AP Government, The Executive Branch, the President

1. The Presidency

2. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

3. Chapter 13: The Presidency
 The Presidents
 Presidential Powers
 Running the Government: The Chief Executive
 Presidential Leadership of Congress: The
Politics of Shared Powers
 The President and National Security Policy
 Power from the People: The Public Presidency
 The President and the Press
 Understanding the American Presidency
 Summary

4. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 The Presidents
LO 13.1: Characterize the expectations for
and the backgrounds of presidents and
identify paths to the White House and how
presidents may be removed.
 Presidential Powers
LO 13.2: Evaluate the president’s
constitutional powers and the expansion of
presidential power.

5. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 Running the Government: The Chief Executive
LO 13.3: Describe the roles of the vice
president, cabinet, Executive Office of the
President, White House staff, and First
Lady.

6. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Poli
LO 13.4: Assess the impact of various
sources of presidential influence on the
president’s ability to win congressional
support.

7. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 The President and National Security Policy
LO 13.5: Analyze the president’s powers in
making national security policy and the
relationship between the president and
Congress in this arena.

8. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 Power from the People: The Public Presidency
LO 13.6: Identify the factors that affect the
president’s ability to obtain public support.

9. Chapter Outline and
Learning Objectives
 The President and the Press
LO 13.7: Characterize the president’s
relations with the press and news coverage
of the presidency.
 Understanding the American Presidency
LO 13.8: Assess the role of presidential
power in the American democracy and the
president’s impact on the scope of
government.

10. The Presidents
LO 13.1: Characterize the expectations for
and the backgrounds of presidents and
identify paths to the White House and how
presidents may be removed.
 Great Expectations
 Who They Are
 How They Got There
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

11. The Presidents
 Great Expectations
Americans want a president who is
powerful and who can do good like
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln,
Roosevelt, and Kennedy.
Yet Americans do not like a
concentration of power because they
are individualistic and skeptical of
authority.

12. The Presidents
 Who They Are
Formal Requirements:
• Must be 35 years old
• Must be a natural-born citizen
• Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years
Informal “Requirements”:
• White (except one), Male, Protestant
(except one), married,…?
All manner of professions, but mostly
political ones (former state governors,
for example)

13. Constitutional Requirements
to Hold Office
 At least thirty-five years of
age
 John F. Kennedy, at the
age of forty-three, was the
youngest to be elected. T.
R.?
 Natural-born citizen
 Martin Van Buren, born in
1782, was the first
president born under the
U.S. flag.
 Resident of the United
States for fourteen years
Martin Van Buren

15. 2009

16. Pres Term Party Background Events
Barack Obama – 2008 - 2016 Dem Senator
Community Activist - Iraq War
- Economic
Recession
- Affordable
Care Act
- Executive
Action
Immigration

17. Term of Office
 The president serves a four-year term.
 The Constitution did not limit the number of terms
that could be served.
 President Washington left office after two terms,
thereby establishing the tradition of a two-term
presidency.
 President Roosevelt was elected to four terms.
 Twenty-second Amendment limits president to two
terms.

18. Line of Succession
 Succession Act of 1947 and 25th
Amendment provides for the
constitutional line of succession in
case of incapacity:
Vice President,
Speaker of the House,
president pro tempore of the Senate,
cabinet departments by date of
creation.

19. The Presidents
 How They Got There
Elections: The Normal Road to the
White House
• Most presidents have been elected to
office (Elections and Campaigns, 9/10)
• Once elected, the president serves a term
of four years
• In 1951, the 22nd
Amendment limited the
number of terms to two or a maximum of
10 years

20. The Presidents
 How They Got There
 Succession and Impeachment
• The vice president succeeds if the president
leaves office due to death, resignation, or
removal.
• Impeachment: a majority vote in the House for
“Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and
Misdemeanors”
• If impeached, the president is tried by the Senate
with the Chief Justice presiding.
• Only two presidents have been impeached--Andrew
Johnson and Clinton—neither was convicted.
• The 25th
Amendment clarifies what happens if the
president becomes disabled.
• The vice president becomes acting president if the
vice president and president’s cabinet determine
that the president is disabled.

