POSC 380 The National Executive
A. Eksterowicz, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
James Madison University
Fall 2005
Office: G-12
Office Hours:
Phone: 83770
Overview of Course
During the last three decades this nation has witnessed the awesome power of
the Presidency exercised to great and noble proportions, e.g., the Civil Rights and Great
Society era and to constitutionally abusive proportions, e.g., Vietnam, Watergate,
Iran/Contra and more recently Whitewater/Lewinsky. We have lived under "weak"
presidents immediately after such abusive times. The Ford, Carter, Bush and perhaps
Clinton Presidencies are examples of this phenomena. It seems as though Professor
Thomas Cronin was correct when he noted that, "...the ultimate paradox of the modern
presidency is that it is always too powerful and yet it is always inadequate." With the
statement of this rather simple paradox, Cronin has touched upon the fundamental
problem of the Presidency. This paradox shall serve as the framework for our course.
American educational, informational and governmental institutions foster a vision
of the Presidency which encourages our wildest expectations. Indeed, even presidential
candidates succumb to this illusion and euphoria of power. However, these same
institutions can and have placed limitations upon the national executive. New presidents
quickly learn of these limitations upon attaining office. They sit atop a fragmented and
often unresponsive government system. They must conquer or at least influence this
system to achieve their goals. Hopefully this will occur before their next re-election
campaign begins. But as Richard Neustadt reminds us, presidential resources and
capital are also limited and thus must be protected if the president is to remain effective.
Herein lies the problem. The limitations placed upon presidents threaten their
effectiveness, thus they attempt to consolidate and aggregate power and influence to
stifle these limitations. But how much power should be aggregated? Where can we
draw thee line between the healthy exercise of power (the model of F.D.R. to Neustadt)
and the abuse of power witnessed in portions of the Johnson, Nixon, Reagan and
Clinton Presidencies.It is an important question facing the new Bush Administration in
the wake of September 11th.
Presidents usually attempt to become strong and powerful because of their
systematic governmental weaknesses. If anything, these weaknesses have increased in
the past twenty years. The Congress is more assertive directly as a result of the
Watergate affair even in the area of foreign policy. Much is made of the congressional
vote to support President George H. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq. However the
was vote was extremely close, especially in the Senate. The Congress was in actuality
informing the president that while we will allow you to go to war it better be a short one.
The close vote implied quick and significant erosion of congressional support if the war
dragged on.
Adding to the general weakness of the Presidency is the end of the Cold War
and the transformation of the international system. Presidents have acquired significant
powers due to the nature of the Cold War. With this era gone, the justification for such
power is also gone. It is too early to tell if a president can sustain the argument for a war
on terrorism as the next big American crusade. More likely, economic issues like foreign
aid and trade will and have surpassed or complimented military and security issues. The
Congress is heavily involved in these areas. This does not bode well for those who are
vigorous proponents of the theory of presidential prerogative.
Yet no one is arguing that presidents will refrain from maximizing power for this is
a means towards political survival. The threat of military strikes in Iraq and Haiti and the
real military action in Kosovo and Afghanistan under President's Clinton and Bush are
testaments to this fact. If Theodore Sorensen was correct when he stated that the
office(of the Presidency) affects the man as much as the man affects the office, then our
task must go beyond the mere examination of presidential personality. The correlation
of abuse of power with an "evil" or "isolated and introverted" personality may not
illustrate the full extent of the problem. Remember that President Nixon and President
Reagan were remarkably different individuals yet they both made very similar decisions
in Watergate and Iran/Contra. The office of the president and its relationship with other
governmental and influential institutions must be considered. Examined from this
perspective, Watergate or Iran/Contra cannot be dismissed as the mere quirk of evil,
psychotic, senile or aloof presidents for the problems that Presidents Nixon and Reagan
faced represent problems that future presidents will confront. Witness the problem of
executive privilege and secrecy in the Clinton and new Bush Administrations. Yet this
need to acquire and protect presidential power and influence threaten to transform the
Presidency into a dangerous institution. An institution that can ignore the very
constitutional values its occupants are sworn to uphold. Indeed, President Clinton asked
his former advisor, David Gergen (who had served in the Reagan Administration) just
how President Reagan escaped political harm when 219 marines were killed in their
barracks in Beirut in 1983. Gergen responded that within days President Reagan
authorized the invasion of Grenada and everyone knew that someone, somewhere was
going to be bombed. Thus presidential power was going to be protected.
