1. President Obama watching the Bin Laden Raid

2. The Presidency

3. The Presidency
When we think of government, we think of the President of the United States
Considered the most powerful man in the free world
There’s just so much more…

4. The Presidency Great Expectations
Americans want a president who is powerful and who can do good: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Kennedy.
But at the same time, they don’t want the president to get too powerful since we are individualistic and skeptical of authority.

5. The Founding Fathers The feared both anarchy and monarchy
Fear of presidential bribery to ensure reelection
Concern was balance of power
How long do they serve – 22nd Amendment ensures 2 term precedent
Washington starts the precedent,
but FDR creates the need for an
amendment

6. The Founding Fathers
Establishment of legitimacy of office and orderly transfer of power
Most nations you have a new chief executive coming into power with the aid of military force or the previous leader leaves in disgrace, exile or is dead.
We take for granted the peaceful exchange of power

7. The beginnings…
Power of early presidents gave legitimacy to office(Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison)
Not a lot of activism so people didn’t fear the president (like a monarch)
Good relations with Congress, basically
Jackson believed in very strong presidency!!! Used his veto power, was very popular!!
Congress regains power from president until FDR and since then it’s been pretty even

8. Identify the 4 types formal powers the president has and give an example

9. The Presidents Who They Are Formal Requirements: Must be 35 years old
Must be a natural-born citizen
Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years
Informal “Requirements”:
White, Male, Protestant (except one)
All manner of professions, but mostly political ones (former state governors, for example)

10. Powers of the President
Powers are found in Article II of the Constitution
Presidents power can also be found in the ambiguous clauses of the Constitution, duty to execute the laws, etc. also called Inherent Powers
**The Presidents greatest source of power comes from politics and public opinion (authority and expectations)

11. Characteristics of presidents
Recent personalities and characteristics:
Eisenhower – orderly, military style
Kennedy – bold, articulate, improvisor
Johnson – master legislative strategist, micromanager
Nixon – expert foreign policy, hated personal confrontation
Ford – discussion oriented, genial
Carter – Washington outsider, micromanager
Reagan – set priorities let staff work, leader of public opinion
Bush, Sr. – Washington insider, hands-on manager style
Clinton – good communicator, followed liberal/center agenda
Bush, Jr. – tightly controlled White House, foreign affairs have dominated since 9/11

12. Electoral College

13. What are some features of the electoral college system?
There is a winner-take-all system in forty-eight states (No proportional)
If no one wins a majority of electoral college votes, the election is decided by the House of Representatives and state delegations
State electoral ballots are opened and counted before a joint session of Congress
Occasionally an elector will vote for a presidential candidate other than the one who carried his or her state

14. Electoral College

15. Electoral College Magic number is 270 out of the possible 538
Set up as the safety valve against the idea of the “ignorant masses” voting somebody into office that shouldn’t be
Created to make the small population states important to a candidate(supposedly)
“Winner take all system” except for 2 states (Nebraska and Maine)

16. Electoral College Con’t
Steps in the process
First Tuesday after the first Monday in November is the General Election (popular vote)
First Monday after the second Wednesday in December is day the electors cast their votes
January 6 is the day the votes are counted and the official declaration of who is president is made
January 20 is inauguration day, sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

17. Electoral College Con’t
For tomorrow, you are to find evidence to support either agreeing with the use of the Electoral College or the disagreeing with the use of the Electoral College. In class we will discuss and debate the issue after current events. A good website for both sides is

19. What people are considered to be members of the White House Staff and what makes them different then other advisors to the president?
Chief of Staff, communications office including the press secretary, councils to the president, personal aides, White House cook, and personal secretaries to the president and first lady.
Don’t need to be confirmed by the Senate
There main jobs are the advise the president!
Protected by executive privilege

20. More on the office…
President’s staff typically worked on the president’s campaign – support presidential agenda and priorities!!!!
Lots of jockeying… everyone wants to be as close as possible to the president
Proximity plays a huge role in power outside of the president – be near the president and you think you have power, too…

21. The White House Office
This is the presidential staff – which the president really didn’t have until 1857
The office is made up of the president’s closest assistants
Three types of structures of the Office…
Pyramid structure – hierarchy, Chief of Staff
Circular structure – all report to president
Ad hoc structure – informal, committees
Typically a mix of all of these structures…

22. The Executive Office of the President
Known as the EOP for short created in 1939
Shaped like an umbrella and is composed of agencies that report directly to the president such as…
The OMB – Office of Management and Budget
Big growth in government!

