The President and the Executive Office Ch 14 AP Government

The Prez vs a Prime Minister  Elected by people  Outsider  Cabinet is outsiders  Unified/divid ed  Elected from legislature  Insiders  Cabinet are politicians  Guaranteed unified

Divided/Unified KKeep an eye on Gridlock CChecks and Balances

Early on…The Framers…  Fear of a monarch  Tool of Congress  Had to balance the power of the Office

Traditions, traditions, traditions  Most power became defined by the President (Washington)  Most powers were boldly taken  Traditions became policy  The early period

The Electoral College DDesigned to keep the “common” people from actually choosing YYou vote for electors who elect the President IIntention was for the House to choose often?

Electoral College numbers  538  Need 270 to win  Ohio=20 (Reps+Senators)

The Intent of the EC  No one would get 270—regional candidates would divide the vote  The House would have to choose  Election of 1800=Monkey wrench

Election of 1800  TJ, AB, AH  The vote that wouldn’t end  The Duel  The 12 th Amendment

Jackson  Give your buddies a job  Patronage/Spoils System  Kept the Democrats in office for 40 or so years  Congress is more powerful than the President over this time period

Lincoln  Civil War gives him power  Start of Republican Presidents  Congress control reconstruction however

Hoover/FDR  Hoover fails to control fiscal policy  The Depression gives way to FDR  The office gains much strength  Still strong today

Nixon  Vietnam/Foreign Policy divide the nation  Republicans take back the White House  Hold a slight edge today (the divided era)

What Power?  Page 379  Tradition, tradition, tradition…

The Constitution 3 official requirements: Natural born, 14 year resident, 35

The Benefits 24 hour -medical -secret service -staff in WH $400,000 $200,000 retirement Limos Helicopters Planes A yacht Camp David $50,000 expense acct.

The famous FDR Kennedy LincolnWashington JeffersonTrumanGrant Monroe Reagan

The infamous BuchananFord Hoover A. JohnsonPolk L. JohnsonHarrison

The Impeached A. Johnson Clinton

The help Cabinet White House Office Executive Office Agencies Independent Agencies Page 381—the set-up

3 Audiences TThe people TThe party loyalists outside of DC WWashington DC politicians

The job… Uphold the Constitution… Party leader, Chief citizen, Commander in Chief, Chief Executive, Chief Administrator, Chief Diplomat, Chief Legislator

The man… CCharacter counts (as Clinton found out and Kennedy avoided) BBe careful of the company you keep (GW Bush) WWatch what you say (Nixon)

3 ways to show power VVeto’s EExecutive privilege (questionable) DDon’t spend the money (illegal)

The Program  The 1 st term sets up the 2 nd  Only time to really shine  Checked by budget process  2 nd =Lame duck  Page 397

The real Power The Amendments PPage 406 112 220 222 225