1. Presidential Powers
Ch 9 sec 1

2. I. Constitutional Powers
The Founders recognized the need for a strong executive branch to overcome the weaknesses of the Confederation government, and to hold the legislative branch in check.
They also wanted to protect private property and personal wealth, and a strong executive could prevent the abuse of power in Congress.

3. I. Constitutional Powers
Article II grants the president broad but vaguely described powers. He heads the executive branch, is commander in chief, conducts foreign policy, and has judicial powers.

4. Question
Why did the Founders give the president vague powers, instead of specific ones?

5. II. Informal Sources of Power
Presidents have added to their powers by their actions; for example, Theodore Roosevelt declared his intent to do anything that the needs of the nation required if such action was not expressly forbidden by the Constitution.

6. II. Informal Sources of Power
During national crises, presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt greatly expanded the powers of the presidency as the federal government dealt with dangers facing the United States.

7. II. Informal Sources of Power
Lincoln raised an army without Congressional approval, put people in jail for being an enemy of the Union without a trial, and blockaded ports in the South. He claimed the Constitution gave him power to protect the Union.
Bush gained more power after 9/11 to wage the war on terror. New agencies were created and greater power to gather information was given to the executive branch.

8. II. Informal Sources of Power
Modern presidents claim their ideas and policies represent a mandate from the people, and they use television and other media to build support for their ideas.

9. Question
Do modern presidents have too much power?

10. III. Limits on Presidential Power
The Constitution gives Congress the power to limit presidential authority by overriding a veto and impeaching and removing the president from office for clear abuse of power.
The Senate also must give approval to presidential appointments, and Congress controls the money that the President wants to spend.

11. III. Limits on Presidential Power
The federal courts also limit the president’s power. The Supreme Court can overturn presidential actions, as it did to President Truman in Youngstown Sheet and Tube v. Sawyer (1952).

12. III. Limits on Presidential Power
The federal bureaucracy sometimes limits presidential power by obstructing programs or failing to carry them out properly, especially when key bureaucrats work closely with powerful congressional leaders to carry out their own programs rather than the president’s.

13. III. Limits on Presidential Power
Public opinion can limit the president’s actions, as it did with President Lyndon Johnson’s policies in Vietnam and President Clinton’s proposed national health care program.

14. Question
How can public opinion limit the president’s power?

15. Assignment
Half-page summary of what the lecture was about today. In your notebooks.