23. The Cabinet Part of the EOP Composed of 15 executive departments
Closest advisors to the president, but have varying levels of influence, they also must advocate for their department.
Each one headed by a “Secretary” except Dept. of Justice which is headed by Attorney General
While the Cabinet is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, it wields a lot of power and influence!!!!

24. List of Independent Agencies
Peace Corps, NASA, and the Smithsonian institutes are examples of Independent Agencies
Operate more freely than Federal Agencies headed by Cabinet members such as the Department of State which must report directly to the President.
List!

25. Running the Government: The Chief Executive

26. Copyright © 2011 Cengage Replace with jpeg, p. 375
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2009, table 481.
Copyright © 2011 Cengage

27. Presidents power can also be found in the ambiguous clauses of the Constitution, duty to execute the laws, etc. also called Inherent Powers

28. Executive Agreements
An international agreement between the head of state (president) and leadership of another(s) country.
Example: U.S. joining the Paris climate agreement in 2016.
Because the US plan was termed an "executive agreement," the White House says Obama did not require Senate approval for ratification as would be needed for a treaty.

30. Executive Order
A directive from the president that carries the force of law. It usually deals with operations of the federal government or executive branch itself.
Examples: Emancipation Proclamation, Truman’s integration of U.S armed forces, and Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States

31. The Power to Persuade The Three Audiences
Fellow politicians and leaders
Reputation with colleagues indicates
how much power he wields. Most
Important to maintaining and exercising power
Partisan grassroots
Believe that they have a shared sense
of purpose
The public
Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Bush shakes hands with Speaker Nancy Pelosi after his State of the Union address. p. 380
Copyright © 2011 Cengage

32. Power to persuade
President has huge ability to use office to persuade public and fellow politicians
Relies on prepared speeches – the bully pulpit
Can use popularity to gain congressional support for bills and agenda
Riding presidents coattails has been declining for years, minimal affect now
Popularity affected by many factors, look at Bush’s rating after 9/11 to the end …
Usually highest during honeymoon period

33. Power from the People: The Public Presidency
Presidential Approval
Receives much effort by the White House
Product of many factors: predispositions, “honeymoon”
Changes can highlight good / bad decisions
Figure 13.3

34. Presidential Polls

35. Figure 14.2 Presidential Victories on Votes in Congress, 1953–2006
Note: Percentages indicate number of congressional votes supporting the president divided by the total number of votes on which the president has taken a position.
Sources: Congressional Quarterly Almanac (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, various years); Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report (CQ Weekly) (1992), 3894; (1993), 3473; (1994), 3620; (1996), 3428; (1998), 14; (1999), 76, 2972; (2001) 54; (2002), 142, 3237; (2004), 54–55,
2947–2948; (2006), 87; (2007), 50.
Copyright © 2011 Cengage

36. What is the difference between the formal and informal powers of the president? Provide examples.
Copyright © 2011 Cengage

37. Other Pres. Powers Veto: Power to say no
President can veto legislation, joint, and concurrent resolutions
Line item veto: a president can block or nullify part(s) of a bill without vetoing entire bill itself
Helpful for efficiency and reduce waste in bills
Supreme court ruled it unconstitutional

38. More..
Pocket veto: bill fails to become law because president did not sign it within 10 days
Executive Privilege: communication between president and close advisors has right to confidentiality.
Pres. Has a right to hear candid advice
National security etc
Supreme court ruled Nixon had to give up tapes for Watergate..Privilege NOT absolute.

39. Presidential transition
Only 14 of 41 presidents have completed 2 terms – 8 have died in office (4 assassinated?)
Vice president’s job “rather empty” – President of Senate and only 5 have been elected pres.
Succession determined by 25th Amendment now but not before…
President ill?? VP in charge but who decides?
A new president after a death must choose a new VP and he or she must be confirmed by a majority of BOTH houses!!!!!

40. Impeachment
Impeachment is investigated by the House, and if impeached, tried by the Senate with the Chief Justice presiding. If found guilty then the consequence is removal from office.
More judges than presidents get impeached
Only Andrew Johnson and Clinton have been impeached
Nixon resigned but surely would have been
Johnson and Clinton indicted by House but not convicted in Senate

41. Clinton’s Impeachment
Clinton’s response to allegations
Clinton’s apology