1. The President and Congress: A Strategic Relationship Part II

2. What should the relationship between the president and Congress look like? To what degree should Congress look to the president for policy leadership? To what degree should partisanship govern the president’s relationship with Congress? Under what circumstances do you think the president and Congress should compromise? Don’t forget to turn in your group notes from Friday after today’s class!

3. To what degree should partisanship govern the president’s relationship with Congress? Unified and divided government An advantage Not a total advantage

4. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress compromise? Logic of compromise: When a party to a negotiation prefers any improvement over the status quo to the status quo itself.

5. Under what circumstances will we see the president and Congress compromise? Unified government Issue is good for one party and bad for the other Long time until the next election Major legislation

6. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress fail to compromise? Logic of the failure to compromise: Hard to explain to enthusiastic supporters Parties wish to maintain differences Reduces chances of getting more later

7. Under what circumstances will the president and Congress fail to compromise? Divided government Issue is subject of intense interest by active pressure groups Issue is good for one party and bad for the other Elections are close

8. Veto bait Divided government only Congress passes an uncompromising bill Veto imposes costs on the president Can lead to game of successive approximations How can the president win?

9. Why do we expect the president to be a policy leader? Visibility of the president Precedent Laws passed Campaigns

10. Measuring legislative success

11. What affects the president’s ability to successfully lead Congress? Presidential popularity?

12. Does public approval affect success in Congress?

13. What affects the president’s ability to successfully lead Congress? Presidential popularity? Size of electoral victory?

14. Does size of electoral victory affect success in Congress?

15. What affects the president’s ability to successfully lead Congress? Presidential popularity? Size of electoral victory? Skill?

16. “Skills” that can help Personal charisma Strategic thinking

17. What affects the president’s ability to successfully lead Congress? Presidential popularity? Size of electoral victory? Skill? Structures in Congress? Size and strength of party coalitions?

18. How does the president lead Congress? Proposing legislation Supporting existing legislation Budgeting –A two-year process!

20. President’s 2002 Budget, Discretionary Spending

21. Discretionary domestic spending Energy Homeland Security Commerce Agriculture Science Natural Resources Justice Education Transportation Veterans Affairs Health