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themoviemind.com

Presidents may be outsiders; prime ministers are always insiders, chosen by the members of the majority party in parliament

Presidents have no guaranteed majority in the legislature; prime ministers always have a majority

Divided government: one party controls the White House and another controls one or both houses of Congress

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Indirect popular election The Founding Fathers did not trust the people to make wise choices for their leaders

The Electors could select a President contrary to their state’s wishes

The number of a state’s electors are based on the total number of the state’s Senators and Representatives 538 electoral votes – 270 are required D.C. gets 3 votes 3

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48 states use a winner-take-all system (Maine and Nebraska)

If no candidate won a majority, the House would decide the election Each state gets one vote (Tie within a state, it is not counted)

The Electoral College ultimately worked differently than expected, because the Founders did not anticipate the role of political parties

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Flaws: A candidate can win the election without getting the majority of the vote

A candidate can get elected by winning the 12 largest states

Each state is guaranteed two Senate votes, regardless of its size

EX. California – 54 votes and 29 million people – 1 vote per 551,000 people

Alaska – 3 votes and 550,000 people – 1 voter per 183,000 people

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2000 election results: Bush 50,456,062 Gore 50,996,582

Florida results: Bush 2,912,790 Gore 2,912,253

Bush – 271 electoral votes – won 30 states

Gore – 266 electoral votes – won 20 states and D.C.

Clinton – Dole 45m v 37m 379-159 Reagan – Carter 489-49 Reagan – Mondale 525-13

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Effect on Elections :

Third Party Candidates – campaign strategy – Can’t win, but can affect the other candidates’ races

Two Major Candidates – campaign strategy Resources – Issues – Vice-Presidential selection

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Changes?

A direct vote would encourage 3rd party candidates – a candidate can win with a plurality of the vote or throw the election into the House

Smaller states wish to keep their advantage

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forbes.com

todaysearth.com

Forces candidates to try and reach all voters – rather than emphasizing the big states

It can benefit minorities if they vote in a block

It requires a constitutional amendment

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rhymeswithplague.blogspot.com

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The office was legitimated by men active in independence and founding politics

Minimal activism of early government contributed to lessening the fear of the presidency

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aly22345.glogster.com

schools-wikipedia.org

Relations with Congress were reserved: few vetoes; no advice from Congress to the president

The pattern among early Presidents was to serve two terms and than leave office

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buttermilkpress.com

royallyeric.blogspot.com

Potential for power found in ambiguous clauses of the Constitution—e.g., power as commander in chief, duty to “take care that laws be faithfully executed” (executive power), the State of the Union address, convene both Houses under extraordinary occasions, appointment power (domestic and foreign policy control) 14

Greatest source of power lies in politics and public opinion – the bully pulpit

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lifeforce4u.net

Legislative powers – veto, pocket veto, signing legislation –

The Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the President has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law.

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Presidents try to transform popularity into congressional support for their programs

Popularity is affected by factors beyond anyone’s control – consider Bush’s approval ratings following the September 11th attacks

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crapo.senate.gov

Mandatory (Entitlement programs) v Discretionary spending

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Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid v Defense Spending

Party Polarization – when a party or parties become divided into 2 general fields of opinion or ideology that challenges the status quo

Lame-Duck - an elected official who is approaching the end of his/her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected. 19

mychinaconnection.com

mychinaconnection.com

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Thomas E.Cronin, The State of the Presidency (Boston: Little, Brown, 1975), 110-111. Copyright © 1975 by Little, Brown and Company, Inc. Reprinted by permission. Updated with Gallup poll data, 1976-2004. Reprinted by permission of the

Gallup Poll News Service.

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Thomas E.Cronin, The State of the Presidency (Boston: Little, Brown, 1975), 110-111. Copyright © 1975 by Little, Brown and Company, Inc. Reprinted by permission. Updated with Gallup poll data, 1976-2004. Reprinted by permission of the

Gallup Poll News Service.