21. Harrison: Died of pneumonia Taylor: Died of gastroenteritis
Lincoln: Assassinated Garfield: Assassinated
McKinley: Assassinated Harding: Died of a heart attack
FDR: Died of a cerebral hemorrhage JFK: Assassinated
Nixon: Resign

22. Vice President
 - the Constitution gives the VP two
duties
- President of the Senate
- “Back-up QB” and help decide if
president is disabled
“heartbeat away from the presidency”
- Usually picked to “balance the ticket”

23. Presidents Roles
 Chief of State
 Chief Executive
 Chief Administrator
 Chief Diplomat
 Commander in Chief
 Chief legislator
 Chief of Party
 Chief Citizen

24. The President as Chief of State
As the leading representative of the U.S. government, the President:
- Attends historical celebrations, dedicates new buildings and national parks,
presents awards to war heroes, and invites distinguished Americans to the
White House among other things.
-The President represents the United States in visits to other countries.
-In addition, the chief executive greets visiting foreign officials and often hosts
formal White House dinners for them.
1. Give at least three powers the President has as Chief of State.
2. Give two examples of these powers specifically to the two Presidents above.

25. The President as Chief Executive
The President uses a variety of powers to carry out administrative duties. Federal laws
give the President authority to prevent or end a national emergency.
The President may issue executive orders—directions, proclamations, or other
statements that have the force of laws. They require no action by Congress -
Emancipation Proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, during the Civil War.
The President nominates Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, and other high
federal officials. All such top appointments require Senate approval.
1. Give at least five powers the President has as Chief Executive.
2. Give three examples of these powers specifically by the three Presidents listed above.

26. The President as Foreign Policy Director “Chief Diplomat”
The Constitution gives the President power to appoint ambassadors, make
treaties, and receive foreign diplomats.
The President also proposes legislation dealing with foreign countries.
Treaties and ambassadors appointed by the President must be approved by
the Senate. The President may make executive agreements with foreign
leaders.
Some Presidents have played a key role in settling disputes between foreign
nations. For example, Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for
helping end the Russo-Japanese War, and Woodrow Wilson helped work out
the peace treaty that ended World War I.

27. The President as Commander in Chief
The President’s main duties as commander of the nation’s armed services are to
defend the country during wartime and to keep it strong during peacetime.
The chief executive appoints all the nation’s highest military officers and helps
determine the size of the armed forces. Only the President can decide whether
to use nuclear weapons.
Only Congress can declare war. But Presidents have sent troops into conflicts
that were equal to war though none was declared.
1. Give at least three powers the President has as Commander in Chief.
2. Give two examples of these powers specifically the two Presidents above.

28. The President as Legislative Leader “Chief Legislator”
The President greatly influences the development of many laws passed by
Congress. The President delivers a State of the Union Address to the lawmakers.
In this message, the President discusses the major problems facing the nation
and recommends a legislative program to solve them
The Constitution allows the President to veto any bill passed by Congress.
1. Give at three examples the President has as the Legislative leader?
2. Has our President recently used any of these powers today in the news? If yes list and explain if not you
are wrong and must think again.

29. The President as Party Head “Chief of Party”
As leader of a political party, the President helps form the party’s position on
all political candidates’ important issues
A strong party makes it easier to pass the President’s legislative program.
However, Presidents cannot always control members of their party in Congress.
Senators and representatives are usually loyal to the people in their state and
local district. They may vote against a bill favored by the President if it meets
with opposition at home.

30. Chief Guardian of the Economy
The President keeps a wat ch
over American j obs and
businesses t hrough meet ings
wit h cabinet of f icials and
business of f icials

31. The President as Chief
Citizen
 The President is the moral leader for
all Americans
 The President needs to do what's best
for the whole nation not just special
interests

32. Running the Government:
The Chief Executive
 As Chief Executive, the president
presides over the administration of
government.
Constitution: “take care that the laws
be faithfully executed”
Today, federal bureaucracy spends
$3.6 trillion a year and numbers more
than 4 million employees.
Presidents appoint 500 high-level
positions and 2,500 lesser jobs.

