cabinet - 7 women, 4 African Americans, 3 Asian Americans, 2 Hispanics, 2 republicans - helps president appeal to a wider demographic

Question 38

What is the executive office of the president?

Answer 38

Contains the top staff agencies in the White House that assist the presidents in carrying out the major responsibilities of presidential office - is organised by the president himself

Question 39

What three agencies are a part of EXOP?

Answer 39

NSC (national security council) WHO (white house office) OMB - (office of management & budget)

Question 40

What is the role of the office of management & budget?

Answer 40

- to oversee the spending of all federal departments and agencies - key public role = to develop the annual budget for the president for submission to congress - to act as a clearing house for all legislative and regulatory initiatives coming from the president

Question 41

What is the role of the White House office?

Answer 41

- the personal office of the president containing the staff who facilitate the president's communication with congress, department/agency heads & the press/public

Question 42

What is the role of the national security council?

Answer 42

The NSC advises the president on matters of national security & foreign policy

Question 43

Give evidence that the cabinet is still important

Answer 43

- it contains some of the most important people in the executive branch e.g. secretary to state etc - all the heads of the 15 exec departments are automatically members - the president always chairs the meetings - cabinet meetings can fulfil a number of important functions for both the president & cabinet officers

Question 44

Give evidence that the cabinet isn't still important

Answer 44

- article II of the constitution vests 'all executive power' in the president - there is no doctrine of collective responsibility (like in the UK) - the members are neither the president's equals or political rivals - EXOP is the main source of advice giving (cabinet = redundant)

Question 45

Who is the head of the White House office?

Answer 45

the White House chief of staff

Question 46

Why can rivalries develop between EXOP & the cabinet?

Answer 46

- cabinet members can feel out of the loop as EXOP members know what the president wants from day to day, EXOP members see the president on a regular basis - EXOP members work only for the president but cabinet members have divided loyalties, can be regarded as disloyal by EXOP

Question 47

Why could it be said that the president's power of persuasion is less effective?

Answer 47

- increased party polarisation means that the president's methods are less effective than they used to be

Question 48

What is the president trying to get congress to do?

Answer 48

- pass his legislative proposals - sustain his vetoes - confirm exec and judicial nominations - ratify treaties (senate only)

Question 49

Why does a president need to persuade congress to give it's support?

Answer 49

- the president's powers are checked by congress e.g. override the veto, power of the purse etc - the president may control only one house of congress or neither (divided government) - congress can amend, delay & reject the president's legislative process

Question 50

What perks can the president use to help with the support of members of congress?

Answer 50

- phone calls to members of congress to request their support directly - support legislation important to a member of congress - invitations, social or political, to the white house - campaign for them (only applicable to members of the president's party) - go on TV to appeal directly to voters and ask them to contact their members of congress to support the president

Question 51

What is a president in the last year of his second term known as?

Answer 51

A lame duck - e.g. Obama's presidential support score was 97% when his term began (2009) and dropped to 39.3% at then end of his 8 years (2016)

Question 52

What is a presidential support score?

Answer 52

an annual statistic that measures how often the president won in recorded votes in congress

Question 53

Give evidence that the presidential power of persuasion is still important

Answer 53

- the president has no formal disciplinary hold over members of congress so POP is necessary - the president is dependent upon members of congress for legislation, confirmation of appointments & treaty ratification - POP keeps a cosy relationship between the two - the president may be faced with divided govt and so POP can help pass their policies - the president's 'direct authority' has limited use

Question 54

Give evidence that the presidential power of persuasion isn't important

Answer 54

- Partisanship makes persuasion a less useful tool for the president trying to persuade congress' members to support him - POP depends on approval ratings and is less effective with a lower approval rating - POP isn't effective for second term presidents as it is limited due to their lame duck status - Other informal powers are more important

Question 55

What is direct authority?

Answer 55

Actions the president can take which don't require congressional approval and yet can achieve some of their policy goals

Question 56

What are the four types of direct authority?

Answer 56

executive orders signing statements recess appointments executive agreements (international agreements entered without the advice or consent of the senate)

Question 57

What are recess appointments?

Answer 57

A temporary appointment of a federal office made by the president to fill a vacancy whilst the senate is in recess

Question 58

What is the imperial presidency?

Answer 58

A presidency characterised by the misuse of presidential power, especially excessive secrecy particularly in foreign policy

Question 59

What is the imperilled presidency?

Answer 59

A term coined by President Ford to refer to a presidency characterised by ineffectiveness and weakness resulting from congressional over assertiveness

Question 60

Give examples of imperial presidency

Answer 60

- in 1994 Clinton was prepared to launch an invasion of Haiti without congressional approval - Obama controversially sanctioned the death of Anwar al-Awlaki an alleged terrorist by an drone attack in 2011 - Obama launched a major offensive in Afghanistan (2010) - Trump pulled the USA out of the Iran nuclear deal , the north American free trade agreement and the Paris accord - Trump bombing ISIS fighters in 2017

Question 61

Give evidence that the president controls foreign policy

Answer 61

- the president is commander in chief - the president has the power to negotiate treaties - the president can set the tone for foreign policy - the president is globally associated with US and goes to world summits e.g. the G20

Question 62

Give evidence that the president doesn't control foreign policy

Answer 62

- Congress has the power of the purse - only Congress can declare war - The senate has to ratify treaties - Congress has the power of oversight

Question 63

What are some limits of presidential power?

Answer 63

- Congress can perform checks & balances on the president e.g. refuse to confirm SC appointments - the SC can perform judicial review (declare the president's acts unconstitutional) - interest groups - mobilise public opinion against the president's policy proposals

Question 64

What are some factors that affect presidential success?

Answer 64

- electoral mandate - public approval - first/second term - unified/divided govt - crises - personality type

Question 65

How can an electoral mandate affect a president's success?

Answer 65

- the EM is the percentage of pop vote won in the previous election and can limit the president's powers and success with legislation - Obama won 53% in 2008 & Trump 46% (2016)

Question 66

How can a president's first/second term affect their success?

Answer 66

- the president is likely to be more successful in the first 2 years of their first term than in the last 2yrs of their second term - Obama had a rating of 67% in his first term falling to 40% in his second term

Question 67

How can a president having a unified/divided govt affect their success?

Answer 67

- they are likely to be more successful in carry outing their legislative goals if their party controls both houses of congress e.g. Obama 2009 - 11 & then his later divided government which blocked his SC nominations stalling for a republican president

Question 68

How can crises affect a president's success?

Answer 68

- During crises the nation tends to look to the president for leadership and how he handles the crises can either significantly boost or reduce their public approval

Question 69

How effectively have president's achieved their aims - give examples

Answer 69

Bush effective = 'war on terror' post 9/11 created a homeland security dept that increased mass terrorist surveillance - education reform: 'no child left behind policy' saw a 2% increase in spending for inner city schools ineffective = social security reform, underestimated difficulties with passing the bill, not acted upon congress Obama effective = healthcare reform, Obamacare considerably reduced the number off adults uninsured for healthcare - successful in ending the war in Iraq ineffective = failed to achieve immigration reform - his attempt to bypass congress via exec order was eventually ruled unconstitutional by the SC in the United States v Texas ruling Trump effective = taxes and jobs - the tax and jobs act (2017) slashed corporation tax rate from 35% to 21% -& in 2019 unemployment fell to it's lowest since 1969 ineffective = failed to 'build the wall' across the USA-Mexico border - failed to replace and repeal Obamacare lack of clarity over replacement resulted in the republican senate failing to back his plans