Presidential Leadership April 22, 2009 U.S./VA Government

Presidential Roles Seven key duties, five based on the Constitution 1.Head of State 2.Chief Executive 3.Chief Legislator 4.Chief Diplomat 5.Commander in Chief 6.Economic Planner 7.Political Party Leader

Presidential Roles Economic Planner –Grown rapidly since FDR’s New Deal –Since 1946, submits annual economic report to Congress; created Council of Economic Advisors and declared that government could promote employment, production, purchasing power –Prepares federal budget, decides where to put the money Party Leader –Give speeches to raise money for the party –Appoint members of the party to government jobs –Patronage: appointment to political office that rewards those persons who supported party during the election –Conflict: head of the whole nation or just the party?

Presidential Powers Limitations on Presidential Power –Congress Congressional override of presidential veto War Powers Act of 1973: president must remove troops from combat zone after 60 days Power of the purse Impeachment = a decision to bring charges, not remove from office –Federal Courts Have constitutional power to limit a president President cannot act in areas of authority delegated to Congress, even if Congress fails to act.

Presidential Powers Limitations on Presidential Power –Bureaucracy Obstruct programs by failing to provide needed information, misinterpreting instructions, neglecting to complete a task well Have discretion to interpret as they see fit and their interpretations may not always be the same as the president’s intention –Public Opinion Without it, a president cannot carry out political programs Americans expect their presidents to be symbolic leaders and to act with courage and dignity, but they will often disown the president if he or she does not live up to their standards Founders did not put anything in the Constitution for regulating the moral character of a president

Presidential Character Does it matter? Can you be a good president, but have lousy character? YES: Character is a measure of worldview. A president’s worldview will affect all of his or her decisions. It also sets the president’s track record and how other people will respond to him/her. It also affects elections and the party image. Therefore, character is important. NO: You can make solid policy decisions while having a shady personal life. Policy decisions are about deciding what is best for the country. That has nothing to do with personal life. Therefore, character is not as important.

Review Journal: How important is moral character in a president? What are the five Constitutional roles of the president? Commander in Chief, Chief Diplomat, Chief Legislator, Chief Executive, Head of State What are the two non-Constitutional roles? Party Leader and Economic Planner Describe some of the limits on presidential power. How have presidential powers evolved over time?

Leadership Styles Most Americans look to the president to exercise strong leadership, keep peace, and solve problems Five important qualities and skills 1.Understanding the public (FDR vs. Hoover) 2.Ability to communicate (Carter vs. Reagan) 3.Sense of timing (Obama) 4.Openness to new ideas (Cabinet) 5.Ability to compromise (dealing with Congress, Versailles) 6.Political Courage (Lincoln)

Presidential Isolation Modern presidents tend to be removed from the public Aura can make it difficult for staff to offer opinions Power is measured in proximity to president Dangers of isolation: –Staffers control access to president, so he may only hear what they want him to hear –Staffers can be a de facto president if they limit access too much –Can become unaware of secret operations –Loss of popular support –Lose touch with what is really happening in the world

Executive Privilege Executive privilege: right of the president and other high-ranking officials, with the president’s consent, to refuse to provide information to Congress or to a court –Keep information from public knowledge –Based on separation of powers, implied in Article II, but Congress disputes saying that its oversight powers give it the right to obtain information from the Executive Branch –Presidents say it is necessary to make good policy decisions –United States v. Nixon (1974) = Supreme Court ruled that the president had to surrender secret tapes of his conversations with key aides as evidence in the Watergate scandal; but the Court also said that executive privilege is constitutional in other circumstances; question of how far it can be taken remains

Seminar: Presidential Power 1.Get into groups of three or four 2.Take turns reading the quotes that you selected from the text and explaining why you thought they were significant 3.If two people pick the same quote, they can both explain why they thought those quotes were significant at the same time 4.Cover as many quotes as you can in the next ten minutes

Seminar: Presidential Power 1.You do not need to raise your hand to talk 2.Support all of your points with the text 3.Respond to one another by name 4.You must have your “ticket” and text on your desk 5.Try not to dominate the conversation 6.Feel free to ask questions of one another 7.Discuss ideas, not opinions. This is not a debate.

Journals Tuesday: How important is moral character in a president? Wednesday: When is it right for the president to exercise extreme power?