1. I. According to the Constitution II. According to Congressional law III. According to court decisions and precedents IV. Political authority

2.  Jimmy Carter: “When things go bad, you get entirely too much blame. And I have to admit that when things go good, you get entirely too much credit.”  “political capital” An adviser to LBJ, who wanted to mention civil rights in his first presidential speech: “The presidency has only a certain amount of coinage to expend, and you oughtn’t to expend it on this.”  “hit the ground running”

3.  The White House: 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue

4.  I. According to the Constitution -Article II -“take care clause” -John Adams on being VP: “most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived”; “I am nothing, but I may be everything”; LBJ: “a heartbeat away” from the presidency -2564 vetoes since 1789

5.  commander in chief  War Powers Act 1973  power to pardon  treaty-making authority (chief diplomat)  nominations and appointments (mid-90s: more than 2,400)  recess appointments  messages and recommendations to Congress  impeachment

6.  II. According to Congressional law -executive agreements -legislative veto (ruled unconstitutional in 1983)

7.  III. According to court decisions and precedents -executive orders -presidential memoranda -executive privilege

8.  Tocqueville: “It is chiefly in its foreign relations that the executive power of a nation finds occasion to exert its skill and its strength.”

9.  signing statements  court rulings (e.g. Curtiss-Wright 1936)

10.  IV. Political authority -Madison: “War is in fact the true nurse of executive aggrandizement.” -“bully pulpit” (T. Roosevelt): opinion leadership