Chapter 12 THE PRESIDENCY

Learning Outcomes 12.1 Assess whether the constitutional powers of the president form a strong basis for the modern presidency. 12.2 Illustrate how claims of inherent powers augment the formal powers of the presidency. 12.3 Assess the role played by the various Executive Branch institutions as resources for an effective president. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Learning Outcomes 12.4 Defend the argument that “Presidential power is the power to persuade.” 12.5 Compare and contrast the different roles that the president plays as national leader. 12.6 Analyze the role of the president within the context of the changing nature of global politics. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power Initial Conceptions of the Presidency Single executive chosen by Congress Seven-year term and ineligible for reelection Final proposal: concept of checks and balances Imposed important limits on presidency Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power The Powers of the President Article II of Constitution: requirements for presidency U.S.-born citizen At least 35 years of age Resident of U.S. for minimum of 14 years Responsibilities of the president Requirements: brief and vague – why? Difficulty of providing and limiting presidential power No model - no existing presidency Confidence in George Washington Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power The Powers of the President Serve as administrative head of the nation Act as commander in chief of the military Veto legislation Appoint various officials Make treaties Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Expansion of Presidential Power Formal Powers Veto power Ability to report to Congress on the state of the Union Role as commander in chief Send troops into conflict without declaration of war by Congress Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Expansion of Presidential Power The Inherent Powers Inferences drawn from the Constitution and duties outlined in Article II Executive orders – presidential directives Boundaries of inherent powers debated since 9/11 Bush expanded powers under unitary executive Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Expansion of Presidential Power Congressional Delegation of Power Gives executive branch more responsibility to administer programs to address national problems Presidential powers grow when presidents successfully challenge Congress Some cases, Congress delegates power Other cases, Congress votes to reassert congressional authority War Powers Resolution (1973) Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Executive Branch Establishment The Executive Office of the President Key aides provide advice, devise strategy, and control access to president Chief of staff National security adviser Council of Economic Advisers and National Economic Council Senior domestic policy advisers Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Captured! Captured! After American special operations forces helicoptered into Pakistan to pursue September 11th mastermind Osama bin Laden, the Navy Seals wore helmet-mounted cameras as they assaulted bin Laden’s compound. This allowed President Obama, the tension evident in his face, to watch the operation in real time on a monitor in the Situation Room at the White House. REUTERS/White House/Pete Souza/LANDOV Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Executive Branch Establishment The Executive Office of the President (cont.) Three major advisory styles Competitive management style Franklin Roosevelt Hierarchical staff model Dwight Eisenhower Collegial staffing arrangement Bill Clinton Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Executive Branch Establishment The Vice President Most important duty: take over presidency, if needed 25th amendment allows choice of new VP Traditionally, carry out political chores Campaigning Fundraising “Stroking” the party faithfully President of Senate Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Next in Line Next in Line According to the Constitution, the vice president serves as president of the Senate, a largely ceremonial role, except for the ability to cast tie-breaking votes. Vice President Joe Biden knows the Senate well, having served as a senator from the state of Delaware for thirty-six years. In the Senate, Biden served on the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees and wrote legislation such as the 1994 Violence against Women Act. Biden ran for the Democratic nomination for president twice before he was selected by Barack Obama to be the 2008 vice-presidential nominee. Brendan Simalowski/Getty Images Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The Executive Branch Establishment The Cabinet Heads of departments of executive branch and small number of other key officials Expanded since George Washington Today: 15 departments In theory: advisory body but in practice Too large Members have limited areas of expertise Not chosen for ability to work with president Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership Presidential Character Character matters to voters, especially leadership, integrity, and competence Presidential character at the forefront of national politics Nixon and Watergate Clinton and Monica Lewinsky Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

TABLE 12.1 Presidential Greatness Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