33. Running the Government:
The Chief Executive
 The Cabinet
Presidential advisors, not in
Constitution
Made up of 14 cabinet secretaries and
one Attorney General, confirmed by
the Senate

34. Obama’s Cabinet

35. Running the Government: The Chief Executive
 The Executive Office
 Made up of several policymaking and
advisory bodies
 Three principle groups: NSC, CEA, OMB

36. Running the Government:
The Chief Executive
 The Executive Office
 National Security Council (NSC)
• Created in 1947 to coordinate the president’s
foreign and military policy advisers
• Members include the president, vice president,
secretary of state and defense, and managed by
the president’s national security adviser
 Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
• A 3-member body appointed by the president to
advise on economic policy
 Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• Performs both managerial and budgetary
functions, including legislative review and
budgetary assessments of proposals

37. Running the Government:
The Chief Executive
 The White House Staff
 Chief aides and staff for the president—
some are more for the White House than the
president
 Presidents rely on their information and
effort but presidents set tone and style of
White House
 The First Lady
 No official government position, but many
get involved politically
 Recent ones focus on a single issue
• Michelle Obama on Healthy eating/childhood
obesity and education

38. The First Lady
 The role of the first
lady has been
changing over the
last forty years.
 Hillary Clinton has
been much more
active with regard to
domestic policy than
were other first
ladies.

39. First Lady
 Michelle Obama
 2015

40. West Wing Season 1West Wing Season 1
Mandy
Hampton –
Political
Consultant
Sam Seaborn –
Deputy
Communications
Director
Josh Lyman
– Deputy
Chief of Staff
Leo McGarry –
Chief of Staff
Jed Bartlet
– President
Toby Ziegler –
Communications
Director
CJ Cregg
– Press
Secretary
Charlie
Young –
Personal
Aide to
the
President
Donna
Moss –
Assistant
to Josh
Lyman

42. Presidential Powers
 Six Main Powers of the President
Appointment power
Power to convene Congress
Power to make treaties
Veto powers
Commander and chief
Pardoning power

43. Presidential Powers
 The Expansion of Power
Presidents may develop new roles for
and expand power of the office.
 Perspectives on Presidential Power
 Early Years limited power
 Civil War years lead to expansion
 Great Depression – more expansion
 During the 1950’s and 1960’s people favored a
powerful president.
 By the 1970’s, presidential power was checked and
distrusted by the public.

44. Expansion of Presidential
Powers
 Executive Orders - have the same effect as law.
Bypassing Congress. FDR used more than any other
Pres.
 Truman – desegregated the military in 1948
 Japanese Relocation
 Eisenhower sent troops to Little Rock in 1957
 Signing Statements – may be added by the President
when signing a bill in to law. Explain how the Pres
interprets or intends to enforce it.
 Executive Privilege – not in the Constitution. Certain
actions or discussions of the executive are private and
not subject to review by Congress of the Judicial Branch

45. Executive Order
SNL Executive Order

46. Appointment Power
 Choose top officials of the Executive
Office
Some require Senate approval
Supreme Court Justices, cabinet
members, diplomats and head of
executive agencies
There a some limits to the President’s
removal power

47. Power to Convene Congress
 The President] may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses,
or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with
Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such
Time as he shall think proper....
 Article II, Section 3
 President must inform Congress on the State of the Union (This has become
an annual televised address to a joint session of Congress though many
earlier presidents sent a written statement to Congress and dispensed with
speechmaking altogether.
 Can convene or assemble either or both houses of Congress on
"extraordinary Occasions"
 Today, Congress is virtually full-time and is in session almost year round, so
the power is not as important as it once was

48. Power to make treaties
 Chief Diplomat
 Negotiates treaties with other countries
• Treaties must be ratified by 2/3 vote in the
Senate
 Use executive agreements to take care of
routine matters with other countries
 May negotiate for peace between other
countries
 Lead U.S. allies in defense and economic
issues

49. Veto powers
 Veto: The president can send a bill back to Congress
with his reasons for rejecting it. It may be overridden
with 2/3 support of both Houses.
 Pocket Veto: A president can let a bill die by not
signing it when Congress adjourns (Congress will end
a session sometimes to prevent a bill from being sent
back to them for “reconsideration” upon a formal veto)
within 10 days of submitting a bill.
 Line Item Veto: ability to veto parts of a bill--some
state governors have it, but not the president
 Vetoes are most used to prevent legislation.

