Chapter 12

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The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power  Delegates to Constitutional Convention wary of unchecked power  However, delegates knew the U.S. would need an effective executive office  Balance needed between tyranny and national leadership 3

Initial Conceptions of the Presidency  Debates about the nature of the office wide-ranging  Initial proposal:  Single executive chosen by Congress  Seven-year term; ineligible for re-election  Final proposal incorporated concept of checks and balances with other branches of government 4

The Powers of the President  Article II sets forth requirements:  U.S.-born citizen  At least 35 years of age  Resident of U.S. for minimum of 14 years  Article II also sets forth duties of the presidency  Actual requirements rather brief and vague 5

The POWERS of the President  Serve as administrative head of the nation  Act as commander in chief of the military  Convene Congress  Veto legislation  Appoint various officials  Make treaties  Grant pardons 6

The Expansion of Presidential Power  Founders envisioned a limited role for the president  Over time, presidents have used formal powers to expand influence  Presidential definitions of “inherent” powers have expanded reach of office ****Congress also has granted powers to the president 7

Formal Powers  Veto power  Use or threat of use has increased  Reports to Congress on the state of the union  Used to set forth policy agenda  Commander in chief  Sending troops into conflict without declaration of war by Congress 8

Inherent Powers  Based on inferences from Constitution  Congress and the courts may not agree  Once established, used by subsequent presidents  Use of executive orders now routine  Boundaries debated since 9/11  Bush expanded powers under theory of unitary executive 9

Congressional Delegation of Power  In some cases, Congress makes decision to delegate powers to president  This delegation of powers gives the president more flexibility to address national problems  In other cases, Congress votes to reassert authority **********War Powers Resolution (1973) 10

The Executive Branch Establishment  Presidency requires large staff to carry out duties  White House staff  Vice President and staff– Inner Circle  Cabinet Secretaries 11

The Executive Office of the President  EOP  Key aides provide advice and control access to president ****Chief of Staff- President’s right hand man!  National Security Advisor  Other specialized staff, such as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)  No “right way” to organize 12

The Vice President  Most important duty: to take over presidency if needed (one heartbeat away!)  25 th amendment allows choice of new VP  Traditionally not advisory  Used for political chores  Carter began trend of using as advisor  Also President of Senate  Chosen to BALANCE TICKET in some way Obama- less experience Biden- more experience 13

Next in Line 14

The Cabinet  Heads of departments in executive branch and other key officials  First cabinet had four departments; today are 15  Theoretically advisory body but does not function as such  Too large  Secretaries have limited areas of expertise  Not chosen for ability to work with president *****White House staffs and advisory groups provide most advice 15

Presidential Leadership  Presidential influence comes from  Assigned responsibilities  Leadership skills  Effective use of resources  Political environment 16

Presidential Character  Difficult to tell how the public assesses presidential candidates’ character  Character matters to voters, especially leadership, integrity, and competence  Johnson and Viet Nam  Nixon and Watergate  Clinton and Monica Lewinsky 17

Figure 12.1 A Presidential Wish List 18

The President’s Power to Persuade  Presidents must have interpersonal and practical political skills  Must depend on others to get things done  Use force of personality and prestige of office to affect outcomes in Congress  Neustadt believes successful presidents are good at bargaining, dealing with adversaries, and choosing priorities 19

The President and the Public  Popular presidents more PERSUASIVE than unpopular ones  Presidents frequently try to mobilize public support for proposals  “Going public”  Must monitor public opinion polls  “Honeymoon period” 20

Figure 12.2 Tough First Year 21

The President and the Public  President Obama has struggled with falling approval ratings  Had to put health care reform aside to deal with banking crisis and recession  Later tried to rally public behind health care proposals  Passage of health care bill, unemployment, and continuing recession contributed to low approval ratings 22

The President and the Public  Presidential concern with public opinion is way to further majoritarian democracy  Presidents should respond to public opinion as well as try to lead it  Strategy of courting public opinion has risks  Many variables affect a president’s influence  Must realize all issues are not created equal in mind of public 23

Compared with What? Hatoyama Goes Down  Election due to public dissatisfaction with Liberal Democratic Party’s handling of economy  Started with approval rating of 79%  Dropped 30 points in four months  After six months, approval rating around 33%  Decline related to campaign finance scandal, indecision about relocation of U.S. air base on Okinawa, and the economy 24

Partisans in Congress  Greatest success in Congress immediately after inauguration—”HONEYMOON PERIOD”  Success measured by how often president wins on roll call votes where he has taken clear position  Good predictor is number of fellow partisans in Congress  Divided government may or may not cause gridlock 25

Figure 12.3 Congress: Friend or Foe? 26

Elections  President must please many constituencies while trying to do what is best for the country as a whole  Dilemma of majoritarianism versus pluralism  To get elected, presidents must please some constituencies more than others  After election, may want to claim electoral MANDATE regarding campaign platform 27

Political Party System  Presidential leadership shaped by president’s relationship to dominant political party  Presidents elected in critical elections have more favorable conditions for exerting strong leadership  Weakest presidents constrained by affiliation with political party perceived as standing for worn-out ideas 28

The President as National Leader: Political Values  Presidents differ greatly in views of the role of government  Johnson’s strong liberal ideology basis for Great Society legislation designed to advance a “just” America  Reagan reasserted conservative philosophy, promoting reductions in government services 29

Different Visions 30

The President as National Leader: Policy Agenda  Roots of policy proposals found in general political ideology of president  Newly-elected presidents must choose what policies to push for in Congress  President’s role in legislative leadership began in 20 th century  Budget and Accounting Act of 1921  Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency 31

Chief Lobbyist  While president may propose a bill, Congress must decide what to do with it  President’s legislative liaison staff work with White House liaison staff to monitor progress of a bill  President may modify proposal or use arm- twisting to ensure passage  Must also work with interest groups to build support and activate public opinion  May use threat of veto to increase bargaining leverage with Congress 32

Party Leader  An informal duty of the presidency  President and congressional leaders may have differing viewpoints  Increasingly partisan Congress means presidents focus more on party leadership than in bridging differences between parties  President also chief party fundraiser 33

The President as World Leader  President must be ready to act as diplomat and crisis manager  From WWII to 1980s, presidents tried to contain Communist expansion  Today’s presidents have three objectives:  National security  Fostering peaceful international environment  Protection of U.S. economic interests 34

Crisis Management  Critical part of the presidency  Voters want president who projects image of careful judgment during an international crisis  Kennedy’s handling of Cuban missile crisis a model  Presidents inherit legacy of predecessor’s actions in the world 35

Crisis in Camelot 36

International Support for the War on Terror 37

Guidelines for Presidential Crisis Management  Draw on advice from a range of advisors and opinions  Do not act in unnecessary haste  Have a well-designed, formal review process with thorough analysis and open debate  Rigorously examine reasoning underlying all options to ensure assumptions valid 38