A Presidential Wish List Figure 12.1 A Presidential Wish List What qualities do you look for in a president? A survey asked Americans to rank various qualities and characteristics as ‘‘essential,’’ ‘‘important, but not essential,’’ or ‘‘not that important.’’ Most Americans think that it is essential that the president be a strong leader and an effective manager. A majority also believes that the president should have a good moral character and focus on uniting the country. Americans want their president to have a lot of experience in government, but not necessarily in Washington. Military service and church attendance are less relevant qualities. Source: Jeffrey M. Jones, ‘‘Wanted in the Next President: Honesty, Strong Leadership,’’ 4 April 2007, http://www.gallup.com. Copyright © 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. The content is used with permission; however, Gallup retains all rights of republication. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership The President’s Power to Persuade Presidents must have interpersonal and practical political skills Depend on others cooperation to get things done Choose battles carefully, use force of personality and prestige of office to forge agreement among differing factions Influence related to professional reputation and prestige Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership The President and the Public Presidents try to mobilize public support for proposals “Going public” – President forces compliance by appealing to constituents Monitor public opinion polls “Honeymoon period” – Typically highest approval ratings Economic conditions exert enormous impact on rating President’s concern with public opinion can be defended as means of furthering majoritarian democracy Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Figure 12.2: It All Goes Back to the Economy The economy is always critical to each president’s standing with the American public. As shown here for the Bush and Obama years, each president’s approval rating closely tracks a composite index of economic conditions as measured by the Gallup Poll. There are fluctuations reflecting events other than economic conditions, of course, but over time, there is a strong correlation between popularity and economic performance. Source: Lydia Saad, “Obama’s Job Approval Tied to Economic Confidence in 2012,” Gallup Poll, 19 March 2012. http://www.gallup.com. Copyright © 2012 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. The content is used with permission; however, Gallup retains all rights of republication. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership The Political Context Partisans in Congress Greatest success in Congress: immediately after inauguration and peak of popularity Presidential success measured by how often president wins on roll call votes Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership The Political Context Elections President only elected official charged with representing all the people During campaigns, candidates try to win votes from different groups through stand on issues Presidents use electoral mandate as majoritarian interpretation of electoral process Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Presidential Leadership The Political Context Political Party Systems Presidential leadership determined in part by Whether president is member of dominant party Whether public policies and political philosophy associated with his party have widespread support Greater opportunity to change public policy when he is in the majority and opposing party perceived to be unable to solve major national problems Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as National Leader From Political Values… Presidents differ greatly in views of the role of government. Reagan reasserted conservative philosophy, promoting reductions in government services. Different Visions Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan had strikingly different visions of American democracy and what their goals should be as president. Johnson was committed to equality for all, and major civil rights laws are among the most important legacies of his administration. He is pictured here signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Reagan was devoted to reducing the size of government so as to enhance freedom. He worked hard to reduce both taxes and spending. Left: AP Photo Right: Diana Walker/Time & Life Images/Getty Images Johnson’s strong liberal ideology was the basis for Great Society legislation. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as National Leader …to Policy Agenda Roots of policy proposals found in general political ideology of president President’s role in legislative leadership is a 20th Century phenomenon Franklin Roosevelt – critical change with his legislative program Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as National Leader Chief Lobbyist Presidents have become increasingly active in all stages of legislative process President’s legislative liaison staff work with White House, interest groups and Congress to build support for legislation Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as National Leader Party Leader Informal duty of presidency President and congressional leaders may have differing viewpoints Presidents focus more on party leadership than bridging differences between parties President: fundraiser in chief for party Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Figure 12.3: Through Partisan Eyes How we evaluate a president’s performance is strongly shaped by our own partisan predisposition. As illustrated here, Republicans were much more likely to approve of George W. Bush’s presidency than were Democrats. For their part, Democrats became quite critical of Bush after ne directed the country’s armed forces to invade Iraq. The same partisan pattern can be found in evaluations of Barack Obama. Source: Gary C. Jacobson, “Perception, Memory, and Partisan Polarization on the Iraq War,” Political Science Quarterly 152 (Spring 2010), p. 31-56. Copyright © 2010 The Academy of Political Science. Reprinted by permission. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as World Leader Foreign Relations End of WWII until late 1980s Presidents preoccupied with containing communist expansion Today’s presidents have three objectives: National security Fostering peaceful international environment Protection of U.S. economic interests Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

The President as World Leader Crisis Management Critical part of presidency Crisis Guidelines: Drawing on range of advisers and opinion Not acting with haste Having well-designed, formal review process with through analysis and open debate Rigorously examining the reasoning underlying all options to ensure assumptions are valid Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

Crisis in Camelot Crisis in Camelot In October 1962, people gathered in the electronics section of a store to watch President Kennedy address the nation on the Cuban missile crisis. When the United States learned that the Soviet union was placing missile bases in Cuba, Kennedy demanded that the Soviets remove their missiles, and he ordered a naval blockade. After seven days, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev complied with Kennedy’s demands, and direct conflict between the two major superpowers was avoided. Cuba’s leader at that time, Fidel Castro, had seized power in 1959 and aligned himself with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning