THE PRESIDENCY 11 Theory of Knowledge/Government Ms. Halle Bauer

The executive branch should be the most powerful branch of government in the United States. Take a Stand…

What makes the American Presidency Unique?  President elected for fixed 4- year term  Popular vote + Electoral college  President selects Cabinet from outside of Congress  President is Commander-In- Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Executive  President can be removed only through conviction, impeachment, or death  President does not necessarily have Congressional backing or support  Prime Minister and Cabinet share executive power  PM remains in office as long as the majority party holds majority in Parliament  Majority party in Parliament selects the PM  PM selects Cabinet from within Parliament  PM can be removed with a vote of the majority party in Parliament or by a vote of “No Confidence” American PresidencyParliamentary System (UK)

Who has more authority? Who is more “legitimate”? Which system do you think is more democratic? Presidents v. Prime Ministers…

POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRESIDENT What is the President’s job description?

Powers of the President Explicit Powers  “Faithfully execute” the law  Article II Section 2  Commander-in-Chief  Grant Pardons  Make Treaties (2/3 Senate)  Appointments (Ambassadors, Supreme Court, Officers; Confirmed 2/3 Senate)  Article I Section 7  Veto Implicit Powers  Executive Privilege  Executive Orders  Directive to an agency instructing it to take a specific action  Dismissal  Leadership  Persuasion  Legislative agenda  Foreign policy and executive agreements with other nations

Executive Orders

Presidential Support Staff White House Office (WHO)  The West Wing  Appointed by the President  NOT confirmed by Senate  Friends of President  Oversee policies and programs of the President Cabinet  Consists of the heads of each department and 5 “cabinet-level” executives  Appointed by the President  Confirmed by the Senate  Cannot be Congressmen

TOK and the Presidency What ways of knowing should a President rely most heavily on?

HOW HAS THE PRESIDENCY CHANGED OVER TIME? The evolution of the American Presidency

The American Presidency is currently strong. The American Presidency SHOULD be strong. Take a Stand…

Presidential Powers Over Time 1933-Present: Imperial Presidency : Congress as Supreme (Except in Times of War or Crisis) Jacksonians: Expanded Power First Presidents: Modest

Is Obama an imperial President? How has he changed the Presidency, if at all? The Imperial Presidency

PRESIDENTIAL CHARACTER What defines a President’s term of office?

What traits do you think are most important for a President to embody? Presidential Character

Active Passive PositiveNegative Consistent Productive Flexible Results-oriented Rational Ambitious Aggressive in policies Powerful Perfectionist Cooperative Complacent Hopeful Not assertive Dependent Focused on rights Dutiful Inflexible Tend to withdraw

Presidential Character… What’s the ideal quadrant for a President to fall? Where does Obama belong?

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS The pathway to the Presidency

“It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of (the President). This end will be answered by committing the right of making (the choice) not to any pre- established body, but to men chosen by the people for the special purpose and at the particular conjuncture. It was equally desirable that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of al the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to so complicated an investigation.” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, No. 68 Why the Electoral College?

The Electoral College System  There are 538 electoral votes available  Each state receives one electoral vote per representative in Congress (DC has 3 votes)  270=WINNING  Winner-take-all system in 48 states and DC  If no candidate receives 270 votes, the House of Representatives votes with each state casting one vote  Jefferson in 1800, John Quincy Adams in 1824  Presidents who do not win a majority of the popular vote may be elected  Nixon v. JFK in 1960  Gore v. Bush in 2000  Only about 12 “battleground” states are relevant in Presidential elections  LIKE OHIO!!!!!!  In 2004, 50% of all campaigning money was spent in OHIO.  Voter turnout is irrelevant except in the smallest battleground states How it works…What it means…

Who are the electors?  Constitution states that no national representative or officer may serve as an elector  States determine electors  Usually determined at state party conventions  Electors are “pledged” to support candidates based on the popular vote  This is an unwritten rule, and some have cast votes according to personal ideology  1976 election would have gone to the House if an elector hadn’t voted against his party line for Reagan

Is it democratic? The Electoral College