Chapter 9: Presidential Leadership Section 1: Presidential Powers

Influences on Presidential Power The immediate needs of the nation The immediate needs of the nation The personal energy and influence of each president The personal energy and influence of each president The mandate (expressed will of the people) The mandate (expressed will of the people)

Need for a Strong Executive  One of the biggest weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation was its lack of an independent executive  Article II gives the president broad, vague powers (see chapter 8 notes)

Congressional Limits on Presidential Power 1. The power to pass legislation over a president’s veto (congressional override) 2. The Senate’s confirmation power 3. The power of the purse 4. The power to impeach the president

Judicial Limits on Presidential Power  The federal courts have a constitutional power to limit a president

Bureaucratic Limits on Presidential Power  Bureaucrats can obstruct presidents’ programs unintentionally by… failing to provide needed information failing to provide needed information Misinterpreting instructions Misinterpreting instructions Neglecting to complete a task properly Neglecting to complete a task properly

Public Opinion Limits on Presidential Power  Public opinion, especially through the use of mass media, supports the checks and balances that serve to limit the powers of a president

Section 2: Roles of the President

Head of State  The president represents the nation and performs many ceremonial roles

Chief Executive  The president sees that the laws are carried out by… 1. Executive orders 2. Appointing 2,200 top-level federal officials 3. Removing officials they have appointed 4. Impoundment (refusing to spend money Congress has appropriated for a certain purpose)

Reprieves and Pardons  Reprieve—postponement of legal punishment  Pardon—release from legal punishment

Amnesty  Group pardon to people for an offense against the government

Economic Planner  The president supervises preparing the federal budget and spends many months with budget officials deciding what government programs to support and what programs to cut back

Chief Legislator  Congress expects the president to propose legislation it wishes to see enacted  Many proposals are made in the annual State of the Union speech

Party Leader  Gives speeches to help party members running for office and attends fundraisers  Selects the party’s national chairperson  Helps plan the party’s future election strategies

Chief Diplomat  The president directs foreign policy of the United States

Chief Diplomat (continued) 1. Negotiates and signs treaties (formal agreements between the governments of two or more countries) 2. Makes executive agreements (pacts between the president and the head of a foreign government) 3. Decides whether the government will recognize the governments of other countries

Commander in Chief  Has power to make war  Makes key military decisions

Section 3: Styles of Leadership

Increased Responsibilities  Americans look to the president to exercise strong leadership, to keep the peace, and to solve economic and social problems

Leadership Qualities and Skills  Understanding the public In his 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton told AIDS demonstrators, "I feel your pain."

Leadership Qualities and Skills (continued)  Ability to communicate “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Leadership Qualities and Skills (continued)  Sense of timing President George H.W. Bush, just before leaving office, and his Russian counterpart, Boris Yeltsin, signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty – Start II – in Moscow, the biggest reduction in nuclear arms ever.

Leadership Qualities and Skills (continued)  Openness to new ideas

Leadership Qualities and Skills (continued)  Ability to compromise

Leadership Qualities and Skills (continued)  Political courage

Presidential Isolation  Presidents can receive special treatment  Staff members can be discouraged from disagreeing  Access to the president can be limited

The Use of Executive Privilege  Executive privilege—the right of the president and other high-ranking executive officers to refuse to provide information to Congress or a court