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Agencies which are staffed by the President’s most trusted advisors

Chief of Staff – directs all White House operations – determines the President’s calendar – who sees the President

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They do not operate or administer public programs

mediascrape.com

Peter Rouse

Rule of propinquity: power is wielded by people who are in the room when a decision is made

Pyramid structure: most assistants report through hierarchy to chief of staff, who then reports to president◦Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton (late in his administration)

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Circular structure: cabinet secretaries and assistants report directly to the president◦Carter (early in his administration)

Ad hoc structure: task forces, committees, and informal groups deal directly with president◦Clinton (early in his administration)

Ultimately most Presidents discover it is best to rely on a few key subordinates for advice 25

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Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 2003-2004 (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2003), 254-255.

An informal advisory body that serves the President’s needs

Includes 15 executive departments – created by Congress

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cryosites.com

Cabinet meetings include any official which the President approves Ex. The Vice-President Office on National Drug Control

Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President – They are approved by a majority vote in the Senate

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defense.gov

Not explicitly mentioned in Constitution

Presidents have many more appointments to make than do Prime Ministers, due to competition created by the separation of power

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whitehouse.gov

Presidential control over departments remains uncertain—secretaries become advocates for their departments – do not appoint their subordinates

These are operating agencies – they do administer public programs

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clinton2.nara.gov

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They make rules and regulations to protect the public interest – created in response to a social or economic problem

Commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate

The President has no direct control over the commissioners - politically independent

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Provide commercial services – often those that private industry is unwilling to do

Overseas one area of the Executive branch

Similar to departments, but they do not have Cabinet rank

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More difficult to get Senate confirmation/ratification approval of appointments – tougher scrutiny

Offices go unfulfilled -101 judicial vacancies in the federal district and appellate courts, with 48 presidential nominations awaiting confirmation.

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Recess appointments – “The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.” Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution

Obama’s appointments –Robert Stephen Ford as Ambassador to Syria and James Cole as deputy attorney general

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More frequent character/qualification attacks on nominees

Greater policy/ideological conflict

Narrows the field of candidates

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Compromise on choices (ideological)

Build a coalition in Congress

Appeal to the public and the media

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crooksandliars.com

Build additional support/coalitions with interest groups

Make interim recess appointments

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establishareconnect.com

Craig BeckerNLRB

lawmemo.com

More intense background screening (avoid mistakes – “bullet-proof” candidates

Making deals ex. Using the veto as a threat

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hirepros.com

Zoe Baird“Nanny Gate”

time.com

Veto message sent within ten days of the bill’s passage

Pocket veto (only before Congress adjourns at the end of its second session)

Congress rarely overrides vetoes President does not hold line-item veto power

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When Clinton was president, Bush Sr, Reagan, Carter, Ford and Nixon were all alive

Nixon died during the Clinton AdministrationThere were also 6 during Bush 2's first term. Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Ford and Carter. Although at this time Reagan was no longer making public appearances so there was never the photo op of them all together.

There is actually a third period in 1861-2 there were six Lincoln, Buchanan, Pierce,

Fillmore, Van Buren, Tyler Six 42

Only fifteen of forty-one presidents have served two full terms (George W. Bush was the 15th.)

Eight vice presidents have taken office upon the president’s death

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geraldfordfacts.com

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John Tyler – William H. Harrison Milliard Fillmore – Zachary Taylor Andrew Johnson – Abraham Lincoln Chester Arthur – James Garfield Theodore Roosevelt – William McKinley Calvin Coolidge – Warren Harding Harry Truman – Franklin D. Roosevelt Lyndon Johnson – John F. Kennedy

Gerald Ford – Richard Nixon

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Only five vice presidents won the presidency in an election without having first entered the office as a result of their president’s death

Only nine have been elected President

The vice president presides over Senate and votes in case of tie

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John Adams 1796 Jefferson 1800/1804 Van Buren 1836 T Roosevelt 1904 (after succeeding to

Presidency) Coolidge 1924 (do.) Truman 1948 (do.) LB Johnson 1964 (do.) Nixon 1968 (after retiring from Vice-

Presidency) GHW Bush 1988

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Allows vice president to serve as acting president if president is disabled

Illness is decided by president, by vice president and cabinet, or by two-thirds vote of Congress

The new vice president must be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses

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Indictment by the House, conviction by the Senate

Presidential examples: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon (pre-empted by resignation), Bill Clinton

Neither Johnson nor Clinton was convicted by the Senate

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