HCC Class questions on the presidency: chapter 8
1- How is the president selected? What is his term of office? How can he be
removed from office before the end of his term? Who succeeds him in case of
death or removal?
2- Constitutional powers: The Framers’ design.
-- How do we give the president enough powers to carry out his responsibilities
without giving him the potential to abuse his powers?
--Consider the powers given to the president by the Constitution: 272-279
a- What are his diplomatic powers?
b- Consider his military powers: How does the Constitution divide the war
powers between Congress and the President?
c- What are his powers as a Chief Executive?
d- What are his legislative powers? Do they allow him to dictate policy?
How effective is his veto?
e- What are his judicial powers?
Checks and balances: Sources of tension between the president and Congress.
3- The Modern Presidency: 283- 293
Although the Constitution outlines the powers of the president in Article II, many of
the provisions are not clearly defined. This ambiguity has enabled presidents to
expand the limits of presidential powers beyond the initial understanding of the
authority granted to the president.
a-Consider those unilateral powers: executive orders/ executive agreements/ signing
statements/ executive privileges/ military powers/ recess appointments/ Inherent
powers (p:281)
b-Formal resources: The President’s bureaucracy: 284: Vice-President/ The Cabinet/
Executive Office and the White House staff.
c-Informal resources: Skills. Going Public. Popularity.
d- Contextual factors: Party balance. War or national emergencies. Economy.
Why have presidential powers increased?
- Should we worry?
5- Assignment:
Presidential leadership: What makes a president “Great” or “Not So Great”?
What qualities do you think should be used to determine presidential greatness?
Assignment : Great or Not So Great:
The C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership provides rankings of presidents on
numerous different categories of presidential leadership. Fifty-eight historians ranked
presidents on ten different qualities and released their findings in 2000. Visit the C-Span
page: (Presidential Leadership survey). Notice that some presidents, can rank very highly
on some qualities (pursuing equal justice, economic management) while ranking rather
low on others (relations with Congress, moral authority)?
1- Pick a president (recent), see how he is ranked on C-SPAN.
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2- Choose two qualities on which he is highly ranked. Research the reasons that
made him rank very highly on such qualities.
3- Choose two qualities on which he is ranked rather low. Research the reasons that
made him rank so low on such qualities.
One of the qualities must be: his relationship with Congress: look for party balance/
his ability to push his priorities through Congress. What factors appear least/ most
important in explaining presidential success with Congress? Was it his veto power?
Party balance? Skills? War time?
4- Did he try to expand the powers of his office? Look for overuse of executive
orders, signing statements, executive privilege, expansion of the federal
bureaucracy.
5- Was there any attempt to check him either by Congress or the Supreme Court?
6- Your Conclusion: Given his successes and failures, how would you rank your
president? Was he “GREAT” or “NOT SO GREAT”? Were any of his
achievements overshadowed by national or international events? Are there
qualities more important than others?
Recommended websites:
- 1- www.pbs.org Search for “The Presidents” series.
- 2- http://millercenter.org
- 3- http://presidency.ucsb.edu The American Presidency Project
Grading:
Grade “A+” worth 30 points : Goes above and beyond the assignment requirements,
presents in depth, thoughtful analysis, and connects the information gathered with your
major claim: My president is “Great” OR “Not so Great”.
1- All questions are clearly addressed and covered in depth.
2- Abundant evidence is provided to support your answer to the questions. The factual
part of the essay includes relevant and accurate information related to the topic.
3- A strong conclusion where you go beyond what you have read to make a clear
assessment of what made your President “Great” or “Not So Great”.
4- Well organized paper, enjoyable to read, and easy to follow.
5- No Factual mistakes.
6- No spelling mistakes.
Grade A (worth 27 points)
1- Content: All questions answered.
Enough evidence.
Good conclusion
2-Organization: well organized and easy to follow.
3-No factual mistakes.
4-No spelling mistakes.
Grade B worth 20 points.
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1- Content: most of the questions answered, few evidence, and connection between
the information gathered and the major claim is weak or not clear.
2- Organization: somewhat organized, a bit confusing.
3- Spelling: few mistakes.
Grade “C” worth 15 points: 1- Most of the questions are not answered.
2- Not enough evidence is provided.
3- Cursory analysis.
4- Information is irrelevant or not related to the topic.
5- Poorly organized paper.
6- Numerous spelling mistakes.
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