1. Ch 1. American Political History
One of the recurring political traditions in America
“Americans want powerful leadership, yet they
distrust authority and the abuse of power.”
“Evolving” expectations of the American presidency and government
the impacts of war and trade on presidential power
What about the framers’ view and constitutional approaches?

2. The Articles of Confederation (1781-1788)
The Continental Congress and the Articles of
Confederation
 Limited power of the central government &
Powerful state legislatures = “A firm league of friendship”
States could print own money  fiscal chaos
States could set own tariff rates  commercial chaos
Equal representation by state legislatures
Heavy emphasis on states rights and required a
super-majority of 9 out of 13 to get anything done

3. The Articles of Confederation (1781-1788)
Congress could declare war, but had to ask
states for soldiers
No power to regulate commerce or raise taxes;
had to ask states for voluntary donations
No executive and judicial institutions to
implement and execute the laws

4. Problems with the Articles
Problems began immediately
Shays’ Rebellion ( ) and threats from England and Spain
Daniel Shays = a former captain in the Continental Army
and a bankrupt farmer in Western Massachusetts
Couldn’t pay taxes and mortgages, tried to get courts to
forget them
Took months to end the rebellion and showed the
weakness of the states and central government
Crisis of governance  the Constitutional Convention

5. Constitutional Convention (1787)
lasted for four months in Philadelphia
desire to strengthen the national government
while preventing a tyranny of majority
“separation of powers” and “federalism”
Connecticut Compromise:
House (for large states: Virginia Plan)
Senate (for small states: New Jersey Plan)

6. The Framers’ Expectations
The Founding Era
fear of tyranny on the one hand & anarchy on the other hand
Shays’ Rebellion ( )
The Constitutional Convention in the State House in Philadelphia
Solutions to prevent tyranny = system of checks and balances,
separation of powers within and across levels of government
(the “Madisonian Democracy”)
Indirect elections (senate and president) and varying terms
Senators chosen by popular votes only after the 17th Amendment
in 1913
Power derived from the Constitution

7. Achieving Balance I
A two-year term for the House
a compromise between the annual elections advocated
by many delegates and the three-year term proposed by
James Madison
 A short tenure would keep this chamber close to the people
A longer-term and “staggered elections” for the Senate
The Senate insulated from momentary shifts in the
public mood by virtue of a longer term, in addition to
their selection by state legislatures
Another compromise on bills raising revenue

8. Achieving Balance II “Advice and consent power” by the U.S. Senate
To a degree, the Framers envisioned the Senate acting as
an advisory council to the president.
Framers’ belief that the more “aristocratic” and insulated of
the two houses would keep a steadier eye on the country’s
long-term interests.
"Why did you pour that coffee into your saucer?" asked
Washington. "To cool it," said Jefferson. "Even so," responded
Washington, "we pour legislation into the senatorial saucer
to cool it.“
Now, also polarized politics in the Senate!

9. Achieving Balance III Finally, the president was used as a means
to further the balance of power by giving the executive
branch the authority to:
Recommend (not introduce) new laws
(Ex: Obama’s American Jobs Bill)
Call Congress into special session
Most importantly, the power to veto laws passed by Congress, killing them unless two-thirds of each chamber votes to override the veto
“veto threat” vs. “veto”: what’s more effective?

10. Understanding American History through the American Presidency
Traditional presidency
Passive presidents
Congressional dominance
Party dominance
President didn’t travel
Restrained relationship to public
Small government
No staff
US not world power
Modern presidency (since FDR)
Active presidents
Dominance over Congress
Weak party
President travels a lot
Strong claim to relationship with public
Large government
Large White House Staff
US a world power

11. Understanding American History through the Presidency and “Critical Elections”
Federalist: (Washington)
Jeffersonian-Republicanism: (Jefferson)
Jacksonian Democracy: (Jackson)
Republican Nationalism: (Lincoln)
The System of 1896: (Republican dominance)
New Deal Liberalism: (FDR)
Reagan Revolution: 1980-now? (Reagan)
Critical elections (V. O. Key)
1800, 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932, 1980, etc.

13. “Political Time” Presidency I (Skowronek)
Stephen Skowronek’s theory
“American Political Development” approach
(American politics meets history)
putting the presidency in historical context, not just pre-
modern/modern dichotomy
The notion of periodization or political cycle
repudiation of psychological approach
Personality has not much bearings on who makes a good
president, contrary to conventional wisdom.
Instead, “political time” matters for presidential success
or failure.

14. “Political Time” Presidency II (Skowronek)
Stephen Skowronek’s focus on president’s relationship to
1) the nation’s dominant political regime and
2) the resources available to the presidency at that point in American history
Politics presidents make (cyclical pattern)
 Politics of Reconstruction  Articulation
 Preemption  Disjunction  then, reconstruction again

15. “Political Time” Presidency (Stephen Skowronek)

16. A dominant ideological regime and each president’s association with it
President’s own
political identity (resources)
Opposed Affiliated
Regime strength
Vulnerable
Resilient
1. Politics of
Reconstruction
(Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln,
FDR, Reagan)
4. Politics of
Disjunction
(John Quincy Adams, Buchanan, Hoover, Carter)
3. Politics of
Preemption
(Andrew Johnson, Wilson,
Nixon, Clinton)
2. Politics of
Articulation
(Monroe, Polk, TR, LBJ)