1. Quiz
What committee reconciles the difference between House and Senate bills
List 2 specific committees in the House
Who/m is in charge of redrawing the district lines.
Who/m elects the Speaker of the House.
What is the war powers act?
Bonus (in case you miss one)- Give me two checks that Congress has on the President.

2. To Be a President… .
Article 2 of the Constitution- gives us the formal powers of the president
(also called enumerated powers) is the power to appoint, negotiate treaties, also subject to Senate approval, veto bills passed by Congress and serve as commander-in-chief, the president is the top civilian commander of all U.S. forces.
Informal Powers: Along with his/her formal powers given by the Constitution, the President also has various informal powers. They include: setting and enacting a legislative agenda, executive orders, sending out troops without a declaration of war, and conducting foreign policy initiatives, among others.

3. Rules of Succession 1947 Presidential Succession Act 25th Amendment
1-18
12th Amendment- electoral college
25th Amendment
President can name a Vice President if the VP resigns or dies
You are president if 16 other important people die at once

4. Head of State and Chief Ex (FP)
Most countries have separate people for these jobs.
As Head of State the President does largely ceremonial things
Some think it is a distraction.
It gives the President tremendous public exposure and popular support
Chief Ex- President is constitutionally bound to enforce the acts of congress, the judgments of the federal courts and the treaties signed by the US.
Signing Statements- a written declaration that a president can make when signing a bill into law, that points out sections of the law the President deems unconstitutional

5. Formal Powers of the President
The Appointment Power
“Ambassadors, public ministers, consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and other offices”
Over 3,000 appointments during a President’s term
Court appointments to the Supreme Court and federal bench give the president broad influence that lasts beyond his term in office
Appointing Cabinet members is not a
Constitutional Power of the President

6. Power to Convene Congress (FP)- Chief Legislator
According to the Constitution the President MUST give a State of The Union, but until recently this was done via a memo or written statement to Congress. The State of the Union is the President’s plan/agenda or what he wants to accomplish this term of Congress.

7. Veto Power
President can reject any congressional legislation either through a general veto or a pocket veto
Types of Vetos
Pocket Veto
A special veto power exercised at the end of a legislative session whereby bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified time
Constitution- If the president holds a bill for ten days without signing or vetoing it, the bill becomes a law if Congress is in session and is pocket vetoed if congress is out of session.
Line-Item Veto (UNCONSTITUTIONAL)
Used by most Governors in most states to veto sections of appropriations bills while signing the remainder of the bill into law
Clinton v. New York- UNCONSTITUIONAL FOR PRESIDENTS BASED ON the fact that it violated the Presentment Clause
Veto- The entire law is ruled invalid. Can be overridden Congress with a 2/3rds vote.

8. Presentment Clause
A bill must be passed in identical form by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is common practice for each House to pass its own version of a bill, and then to refer the two versions to a conference committee, which resolves disagreements between the two versions, and drafts a compromise bill; the compromise bill can then be voted upon and passed by both Houses in identical form.
After a bill passes both Houses, it must be presented to the President for his approval.
If the President approves the bill and signs it, then the bill becomes law.
If the President disapproves the bill and vetoes it, then he must return the bill, along with a veto message (his objections), back to the House in which the bill was created.
A two-thirds majority of both Houses may override the veto, and the bill will become law without the President's signature.
If, while the Congress is in session, the President does not sign a bill or veto it within 10 days (not counting Sundays) after its passage, then it automatically becomes law.
If, while Congress is not in session (adjourned), the President does not sign a bill or veto it within 10 days (not counting Sundays) after its passage, then it fails to become law. This "pocket veto"—so called because the President is then said to have put the bill in his pocket and forgotten about it—cannot be overridden by Congress, but once Congress reconvenes they can pass the same bill again. In addition, Congressional "pro forma" sessions may be used to prevent pocket vetoes.

9. Commander and Chief (FP)
Founders did not expect the president to lead Congress into war without Congressional approval.
He is the ultimate and final decision maker in military matters- only he has the power to authorize use of nuclear force.
War Powers Resolution- make sure you know it

10. The Power to Make Treaties (FP)
The President has the Power but 2/3rds of the Senate has to approve
Also President can receive Ambassadors
Also has the power to formally recognize the existence of a country
President Reagan and
Mikhail Gorbachev

11. Pardoning Power (FP) Check on the Judiciary
Section 2 Article II of the Constitution
Releases the Individual from the punishment or legal consequences from a crime. Restores all rights and privileges (in all cases but impeachment)
Can apply to large groups of people
Gerald Ford Pardoned Richard Nixon after the Watergate Scandal

12. Informal Power
Executive Agreements- enhances the president’s power in foreign affairs
Force of a treaty without the “Advice and Consent of the Senate”
Expires when a President Leaves office
Constitutional-Over 9,000 executive agreements and only 1300 treaties
WW2 Roosevelt traded 50 overage destroyers to Britain for air bases in western Britain
Checks on Executive Agreements
Expires when the president leaves office
Congress can choose not to fund the agreement

13. Informal Power Executive Order
A rule or regulation passed by the President that has the effect of a law.
Power comes from precedents, custom, and constitutional interpretation
Emancipation Proclamation
New Deal
How we deal with “enemy combatants” freezing assets, interrogation, and due process rights
Recruiting and Hiring recent graduates
Threat of a Veto (informal power)
Historically there have been over 2,500 presidential vetoes…
About 100 have been overridden
You do the Math
I didn’t

14. Informal Power United States v. Nixon Executive Privilege
Executive Privilege does not extend to criminal matters
Clinton v. Reno
Executive Privilege does not extend to personal matters
Nixon v. Fitzgerald
The president can’t be sued for actions taken in office
Executive Privilege
The right of executive officials to refuse to appear before or to withhold information from a legislative committee or a court.

15. Number 1 Power of the President
Power of Persuasion
The ability to form a direct link between the executive office and the people
If you get the people on your side, then you get Congress on your side.
This site has a fun power point that moves about this topic