The PresidencyThe Presidency

Presidential BasicsPresidential Basics

Unique officeUnique office

Unitary actorUnitary actor

Head of GovernmentHead of Government

Head of StateHead of State

Symbolic FunctionSymbolic Function

Constitutional FoundationsConstitutional Foundations

Weaknesses of Weaknesses of Articles of Articles of ConfederationConfederation

Federalist 70Federalist 70 Maintain Effectiveness Maintain Effectiveness

by not dividing by not dividing executiveexecutive

Deliberately vagueDeliberately vague Faith in WashingtonFaith in Washington

Constitutional FoundationsConstitutional Foundations

Article 2 Section 1- Article 2 Section 1- Requirements of holding officeRequirements of holding office

At least 35At least 35 Native Born CitizenNative Born Citizen No religious testNo religious test Specifies electoral processSpecifies electoral process

Article 2 Section 2-PowersArticle 2 Section 2-Powers Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief Make treaties (with consent of Make treaties (with consent of

senate)senate) AppointmentAppointment Fill Senate VacanciesFill Senate Vacancies

Constitutional FoundationsConstitutional Foundations

Article 2 Section 2-PowersArticle 2 Section 2-Powers Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief Make treaties (with consent of senate)Make treaties (with consent of senate) AppointmentAppointment Fill Senate VacanciesFill Senate Vacancies

Article 2 Section 3- Relations with CongressArticle 2 Section 3- Relations with Congress State of the UnionState of the Union Proposal of LegislationProposal of Legislation Convene and AdjournConvene and Adjourn

Article 2 Section 4- ImpeachmentArticle 2 Section 4- Impeachment2222ndnd Amendment- Limits president to 2 terms or 10 years Amendment- Limits president to 2 terms or 10 years

Selecting a PresidentSelecting a President

National ConstituencyNational Constituency

PrimariesPrimaries

General ElectionGeneral Election

Electoral collegeElectoral college Intermediate stepIntermediate step Senators plus representativesSenators plus representatives Can lead to popular winner losing electionCan lead to popular winner losing election

ApproachesApproaches

President CenteredPresident Centered

Barber’s TypologyBarber’s Typology EnergyEnergy Attitude Towards life/officeAttitude Towards life/office

Presidency CenteredPresidency Centered

Focus on situations and institutionsFocus on situations and institutions

Truth Probably a combinationTruth Probably a combination

HistoryHistory

Washington sets Washington sets precedentsprecedents

2 terms2 terms

Whiskey RebellionWhiskey Rebellion

Established CabinetEstablished Cabinet

Claimed inherent Claimed inherent powerspowers

JeffersonJefferson

Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase

NapoleonNapoleon

Little timeLittle time

Inherent powersInherent powers

JacksonJackson

First “western” First “western” presidentpresident

Common ManCommon Man

Spoils SystemSpoils System

NullificationNullification

LincolnLincoln

Civil WarCivil War

National SupremacyNational Supremacy

Inherent Powers in Inherent Powers in times of wartimes of war

Overstepped BoundsOverstepped Bounds Suspend Habeas Suspend Habeas

CorpusCorpus Expanded MilitaryExpanded Military Limited free SpeechLimited free Speech

FDRFDR

Great DepressionGreat Depression

New DealNew Deal

Expansion of Expansion of BureaucracyBureaucracy

Brownlow Brownlow Commission ReportCommission Report Executive office of the Executive office of the

PresidentPresident

Fireside ChatsFireside Chats

Formal Presidential PowersFormal Presidential Powers

Commander in chief of MilitaryCommander in chief of Military

Sets foreign policy agendaSets foreign policy agenda

Cannot commit troops for extended period Cannot commit troops for extended period without congressional approvalwithout congressional approval

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief

Congress Declares WarCongress Declares War

War Powers act 1973War Powers act 1973 Congress must authorize any operation Congress must authorize any operation

longer than 60 dayslonger than 60 days Never testedNever tested May be unconstitutionalMay be unconstitutional

Veto PowerVeto Power

Strike Down Laws proposed by congressStrike Down Laws proposed by congress

Pocket VetoPocket Veto

Line Item VetoLine Item Veto

Veto OverrideVeto Override

Implicit and explicit powerImplicit and explicit power

Power to Make TreatiesPower to Make Treaties

Agreements between nationsAgreements between nations

2/3 vote of senate2/3 vote of senate

Usually ratifiedUsually ratified

Executive OrdersExecutive Orders

Have force of lawHave force of law

Do not require congressional actionDo not require congressional action

Expire at the end of termExpire at the end of term

May be ruled unconstitutionalMay be ruled unconstitutional

Supreme power or failure of office?Supreme power or failure of office?

