1. Chapter 12
THE
PRESIDENCY

2. Learning Outcomes
12.1 Assess whether the constitutional powers of the president form a strong basis for the modern presidency Illustrate how claims of inherent powers augment the formal powers of the presidency Assess the role played by the various Executive Branch institutions as resources for an effective president.
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3. Learning Outcomes
12.4 Defend the argument that “Presidential power is the power to persuade.” 12.5 Compare and contrast the different roles that the president plays as national leader Analyze the role of the president within the context of the changing nature of global politics.
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4. The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power
Initial Conceptions of the Presidency
Single executive chosen by Congress
Seven-year term and ineligible for reelection
Final proposal: concept of checks and balances
Imposed important limits on presidency
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5. The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power
The Powers of the President
Article II of Constitution: requirements for presidency
U.S.-born citizen
At least 35 years of age
Resident of U.S. for minimum of 14 years
Responsibilities of the president
Requirements: brief and vague – why?
Difficulty of providing and limiting presidential power
No model - no existing presidency
Confidence in George Washington
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6. The Constitutional Basis of Presidential Power
The Powers of the President
Serve as administrative head of the nation
Act as commander in chief of the military
Veto legislation
Appoint various officials
Make treaties
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7. The Expansion of Presidential Power
Formal Powers
Veto power
Ability to report to Congress on the state of the Union
Role as commander in chief
Send troops into conflict without declaration of war by Congress
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8. The Expansion of Presidential Power
The Inherent Powers
Inferences drawn from the Constitution and duties outlined in Article II
Executive orders – presidential directives
Boundaries of inherent powers debated since 9/11
Bush expanded powers under unitary executive
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9. The Expansion of Presidential Power
Congressional Delegation of Power
Gives executive branch more responsibility to administer programs to address national problems
Presidential powers grow when presidents successfully challenge Congress
Some cases, Congress delegates power
Other cases, Congress votes to reassert congressional authority
War Powers Resolution (1973)
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10. The Executive Branch Establishment
The Executive Office of the President
Key aides provide advice, devise strategy, and control access to president
Chief of staff
National security adviser
Council of Economic Advisers and National Economic Council
Senior domestic policy advisers
Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
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11. Captured!
Captured!
After American special operations forces helicoptered into Pakistan to
pursue September 11th mastermind Osama bin Laden, the Navy Seals
wore helmet-mounted cameras as they assaulted bin Laden’s
compound. This allowed President Obama, the tension evident in his
face, to watch the operation in real time on a monitor in the Situation
Room at the White House.
REUTERS/White House/Pete Souza/LANDOV
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12. The Executive Branch Establishment
The Executive Office of the President (cont.)
Three major advisory styles
Competitive management style
Franklin Roosevelt
Hierarchical staff model
Dwight Eisenhower
Collegial staffing arrangement
Bill Clinton
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13. The Executive Branch Establishment
The Vice President
Most important duty: take over presidency, if needed
25th amendment allows choice of new VP
Traditionally, carry out political chores
Campaigning
Fundraising
“Stroking” the party faithfully
President of Senate
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14. Next in Line Next in Line
According to the Constitution, the vice president serves as president of the Senate, a largely ceremonial role, except for the ability to cast tie-breaking votes. Vice President Joe Biden knows the Senate well, having served as a senator from the state of Delaware for thirty-six years. In the Senate, Biden served on the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees and wrote legislation such as the 1994 Violence against Women Act. Biden ran for the Democratic nomination for president twice before he was selected by Barack Obama to be the 2008 vice-presidential nominee.
Brendan Simalowski/Getty Images
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15. The Executive Branch Establishment
The Cabinet
Heads of departments of executive branch and small number of other key officials
Expanded since George Washington
Today: 15 departments
In theory: advisory body but in practice
Too large
Members have limited areas of expertise
Not chosen for ability to work with president
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16. Presidential Leadership
Presidential Character
Character matters to voters, especially leadership, integrity, and competence
Presidential character at the forefront of national politics
Nixon and Watergate
Clinton and Monica Lewinsky
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17. TABLE 12.1 Presidential Greatness
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18. A Presidential Wish List
Figure 12.1 A Presidential Wish List
What qualities do you look for in a president? A survey asked Americans to
rank various qualities and characteristics as ‘‘essential,’’ ‘‘important, but not essential,’’ or ‘‘not that important.’’ Most Americans think that it is essential that the president be a strong leader and an effective manager. A majority also believes that the president should have a good moral character and focus on uniting the country. Americans want their president to have a lot of experience in government, but not necessarily in Washington. Military service and church attendance are less relevant qualities.
Source: Jeffrey M. Jones, ‘‘Wanted in the Next President: Honesty, Strong Leadership,’’ 4 April 2007,
Copyright © 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. The content is used with
permission; however, Gallup retains all rights of republication.
Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