Was this sentiment part of George W. Bush's reasons for war with Iraq? The
reasons remain mysterious for the time being. But one thing is certain, the orchestrated
efforts to go to war in Iraq were inevitably intertwined with preserving presidential
power. The effectiveness of this strategy is now being debated by the public and the
Congress.
One of the problems that modern presidents face revolves around the concept of
leadership. How can modern presidents develop new skills for leadership and what will
these skills be?
As we work our way through the course we will pay special attention to the
powers and limitations of the Presidency. the overall objective of the course is to
familiarize the student with the problems inherent in presidential government. At the end
of the course we will examine a few proposals for reform which may or may not help to
alleviate the present situation. However, it might become necessary to realize that the
problems presented by presidential government cannot be solved in any definitive
sense. It may only be possible to manage them for the purposes of preserving the
democratic principles our Founding Fathers so generously left us centuries ago. If this is
the case then our responsibilities are certainly great for the price of bad management
may well be the diminution of democracy.
Textbooks
1. Thomas E. Cronin and Michael A. Genovese, The Paradoxes of the American
Presidency, New York: Oxford University Press, 2004 2nd ed. ISBN 0-19516709-0
2. Robert p. Watson and Anthony J. Eksterowicz, The
Presidential
Companion,2003 The University of South Carolina
Press ISBN 1-57003-461-3.
3.Richard E. Neustadt, Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents,
New
York: The Free Press, 1990.
4. Glenn P. Hastedt and Anthony J. Eksterowicz, The President
and Foreign
Policy: Chief Architect or General Contractor, New York: NOVA Publishers, 2005.
Course Structure and Format
This course is comprised of both instructor directed lectures and discussion
sections. It strives to balance the need for dissemination of information and student
participation. With the inclusion of discussion sections, however, a fair amount of
responsibility is shifted to the students. It is expected that students will live up to this
responsibility. This implies that they come to the discussion sections prepared. Not only
should students read the assigned chapters for a particular discussion topic and answer
the discussion questions associated with the chapters, they will also be asked to
prepare four - four to five page typewritten "think pieces" to stimulate discussion on a
particular topic. The think pieces are explained under the examination and grading
section. In addition there will also be a grade for discussion. In a normal week the
lectures will be delivered on Monday and half of class on Wednesday. The other half of
Wednesday's class and Friday will be devoted to discussion.On a Tuesday/ Thursday
schedule Lectures will be delivered on Tuesday and half of the class on Thursday with
the rest of Thursday's class devoted to discussion. This discussion will be based either
on the think pieces or on the discussion questions on the assigned chapters. Students
are still responsible for answering the discussion questions as they read the chapters
even though they are not covered in class.
Examinations and Grading
EXAMS
There will be three in class essay exams during the regular semester. Two will be
given during the regular semester and the third will be given during final exam week.
The first two exams are each worth 25% of the student's grade. The third exam is worth
30% of the grade and it will have some cumulative elements associated with it.
The view of the instructor is that exams should not only provide an instructor with
a means of evaluating student learning, but should constitute a learning experience.
The exams for this course represent a bit of an experiment. They are designed to
facilitate intellectual thought by groups of students on the respective exam topics. The
exams in this course require:
1. A knowledge and understanding of the assigned readings and class
discussions.
2. The ability to integrate knowledge from the different sources.
3. Analysis of the materials to reach conclusions and support them in an
organized and coherent fashion.
4. The ability to apply conceptual frameworks to concrete examples and
situations.
These exams are experimental due to the method of testing. Examination
questions will be distributed to the students approximately one week before the exam
date. There may be upwards of 8 to 12 essay questions on the exam sheet. These
essay questions will be quite involved and comprehensive in nature. Students are
encouraged to study together in their own small examination discussion groups. On the
date of the exam a student delegate will randomly select 3 of the questions. One
question must be answered by the entire class and the students will have a choice of
answering one of the two remaining questions. Thus only two of the three selected
questions will be answered in class.
One word of advice, GAMBLING WITH THE QUESTIONS CAN BE
ACADEMICALLY HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH. As you can well imagine, the
preparation for these exams, if approached properly, will be quite comprehensive. On
the other hand, if the student is prepared, there will be no surprises on the exam. One
should also note that because these questions will be given in advance, the instructor's
expectations regarding the four above grading criteria will be quite high.