50. Commander and Chief
 War Powers
 Shared War Powers in Constitution
• Congress has the power to declare war.
• President, as Commander-in-Chief, can commit
troops and equipment in conflicts
 War Powers Resolution (1973)
• Intended to limit the president’s use of the military
• Requires president to consult with Congress prior
to using military force and withdraw forces after 60
days unless Congress declares war or grants and
extension
• Presidents see the Resolution as unconstitutional
 Presidents continue to test the constitutional limits of
using the military in foreign conflicts

51. Pardoning power
 “Judicial powers” of the President
Pardon - The power to forgive a crime.
Reprieve – postpone a sentence
Commutation – reduce the length of a
sentence
Amnesty – pardon for a large group

52. Executive Branch
 Established by Article II of the Constitution
 The Executive Branch enforces or “executes”
the laws passed by Congress
 The President is the main component of the
Executive Branch
 Madisonian System - Separation of Powers
and Check and Balances
 President is “checked” by the Legislative and
Judicial Branches.

53. Presidential Leadership: The
Politics of Shared Powers
 Party Leadership
 The Bonds of Party
• Being in the president’s party creates a psychological
bond between legislators and presidents, increasing
agreement.
 Slippage in Party Support
• Presidents cannot always count on party support,
especially on controversial issues.
 Leading the Party
• Presidents can offer party candidates support and punishment
by withholding favors.
• Presidential coattails occur when voters cast their ballots for
congressional candidates of the president’s party because they
support the president. Races are rarely won in this way.

54. Presidential Leadership of
Congress: The Politics of
Shared Powers
 Legislative Skills
 Bargaining: concessions for votes, occurs
infrequently
 Being strategic, presidents increase chances for
success by exploiting “honeymoon” at beginning of
term
 Presidents may set priorities to influence
Congress’ agenda; president is nation’s key
agenda builder

55. Presidential Leadership of
Congress: The Politics of
Shared Powers
 Public Support
Public Approval
• A source of presidential leadership of Congress
• Public approval gives the president leverage,
not command; it does not guarantee success
Mandates
• Perception that the voters strongly support the
president’s character and policies
• Mandates are infrequent, but presidents claim a
mandate anyway

56. The President and National
Security Policy
 Crisis Manager
 Crisis: a sudden, unpredictable, and
potentially dangerous event
 The role the president plays can help or hurt
the presidential image.
 With current technology, the president can
act much faster than Congress to resolve a
crisis.
 Working with Congress
 President has lead role in foreign affairs
 Presidents still have to work with Congress
for support and funding of foreign policies.

57. Power from the People:
The Public Presidency
 Going Public
Public support is perhaps the
greatest source of influence a
president has.
 Presidential appearances are staged to get
the public’s attention.
 As head of state, presidents often perform
many ceremonial functions, which usually
result in favorable press coverage.

58.  Presidential Approval
 Receives much effort by the White House
 Product of many factors: predispositions, “honeymoon,” rally
events
 Changes can highlight good or bad decisions.

59. 1/4/2009
http://www.gallup.com/poll/126149/Obama-
Approval-Rating-Continues-Hover-Around.aspx

60. Power from the People:
The Public Presidency
 Policy Support
 Presidents attempt to gain public support
through televised messages, with little
success
• The public may not be receptive to the president’s
message or misperceive it all together.
 Mobilizing the Public
 The president may attempt to motivate the
public to contact Congress.
 A difficult task, given inattentive and
apathetic public
 May backfire: a lack of response speaks
loudly

61. The President and the Press
 Presidents and media are often adversaries due to different
goals.
 Media need stories; presidents want to convey their
messages to the public
 Many people in the White House deal with the media, but the
press secretary is the main contact person.
 Press conferences are best-known direct interaction of
president and media
 Media do not focus on substance of policies but on the “body
watch.”
 News coverage of presidents has become more negative.

62. Understanding the American
Presidency
 The Presidency and Democracy
Concerns over the president having
too much power often tied to policy
concerns
Others argue there are too many
checks and balances on the president
 The Presidency and the Scope of
Government
Some presidents have increased the
functions of government.

63. Summary
 Americans expect a lot from
presidents.
 Presidents work as part of an
organization.
 Presidential leadership of Congress is
central but difficult
 Presidential roles and responsibilities,
even national security, tied to
Madisonian system of checks and
balances