American Government

 "The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced. If the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt, people must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."  Marcus Tullius Cicero

 Article II of the Constitution grants the President broad but vaguely described powers “The Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”  Other Powers Appoint heads of executive departments, dictate foreign policy, create treaties, and make judicial appointments  Executive Privilege  This is the right of the President and other high- ranking executive officers to refuse to provide informa tion to congress or a court. Nixon

 Since George Washington served as President, the powers have greatly expanded  In 1803 Thomas Jefferson Completed the Louisiana purchase. Though he felt that the constitution did not grant him the right to purchase land for the country he cited inherent powers to make the transaction.

We will be reading about the office of the president, in one large group. After we will discuss how this problem of presidential power could be facilitated.

 Abraham Lincoln also greatly expanded federal power (to the dismay of many)  He suspended habeas corpus, jailed opponents to the Union without trial, raised an army before gaining approval and blockaded southern ports. He cited that he had these powers to preserve the Union Remember Habeas Corpus is the judicial procedure that requires that you hear all charges against you prior to be placed in jail

 Franklin D Roosevelt also greatly expanded federal power  In order to combat the Great Depression, FDR expanded the role of the federal government in the economy The New Deal is a prime example  FDR also expanded the power of the federal government with the creation of The Executive Office of the President (1939). The Executive Office includes  The National Security Council, the Council of Economic Advisors, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of National Drug Control Policy

 National Security Council  The NSC is chaired by the President, it is the lead advisory board in the area of national and international security. The other members of the council include the Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, director of the CIA, and chair of the Joint Chiefs of staff  The Council of Economic Advisors  The Council of Economic Advisors is a White House staff agency created to give the President advice regarding economic and fiscal policy.

 Office of Management and Budget  The director of the OMB is appointed with the consent of the Senate and is responsible for the preparation of the federal budget. The OMB also oversees congressional appropriations  Office of National Drug Control Policy  The Office of National Drug Control Policy is chaired by a director appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate. The head of the agency is responsible for preparing recommendations on how to combat the problem of drug abuse. It also coordinates the policies of other federal agencies in this area.

 Veto  The ability to deny the passage of a bill into law  Pocket Veto  This takes place in the last 10 days of a Congressional session. This is when the executive does nothing with the bill and lets it expire

 Line Item Veto  This enabled the President to veto only certain lines or items of a bill  This was signed into law in 1996  In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled that this law was unconstitutional

 Congressional override  A veto by the President may be overturned with a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate  Other limitations include  The ability to impeach a President, the Senate's confirmation power, and the power of the purse. Impeachment is the listing of accusations against a federal official of “high crimes and misdemeanors” for the purpose of removing that official from office for such misconduct The House of Representatives initiates an Impeachment through a simple majority and the Senate tries the case.

 Bully pulpit  When the President uses the bully pulpit they are taking advantage of their ability to use the office of the Presidency to promote a particular program and/or to influence Congress to accept legislative proposals  Using the bully pulpit effectively may lead to the President being looked at as an imperial President  An imperial presidency refers to a time when the President dominates the political and legislative agenda.