THINK PIECES
There will be three, five page think pieces during the semester. These think
pieces are in this package of student materials. They will be due on the after coverage
of the designated sections of the syllabus. The instructor will announce the specific due
date in class. Each of these think pieces will be worth four points. Together all of them
will comprise 15% of your grade. The purpose of these think pieces is to develop and
tap student creativity and ability at applying concepts developed in class to real world
situations. The students should not only think creatively about the problems embodied
in these think pieces but they should display their ability to work with the abstract
academic concepts thus demonstrating their knowledge of these concepts. These think
pieces are not formal research papers. They do not require extensive research sources
or bibliographies. However they should be documented with real world sources such as
newspapers, journals and magazines. Every student in this class should get in the habit
of reading a daily newspaper other than USA TODAY. In addition, students should
explore newspapers magazines and journals like; The New Republic, The National
Review, Political Science Quarterly, Presidential Studies Quarterly, The New York
Review Of Books, Congressional Quarterly, The National Journal,Time, Newsweek,
U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall
Street Journal.
The grading criteria for the think pieces will be as follows:
1. Did the student display knowledge gained from various sources? How evident
and convincing was this from the arguments in the think piece?--1 pt.
2. Did the student understand the various concepts developed in the text
readings and classroom discussions? Was this clearly communicated in the think piece
by arguments which would demonstrate student understanding?---1.5 pts.
3. Was there a creative argument developed in the think piece? Was the student
able to display his or her own thoughts on the subject matter and were these thoughts
credible? In other words were they grounded in reality?---1.5 pts.
4. Were the arguments in the think piece organized and responsive to the
question or problem as articulated by the instructor? In a five page think piece the
arguments must be concise, organized and well written. The arguments must flow
logically to a conclusion or solution.--1 pt.
CLASSROOM DISCUSSION
Five points will be allocated for classroom discussion. Again, it is imperative that
students come to class prepared to discuss the text readings. Points will be allocated as
follows: 5= outstanding discussion, implies student leader in discussion, always active
and participatory, 4=good discussion, not always a leader in discussion but active in the
discussion and responding to points of others, 3=average discussion, sometimes
participatory, sometimes not, sometimes prepared sometimes not, 2=below average
participation, usually not prepared, asks not to be called upon frequently,a listener but
not participator, 1= non communicative, an outright vegetable perhaps fertilized by the
thoughts and ideas of others but who knows.
Overall grading for this course breaks down as folows:
Exam 1 = 25%
Exam 2 = 25%
Final Exam = 30%
Classroom Discussion = 5%
Think Pieces = 15%
Topics, Readings and Examination Schedule
Students: each chapter of the Hastedt and Eksterowicz book will be assigned to
an individual student. That student will prepare a two page summary of the chapter and
distribute it to the entire class. We will cover the issue during our discusion of foreign
policy.
WEEKS
1. Introduction, Overview and Framework: The Modern Executive Atop a
Fragmented Governmental System: Implications for Democracy.
READINGS: Cronin & Genovese, preface and chapter one. Watson & Eksterowicz,
Presidential Companion (Hereafter cited as PC ) Forward, Introduction and chapter one.
2. Presidential Selection and Job Description
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter two and five, PC chapter two.
3. Public Perception and Media Images.
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter three. PC chapter three.
THINK PIECE # 1 : PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION
4. Presidential Personality
READINGS: PC chapter four and five
FIRST EXAMINATION
5. Presidential Staffing and the President's Relationship With
the Bureaucracy.
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter nine. PC chapter six.
6. The President And Congress
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter six. PC chapter seven and eight.
7. Presidential Power I
READINGS: Neustadt: Chapters 1-8. Cronin and Genovese, chapter four.
8. Presidential Power II
READINGS: Neustadt Chapters 9-end.
THINK PIECE # 2: THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
9. Emergency Powers of the President and Presidential Management.
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, pages 249-251. PC chapter ten. First three
chapters of Hastedt and Eksterowicz book.
SECOND EXAM
10. The President and Foreign Policy
READINGS: PC chapter nine, Last four chapters of Eksterowicz and Hastedt book.
11. The President and Domestic Policy: Interest Groups and Political Parties
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter seven. PC chapter eleven and twelve.
12. The President and the Courts
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter eight. PC chapter thirteen.
13.Presidential Accountability and Leadership
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter eleven. PC chapter fourteen and
conclusion.
THINK PIECE # 3: THE PRESIDENT AND DOMESTIC POLITICS
14. Proposals for Reforming the Presidency and Vice Presidency.
READINGS: Cronin and Genovese, chapter ten.