Pardoning PowerPardoning Power

Restore rights of criminalsRestore rights of criminals

IndividualsIndividuals

GroupsGroups

Usually controversialUsually controversial

Relations With Other BranchesRelations With Other Branches

Court- Appoints Justices, enforces Court- Appoints Justices, enforces decisionsdecisions

Congress- can convene, veto power, can Congress- can convene, veto power, can fill vacanciesfill vacancies Can suggest policicesCan suggest policices OMB driving force behind budgetOMB driving force behind budget

ImpeachmentImpeachment

Removal from OfficeRemoval from Office

High Crimes and High Crimes and MisdemeanorsMisdemeanors

Majority in house- Majority in house- ArticlesArticles

2/3 in Senate2/3 in Senate

Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson

Nixon and WatergateNixon and Watergate

Bill and MonicaBill and Monica

Executive Office of the PresidentExecutive Office of the President

Offices that work most closely with Offices that work most closely with

Office of Management and budgetOffice of Management and budget

White house officeWhite house office Closes aides to the presidentCloses aides to the president Aid in general decision-makingAid in general decision-making

National Security CouncilNational Security Council Compiles Reports from State, defense, JCSCompiles Reports from State, defense, JCS Can have large role in shaping foreign policyCan have large role in shaping foreign policy

CabinetCabinet

Close AdvisorsClose Advisors

Heads of major Heads of major DepartmentsDepartments StateState InteriorInterior JusticeJustice AgricultureAgriculture DefenseDefense etcetc

Can invite anyone Can invite anyone elseelse

Homeland SecurityHomeland Security

Can be fairly Can be fairly IndependentIndependent

Neustadt and Persuasive powerNeustadt and Persuasive power

Executive Branch more divided than framers Executive Branch more divided than framers expectedexpected

Traditional conception of power- A has Traditional conception of power- A has power over B if A can make B do something power over B if A can make B do something B would not have done otherwise.B would not have done otherwise.

Blunt ForceBlunt Force

Neustadt- Power as persuasionNeustadt- Power as persuasion

Changing minds less costly, more powerfulChanging minds less costly, more powerful

Persuasive PowerPersuasive Power

President uniquely ablePresident uniquely able

Professional reputationProfessional reputation

Public supportPublic support

Powers of officePowers of office

Presidential ApprovalPresidential Approval

““Do you generally approve of the way Do you generally approve of the way ________ is handling his job as ________ is handling his job as president?”president?”

Important resourceImportant resource

Increased Bargaining PowerIncreased Bargaining Power

More successful with congressMore successful with congress

Success brings successSuccess brings success

Presidential ApprovalPresidential Approval

Character vs. Character vs. CompetenceCompetence

The case of Bill The case of Bill ClintonClinton

The case of Jimmy The case of Jimmy CarterCarter

Competence trumpsCompetence trumps

Figure 1: Presidential Honesty and Job Approval 1993-1999

0

20

40

60

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Year

Per

cen

t Y

es Job Approval

Honest andTrustw orthy

Sources of Approval (or lack Sources of Approval (or lack thereof)thereof)

The economyThe economy Both current performance and expectationsBoth current performance and expectations Economy as a whole more important than personalEconomy as a whole more important than personal

Presidential “drama”Presidential “drama”

War/foreign policyWar/foreign policy

Media CoverageMedia Coverage

PrimingPriming Focusing attention on particular areas Focusing attention on particular areas Can help or hurt overall approvalCan help or hurt overall approval

Rally EffectsRally Effects

The strange case of the Bay of PigsThe strange case of the Bay of Pigs

Rallying around the FlagRallying around the Flag

Iran Hostage CrisisIran Hostage Crisis

9/119/11

Wagging the Dog?Wagging the Dog?

Going PublicGoing Public

President persuades the publicPresident persuades the publicBuild support for own programsBuild support for own programsCongress hesitant to go against strong Congress hesitant to go against strong public opinionpublic opinionMore frequent More frequent Tips balance of powerTips balance of powerMore popular presidents more effectiveMore popular presidents more effectiveLong run harm?Long run harm?

Agenda SettingAgenda Setting

Defines what issues are Defines what issues are important for politicsimportant for politics

Media a key sourceMedia a key source

President Responsive to President Responsive to public agenda, real world public agenda, real world eventsevents

President also able to set President also able to set agenda in some casesagenda in some cases

State of the Union State of the Union addressaddress

Health Care-1994Health Care-1994 21% think It is most 21% think It is most

important Problemimportant Problem 25% of State of the Union25% of State of the Union 31% think it is most 31% think it is most

important problemimportant problem

The president and PrimingThe president and Priming

Priming- Changing Priming- Changing grounds of evaluationgrounds of evaluationPresident has incentive to President has incentive to focus attention where is focus attention where is strongstrongKennedy- Relied Heavily Kennedy- Relied Heavily on Pollson PollsEmphasis on issues Emphasis on issues where public agreed with where public agreed with himhim

2001 State of the Union 2001 State of the Union AddressAddressPrior Prior

30% Terrorism Most 30% Terrorism Most ImportantImportant

30% Economy30% Economy

Speech focuses nearly Speech focuses nearly 50% of text on the War 50% of text on the War on terroron terrorViewers much more likely Viewers much more likely to base overall to base overall evaluations on terrorismevaluations on terrorismSmall bump in overall Small bump in overall approvalapproval