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
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