THIRD EXAM
NO EXTRA CREDIT WORK FOR THIS COURSE WILL BE ALLOWED
LECTURE NOTES
The Modern Executive Atop A Fragmented Governmental System: Implications For
Democracy
I The Myth Of A Powerful Presidency
A. the Nature of the Office
1. Reasons for the seductiveness of the office
B. Sources of the myth
1. Value of liberal textbook writers
2. Folklore
3. Parental attitudes
4. Media glorification
5. Current history
6. Patriotism
7. Limitations on scholarly research
C. Reality of Presidential Limitations
1. Presidential selection
2. Job description
3. Public perception and media images
4. Presidency and bureaucracy
5. Congress
a. domestic policy
b. foreign policy
D. The ultimate Presidential Paradox
1. Thesis or problem of the course
a. Presidential accumulation of power 4 reasons
b. Presidents as threats to democracy
c. Implications for democracy
The Presidential Selection Process
I. Profile of Presidential Candidates
A. Characteristics
B. Voter's Perceptions
C. influence of Media
II. Qualifications of the Candidates
A. Legal Criteria
b. Informal criteria
1. Government experience
2. wealth
a. 1974 Campaign Finance Act
3. Ideology
b. personality/issues split
4. Background factors
III. The Campaign
A. beginnings-Invisible Primaries
B. Primaries and Conventions
a. Problems with primaries
1. effect on parties
2. effect on early primaries
3. effect on media coverage
4. low turnout and non- representation
C. Advantages of incumbency
D. Campaigns as tests of candidates
1. Governing skills as opposed to campaign skills
2. True test of physical stamina
IV. The General Election
A. Problem of low political participation
1. Brittle mandates
a. reagan 1984
b. Bush 1988
c. Clinton 1992-1996
d. Bush 2000-2004.
B. Party platforms and Parties
C. Case of Electoral College
1. 12th Amendment
V. Overall Problem With selection Process
A. Openness
B. Representativeness
C. Efficiency
D. Competence
E. Weak Presidents
Presidential Job Description
I. Thomas Cronin's Sub Presidencies
A. Foreign and National Security Affairs
B. Economics
C. Domestic Policy
II. President Leadership - Inherent Limitations
A. Crises Management
B. Symbolic and Morale Building Leadership
C. Priority Setting and Program Design
D. Recruitment of Personnel
E. Legislative and political coalition building
1. Paradox of early success
2. Congressional changes
a. power diffusion
F. Policy Implementation and evaluation
G. Oversight and early warning
III. Conclusions
Public Perceptions And Media Images
I. Public Perceptions
A. The Claims of Thomas Cronin and Robert DiClerico
1. 2 different desires of the public
2. Cronin and the activist president
3. Reality; a mix of the two
B. Dimensions of the Textbook Presidency
C. Reasons for the Textbook Presidency
D. Price of the Textbook Presidency
II. The President and the media
A. Goals of the News Media and the Presidency
1. Conflict and collusion
B. Collusion
1. Presidential advantages
2. Media advantages
C. News Media Bias
Presidential Personality
I. Psychoanalytical Approach
A. Claims of the approach
1. Emphasis on personality
2. Difference from traditional approaches
3. Assumptions of psychoanalytical approach
a. 4 assumptions
b. Influence of James David Barber
1. Active positive
2. Active negative
3. Passive positive
4. Passive negative
c. Theories of active negative presidents
d. Characteristics of active negative presidents
e. Barber's conclusions
1. glorification of active positive
f. Robert DiClerico's contribution
g. Critique of Barber's topology
Presidential Staffing
I. The cabinet government problem
A. Approaches to cabinet government
B. Problem with approaches
II. Staffing the Cabinet
a. Inner cabinet positions
B. Outer cabinet positions
C. Difficulty of staffing
D. Tensions between the office of the President and the cabinet
1. Problem of loyalty
2. Going Native
3. The iron triangle
E. View from the White House Staff
F. the Problem of Isolation
III. The Executive Office of the President
A. Size and Growth
B. Offices and members
1. NSC
2. CEA
3. OMB
4. Domestic Policy Staff
5. White House Staff
C. The White House Staff Considered
1. Functions
2. Organizations and policy advise
3. Tensions with the cabinet
IV. Presidential Decision Making
A. Impact of EOP and Cabinet on decision making
B. Danger of power vested in EOP
The President and the Bureaucracy
I. Bureaucracy
A. Composition
B. Functions
II. Presidential Powers and Limitations over the Bureaucracy
A. Appointments
B. Reorganization
C. Central Clearance
1. OMB
III. Presidentialists and departmentalists
A. Arguments of presidentialists
B. Arguments of Departmentalists
IV. The Carter Administration
A. Civil service Reform Act of 1978
B. Implications
V. The Reagan Administration
A. Appointment policies
B. Executive Order 12291
C. Implications
VI. The Bush Administration
A. Early trends
VII. The Clinton Administration
A. Reinventing Government
VIII.The Bush Administration
B. Homeland Security
The Modern Presidency And The Congress:
An Irreconcilable Relationship ?
