Ch 9: Presidential Leadership
Section 1: Presidential Powers
Section 2: Roles of the President
Section 3: Styles of Leadership
Section 1: Presidential
Powers
• I. _____________ Powers
• A. The founders created a strong executive to
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overcome the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation.
B. Most of the powers we think of the president
having today have ________________, reflecting
the changing needs of the nation, and the
personalities of those in the executive office.
___________ from the people have also shaped
the presidency (FDR during the New Deal, for
instance)
• C. Article _____ grants the president
broad but vaguely described powers:
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________________________
________________________
________________________
_________________________
Presidential Powers continued
• II. ____________ Sources of Power
• A. Personal ______________ of Power
 Certain presidents have ___________________ of
the executive to fit needs as they saw them.
 Consider some historical examples:
• Jefferson’s decision to buy the Louisiana Territory
• T. Roosevelt’s claim that it was the right and duty of the
president to “do anything that the needs of the Nation
demanded unless such action was forbidden by the
Constitution or by the law.”
• Consider the current debate over the Bush administration’s
creation of the NSA warrant-less surveillance program.
• C. Modern presidents usually refer to a mandate
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________________ when attempting to expand
the role of the president and use the
____________ to build support for their ideas.
These media outlets provide a forum for the
president to spread the administration’s
message.
Discussion question: Do you think modern
presidents have tried to gain powers the authors
of the Constitution did not intend for them to
have? (outside the scope of original intent?)
III: Limits on Presidential
Power
• A. Congress has constitutional authority to
_____________________________________.
 Ex. Nixon’s veto of the War Powers Act
• B. The president can be _____________ and
___________________for clear abuse of power
• C. The Supreme Court can _______________
____________________
 Ex. President Truman in Youngstown v. Sawyer
(1952)
III: Limits continued
• D. Congress has the “power of the _______”, so it
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has final control over the _______. How does this
act as a check on presidential power?
E. The Senate must approve presidential
________.
F. Limitation by the ___________--who actually
enforces the laws?
G. Limitation by __________--remember the idea
of a mandate?
 Johnson’s decision not to run again because of
Vietnam
 Obamacare
Section 2: Roles of the
President
• Some of what we expect the president to
do is in Article II and some of it has
developed over time and become custom.
• A. Chief of ___________
 In this role, the president represents the nation
at ceremonial functions
 Serves as a __________________________
II. Roles of the President
continued
• B. Chief ________________
 Can issue executive orders, which have the same
effect as a law
 Makes appointments (2,200 federal jobs)
 Appoints justices to the Supreme Court
 Removes appointed officials
 Has the power of impoundment (Nixon)
 Can issue reprieves and pardons
 Can grant amnesty
II. Roles of the President
continued
• III. Chief _______________
• A. The president often proposes ___________ to
Congress.
 The ________________address is usually an outline of
the presidential agenda for the year.
• B. Although he can propose legislation, Congress
must ______________________.
 The president faces more opposition when the opposing
party is in control of Congress. (divided government)
 He may use political favors to gain support for legislation
he really wants to see pass. (campaign support, etc)
 Can use the ____________ to persuade Congress to
cooperate.
II. Roles continued
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IV. Chief ___________________
The president also acts as the country’s top
economic planner, although congress created
the Council of _____________ in 1946 to assist.
A. Since the ____________, the president’s use of
this role has in increased.
B. Economic goals the president pursues include
high ________, production and purchasing
power.
C. One way the president directly influences the
economy is by developing the country’s
_________every year. (Congress has to
approve)
II. Roles continued
• V. Chief of ___________
• The president acts as head of his ________. As
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party leader, the president:
A. Helps raise ________________
B. Helps organize and plan party strategy for
campaigns and policy issues
C. Uses political patronage to appoint party
member to government jobs.
• Discussion question: Can this role ever be in
conflict with other duties the president has?
II. Roles continued
• VI. Chief ___________________
• A. Directs ____________ and oversees foreign affairs
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information agencies such as the _____, the ______
department and the National _________________.
B. Has sole power to make _______, which are
subject to _________ approval.
 (Remember WWI and the Treaty of Versailles?)
• C. May make executive agreements with foreign
nations.
 Ex. FDR’s “lend/lease” program to aid the British in WWII.
• Has the sole power to recognize foreign governments.
II. Next. . .
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VII. __________________
As commander in chief, the president:
A. Shares with ______ the power to _________
B. Makes key __________________.
C. Supports war efforts on the home front during
times of war.
D. May use the armed forces to handle domestic
issues such as ______________________.
Remember that use of the military is a power that
Congress watches very closely. Historically, this has
led to tensions between the executive and
legislative branches.
Chief Citizen
• The president is the “representative of the
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people”
President takes the lead on an issue
Is a place of “moral leadership”
This role may not be as prominent as it
once was and overlaps with Head of State
Giving a patriotic speech, representing the
people in the aftermath of a crisis
Chief Administrator
• The President is in charge of the
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____________
15 cabinet departments
Hundreds of agencies
Over 2 million+ civilian employees within
the executive branch
Appoints 2,200 people to jobs after taking
office (“plum book” lists 8,000 jobs)
III. Styles of Leadership
• All presidents have the same tools of leadership
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available to them, but since they are individuals,
they choose to use them in different ways.
A. The Founders originally expected that the
legislative branch would be the “dominant” branch
and would lead the nation, not the president.
B. One way presidents provide leadership is in
introducing new ideas as well as responding to
crises at home and abroad.
 Truman and civil rights
 Nixon and China
 Bush (43) after 9/11
II. Leadership Qualities and
Skills
• Could you be president? Do you have the following?
• A. Presidents must have a good sense of what’s
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important to Americans and understand what the
people want (mandates again)
B. Presidents must be good communicators (chief
persuader)
C. Presidents must have a keen sense of timing
D. Successful presidents:
 Are flexible and open to new ideas
 Are able to compromise
 But be willing to go against public opinion in matters they
think are important.
III. Presidential Isolation
• One increased danger presidents face today is that
their dependence on White House staff and close
advisors will isolate them.
 Special treatment of a president by staff and advisers
risks keeping information from them that helps them
carry out their duties.
 Problems of personality--presidents may discourage
staffers from disagreeing with them or giving them
advice they don’t want to hear.
 Access to the president is controlled by top aides
 Dealing with staff issues cuts down on the time the
president has to stay in touch with the people.
 Examples: Nixon and Regan
IV: Executive Privilege
• Because much of the advice presidents get and
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discussions they have involve classified information,
presidents aren’t always comfortable letting Congress,
the public or the media know what’s going on. They
often rely on “executive privilege” to protect this
information.
Modern presidents have also claimed that executive
privilege includes their communications with other
members of the executive branch.
The Supreme court has ruled that executive privilege
is constitutionally based, but not without limits.
 U.S. v. Nixon http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/410/
 The Pentagon Papers (Johnson & Vietnam)