19. Presidential Leadership
The President’s Power to Persuade
Presidents must have interpersonal and practical political skills
Depend on others cooperation to get things done
Choose battles carefully, use force of personality and prestige of office to forge agreement among differing factions
Influence related to professional reputation and prestige
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20. Presidential Leadership
The President and the Public
Presidents try to mobilize public support for proposals
“Going public” – President forces compliance by appealing to constituents
Monitor public opinion polls
“Honeymoon period” – Typically highest approval ratings
Economic conditions exert enormous impact on rating
President’s concern with public opinion can be defended as means of furthering majoritarian democracy
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21. Figure 12.2: It All Goes Back to the Economy
The economy is always critical to each president’s standing with the American public. As shown here for the Bush and Obama years, each president’s approval rating closely tracks a composite index of economic conditions as measured by the Gallup Poll. There are fluctuations reflecting events other than economic conditions, of course, but over time, there is a strong correlation between popularity and economic performance.
Source: Lydia Saad, “Obama’s Job Approval Tied to Economic Confidence in 2012,” Gallup Poll, 19 March 2012.
Copyright © 2012 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. The content is used with permission; however, Gallup retains all rights of republication.
Copyright 2014 Cengage Learning

22. Presidential Leadership
The Political Context
Partisans in Congress
Greatest success in Congress: immediately after inauguration and peak of popularity
Presidential success measured by how often president wins on roll call votes
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23. Presidential Leadership
The Political Context
Elections
President only elected official charged with representing all the people
During campaigns, candidates try to win votes from different groups through stand on issues
Presidents use electoral mandate as majoritarian interpretation of electoral process
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24. Presidential Leadership
The Political Context
Political Party Systems
Presidential leadership determined in part by
Whether president is member of dominant party
Whether public policies and political philosophy associated with his party have widespread support
Greater opportunity to change public policy when he is in the majority and opposing party perceived to be unable to solve major national problems
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25. The President as National Leader
From Political Values…
Presidents differ greatly in views of the role of government.
Reagan reasserted conservative philosophy, promoting reductions in government services.
Different Visions
Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan had strikingly different visions of
American democracy and what their goals should be as president.
Johnson was committed to equality for all, and major civil rights laws
are among the most important legacies of his administration. He is
pictured here signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Reagan was devoted
to reducing the size of government so as to enhance freedom. He
worked hard to reduce both taxes and spending.
Left: AP Photo
Right: Diana Walker/Time & Life Images/Getty Images
Johnson’s strong liberal ideology was the basis for Great Society legislation.
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26. The President as National Leader
…to Policy Agenda
Roots of policy proposals found in general political ideology of president
President’s role in legislative leadership is a 20th Century phenomenon
Franklin Roosevelt – critical change with his legislative program
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27. The President as National Leader
Chief Lobbyist
Presidents have become increasingly active in all stages of legislative process
President’s legislative liaison staff work with White House, interest groups and Congress to build support for legislation
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28. The President as National Leader
Party Leader
Informal duty of presidency
President and congressional leaders may have differing viewpoints
Presidents focus more on party leadership than bridging differences between parties
President: fundraiser in chief for party
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29. Figure 12.3: Through Partisan Eyes
How we evaluate a president’s performance is strongly shaped by our own partisan predisposition. As illustrated here, Republicans were much more likely to approve of George W. Bush’s presidency than were Democrats. For their part, Democrats became quite critical of Bush after ne directed the country’s armed forces to invade Iraq. The same partisan pattern can be found in evaluations of Barack Obama.
Source: Gary C. Jacobson, “Perception, Memory, and Partisan Polarization on the Iraq War,” Political Science Quarterly 152 (Spring 2010), p Copyright © 2010 The Academy of Political Science. Reprinted by permission.
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30. The President as World Leader
Foreign Relations
End of WWII until late 1980s
Presidents preoccupied with containing communist expansion
Today’s presidents have three objectives:
National security
Fostering peaceful international environment
Protection of U.S. economic interests
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31. The President as World Leader
Crisis Management
Critical part of presidency
Crisis Guidelines:
Drawing on range of advisers and opinion
Not acting with haste
Having well-designed, formal review process with through analysis and open debate
Rigorously examining the reasoning underlying all options to ensure assumptions are valid
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32. Crisis in Camelot Crisis in Camelot
In October 1962, people gathered in the electronics section of a store to watch President Kennedy address the nation on the Cuban missile crisis. When the United States learned that the Soviet union was placing missile bases in Cuba, Kennedy demanded that the Soviets remove their missiles, and he ordered a naval blockade. After seven days, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev complied with Kennedy’s demands, and direct conflict between the two major superpowers was avoided. Cuba’s leader at that time, Fidel Castro, had seized power in 1959 and aligned himself with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
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