I. Intentions of the Founding Fathers
A. the Congress
B. The Presidency
C. The reality of the modern world
II. Rise of modern Presidential Power
A. The importance of crises and wars
B. Congressional reaction to Presidential power
III. The Modern Congress
A. Internal Reforms of the 1970s
1. Diffusion of power centers
2. Decline of Party Influence
3. Decline of committee cohesion
4. Open legislation and Interest Groups
5. Congresspersons and PACs
6. Congressional fragmentation
B. External reforms and the Presidency
1. Computers and an increase of information
2. OTA
3. CBO
4. CRS
IV. Presidential Alternatives
A. Style over Substance
B. Active Leadership
C. Combination of the two
V. 1994 Congressional Elections
A. Reforms of Congress and their Presidential Impact
1. Cut in Committee Staff
2. Limit Commitee Chair's Terms
3. Ban Proxy Voting
4. Open Committee Meetings
5. Change in Budgeting Rules
6. Line Item Veto
7. Balanced Budget Amendment
8. Term Limits for Congress
VI. Congress 1994-2005
A. The Attempt to increase party power and government
1. House under Hastert
Presidential Power I
I. Rise of Modern Presidential Power
A. End of WWI, Foreign Debt and Budget Accounting Act 1921
1. Bureau of Budget
2. OMB in 1970s
B. Effect of crises
1. Great Depression
2. WWII
3. FDR's Programs
4. Cold War and National Security
5. Cuba 1962
6. Vietnam 1965
7. Cambodia
8. Myaguaez
9. Iran
10 Grenada and Lebanon
11. Iraq Wars
C. Nixon's justification for presidential power
1. Implications for the constitution and the nation
II. Congressional Reaction to Presidential Power
A. Congressional Reforms
1. Presidential War making
a. War Powers Resolution
2. Presidential Emergency powers
a. National Emergencies Act of 1976
3. Intelligence Oversight
4. Executive Agreements
a. Case Act
5. Presidential Budget Impoundment
a. Budget Impoundment and Control Act of 1974
1. Presidential options.
III. The Role Of The Courts
A. Curtis Wright Export Case
B. Youngstown Sheet and Tube V. Sawyer
C. U.S. V. Nixon
D. Nixon V. Fitzgerald
E. Jones V. Clinton
F. Iraq War Cases
IV. Articles of Impeachment and Foreign Policy
A. Examination of the five articles
Presidential Power II
Presidential Power in the 1990s:
Richard Neustadt's Model Confronts The Future
This lecture is part of ongoing research on the state of the Presidency in the
post Cold War era. Changes will be made up to the delivery date. No outline is available
for this lecture.
