Transcript Chapter_10
Chapter 10 The Presidency Who Can Become President? • “natural born” citizen • must be at least 35 years old • must be a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years The Many Roles of the President • Chief of State – the role of the president as the ceremonial head of government • Chief Executive -- the role of the president as the head of the executive branch of the government. Powers of appointment and removal, but not extensive (civil service) and power to grant reprieves and pardons • Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces -- the role of the president as the supreme commander of military forces of the U.S. Checked by the War Powers Resolution of 1973. (Commit/48 hrs/ Congress has 60 days to decide on troop deployment) • Chief Diplomat -- the role of the president in recognizing federal governments, making treaties, diplomatic recognition. Checked by “advice and consent” of the Senate. Executive Agreements are not binding and do not need Senate approval. Diplomatic Recognition. • Chief Legislator -- the role of the president in influencing the making of laws. State of the Union Message every year. Veto, Pocket Veto. The president cannot enact, amend, nor repeal laws. The President as Chief Legislator • The State of the Union address is every January • Proposing legislation •typically easier to get Presidential initiatives passed when President’s party control Congress •typically more difficult when it does not • Vetoing legislation •requires a veto message •Congress can override a veto with 2/3 vote in both chambers •Only about 7 percent of all vetoes have been overridden Other Presidential Powers… • Constitutional Powers: Just mentioned • Statutory Powers: Created by Congress over the years and include declaring a national emergency • Expressed Powers: Both Constitutional and Statutory powers because they are expressly written in the Constitution or into law. • Inherent Powers: Usually emergency powers invoked by presidents during wartime. Expansion of office. The President as Party Chief and Superpolitician • Chief of the Party – Patronage: Appointing individuals to government or public jobs – Fundraiser: Unregulated contributions of “soft money” – Lobbying members of Congress – Constituencies from both parties – Washington Community: (inside the beltway) Those in DC who are familiar with the workings of the government – “Going Public” as a leverage tool and for public opinion Special Uses of Presidential Power • Emergency Powers: Suspension of civil liberties, seizure of factories during strikes, ordering an embargo. We are in a state of emergency • Executive Orders – have the force of law •can be used to enforce legislative statutes •can be used to enforce the Constitution or treaties with foreign nations •can be used to establish or modify rules and practices of executive administrative agencies •EOs represent the president’s legislative powers •All EOs have to be published in the daily Federal Register • Executive Privilege: Basis is Separation of Powers. Withholding information from Congress or the Courts except as evidence in a criminal proceedings Abuses of Executive Power and Impeachment • Eight presidents have died in office, but there is another way to go out!...Impeachment • Begins in the House (impeach = accuse) A simple majority vote needed to impeach • Then it goes to the Senate for a trial. 2/3 vote needed for conviction • Johnson: 11 articles; Nixon: 3 articles (abuse of power, obstruction of justice, no response to a committee’s subpoenas; Clinton: 4 articles, but only 2 accepted (perjury and obstruction of justice) 221-212 vote for impeachment • Clinton was acquitted in Feb. 1999 The Executive Organization • The Cabinet – comprised of the 15 executive departments. The cabinet is an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions • Kitchen Cabinet: Friends and informal group of advisers • The Executive Office of the President (the EOP) – consists of 10 staff agencies that assist the president in carrying out major duties •Includes the White House Office (WHO): Campaign staff, protects the president’s political interests, Head: Chief of Staff •The National Security Council (NSC): Links the foreign policy and military advisers and the president (P,VP, ST, D, and others) The resources of the National Security Agency are at its disposal. NSA protects govt. communication and foreign intelligence information •The Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Broad fiscal powers in planning the budget, acts as a clearinghouse for legislative proposals initiated in the agencies •The Council of Economic Advisors (CEA): Three members, advises on economic matters, prepares the annual report Hot Links to Selected Internet Resources: • http://www.wadsworth.com/cgiwadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M2&discipline_number=20& product_isbn_issn=0534592651 • http://www.wadsworth.com/politicalscience • http://www.whitehouse.gov • http://www.whitehouse.org/