Ap u.s. government & politics Wednesday, January 31, 2018

State of the union address discussion 7 Minutes

Warm-Up #1: Practice MCQ The usefulness to the President of having cabinet members as political advisors is undermined by the fact that: a. The President has little latitude in choosing cabinet members. b. Cabinet members have no political support independent of the President. c. Cabinet members are usually drawn from Congress and retain loyalties to Congress. d. The loyalties of cabinet members are often divided between loyalty to the President and loyalty to their own executive departments. e. The cabinet operates as a collective unit and individual members have no access to the President.

Warm-Up #2: Practice MCQ When selecting a vice--‐presidential candidate, a presidential nominee is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who: a. Has significant personal wealth. b. Adds balance and appeal to the national ticket. c. Comes from the same ideological wing of the party as the President. d. Can serve as the most important domestic policy advisor to the President. e. Can effectively preside over the Senate.

An Environmental Crisis A Canadian oil tanker runs aground off the coast of Alaska, spilling several millions of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. The spill has the potential to cause irreparable environmental damage – to several species of sea life, and to the Alaskan coast. What should the President do to address this issue? Advice from: Interior Department? State Department? Defense Department? Justice Department?

Presidential advisors: the presidential staff

The organization of the White House staff is largely up to each President. But, four offices within the Executive Office of the President are more or less permanent: 1) National Security Council 2) Council of Economic Advisors 3) Office of Management and Budget 4) Office of the Chief of Staff (aka, the White House Staff)

National Security Council: Headed by the President’s National Security Advisor Army General H.R. McMaster

Council of Economic Advisors: Headed by the President of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn, formerly an executive at Goldman Sachs -2015 Salary: $21 million -Severance package upon leaving Goldman to join the Trump Administration: $285 million, mostly in Goldman Sachs stock

Office of Management and Budget: Headed by the OMB Director OMB is responsible for compiling the President’s annual Budget Proposal Mick Mulvaney, former Congressman from South Carolina

Office of the Chief of Staff: Runs the day-to-day operations in the “West Wing” (White House Offices) Headed by the Chief of Staff: Responsible for the President’s daily schedule, daily operations, and Access to the President Often a close personal advisor to the President John Kelly, former Marine Corps General

Other Officials in the Office of the Chief of Staff: Deputy Chief of Staff (Kristjen Nielsen) Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs (Rick Dearborn)

The Office of the Chief of Staff typically includes a number of other advisors to the President

White House Communications Director Head of the Office of Communications Responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the President and leading its media campaign Usually reports to the Chief of Staff Hope Hicks, former Trump Organization employee

White House Press Secretary Reports to the Communications Director Runs the Daily White House Press Briefings Sarah Huckabee Sanders

White House Counsel: The President’s chief legal advisor Ty Cobb – President Trump has also hired a personal lawyer to advise him on the White House response to the ongoing Russia investigations Donald McGahn, White House Counsel, former Chief Counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee

The First Lady: Wife of the President Important partner of the President in his role as Head of State

What Else? The First Lady has her own Office in the West Wing Often, she will be given responsibility for one or more specific policy initiatives But…it is entirely dependent her individual interests and abilities

Exit Ticket: Practice MCQ Which official is responsible for overseeing the construction of the President’s annual Budget Proposal to Congress? A. White House Chief of Staff B. President of the Council of Economic Advisors C. Director of the Office of Management and Budget D. White House Counsel E. Secretary of the Treasury

Practice FRQ #11 Presidents are generally thought to have advantages over Congress in conducting foreign policy because of the formal and informal powers of the presidency.   a. Identify two formal constitutional powers of the President in making foreign policy. b. Identify two formal constitutional powers of Congress in making foreign policy. c. Identify two informal powers of the President that contribute to the President’s advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy. d. Explain how each of the informal powers identified in (c) contributes to the President’s advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy.

Homework Textbook, Chapter 11: Reading & Outline Due Tomorrow Vocab Quiz Tomorrow