Emergency Powers of the President
I. The Problem of Emergency Powers
A. John Locke's notions
B. Lincoln and the Dilemma of Democracy
C. The Founding Fathers' Views
II. Presidential Emergency Powers
A. Enumeration of Powers
B. FDR and NIXON as examples
III. Two views of Presidential Emergency powers
A. TR's Stewardship Theory
B The views of President Taft
IV. Some Essential Safeguards
A. Four Safeguards
V. The Reaction of the Courts
A. Ex Parte Milligan (1866)
B. Youngstown Sheet and Tube
C. Conclusions from above cases
VI. The National Emergency Act of 1976
A. Provisions of the Act
B. Problems and implications of the Act
The President and Foreign Policy:
The National Security and Foreign Policy Dilemma
I. Four sets Of Problems Associated With Foreign Policy
A. Executive/Legislative Relationship
1. Bipartisanship and consensus
2. Effects of Vietnam and Watergate
3. The End of the Cold war
4. Congressional Co-Determination of foreign policy
a. Examples
B. The National Security Policymaking Establishment
1. Strengths and weaknesses of these institutions
2. Presidential Responses
3. The Case of the NSC Adviser
C. the Political Context of foreign and National Security Policy
1. effects of the 1970's on foreign policy
2. Effects of the 1990's on foreign policy
a. Iraq War
b. End of Cold War
c. War on Terrorism
D. The President, National Security and World Politics
1. Decline in the utility of military force
2. Rise of international economic issues
3. Transformation of International Politics
4. Options for the President in the post Cold War era
The Presidency And Domestic Politics
I. The President's Domestic Agenda
A. Definition
1. Timing of Agenda
2. Issue selection
3. Agenda Alternatives
B. Composition and Size of Agenda
1. Agenda and Alternatives
C. Resources for Agenda Implementation
1.Internal resources
a. Time
b. Information
c. Expertise
2. External Resources or "Political Capital"
a. Party Support
b. Public Approval
c. Electoral margin
d. Professional reputation
D. Patterns of Policy
1. Cycle of decreasing influence
2. Cycle of increasing influence
E. Timing and Agenda
1. Availability of alternatives
2. problem of political parties
F. Selecting the issues
1. Presidential goals
a. re-election
b. historic achievement
c. good policy
G. Cost of Policy Alternatives
1. Political
2. Economic
3. Technical
H. Paul Light's Concept of the "NO Win" Presidency
I. Paul Light's Guide to winning a "No Win" Presidency
Presidential Leadership and Reform:
Proposals Regarding the Presidency and the Vice Presidency
I. Suggestions on Presidential Leadership
A. Suggestions Found in Presidential Literature
1. Methods for evaluating leadership
2. Leadership Qualities
3. The Problem with this analysis
II. Presidential Reform Proposals
A. Thomas Cronin's Suggestions
1. Impeachment
2. Presidential Recall
3. National Initiative
4. 6 year term
5. Plural Executives
6. Problem with this analysis
III. Three Models Of presidential Leadership
A. Madisonian Model
B. Hamiltonian Model
C. Jeffersonian Model
IV. Proposal For Reform: The Jeffersonian Model Revisited
A. Assumptions of the proposal
1. Transnational and interdependent nature of foreign and domestic
politics.
2.Diminution and displacement of Soviet threat
3. Inadequacies of Imperial Presidency
4. Recent changes in Congress
a. Ideological Cleavages
B. Requirements of the proposal
1. Full Public Financing of Congressional campaigns
2. Party Power
3. Congressionally based party organizations
4. Competitive opposition party
5. Foster increasing skills of Congresspeople
6. Party platforms
7. Presidential candidates
a. ability to handle problems
C. Incentives for Party Discipline
V. Proposal for Reform: The Madisonian Model revisited
A. Emphasis on Intra Branch collaboration
1. Task Forces Executive/Legislative
2. Commissions
3 Intermingling of Personnel
4. Developing tools for intra branch collaboration
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ROBERT DICLERICO
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT 4th EDITION
INTRODUCTION
1. Describe the parameters of the Presidential debate over the imperial
nature of the Presidency and its imperiled nature.
2. Why i it difficult to empirically research the Presidency?
CHAPTER ONE
1. What was the expectations of the Founders with respect to the
Presidential selection process? Who would select the President and why? What
happened to these expectations?
2. Explain the Caucus, Convention and primary nomination methods.
3. What did the Frasier McGovern Commission recommend?
4. What are the effects of increasing the number of presidential primaries?
5. List the formal and informal criteria for nomination to the Presidency.
6. How did the provisions of the 1974 Federal Elections Campaign Act
affect the Presidential selection process? What are the benefits of the Act ?
7. List some criticisms of the Presidential nomination process.
8. Explain the rationale behind the "super delegates" ?
Are party leaders better qualified to pick nominees than the rank and file
members?
9. Discuss the proposals for changing the selection process.
CHAPTER TWO
1. Why do presidents have greater leeway for power in foreign affairs rather
than domestic affairs?
2. Is this changing ? How ?
3. What was the intent of the Founders regarding Presidential warmaking ?
How have various Presidents altered this intent ? What role has the Supreme
Court played in all of this ? Are there similarities in Truman's rationale in Korea
and Bush's rationale in the Iraq war?
4. How did the Vietnam War and the Gulf of Tonkin incident change the
view of the Congress on Presidential warmaking power? What legislation resulted
from this change of view?
5. List the problems associated with the War Powers Act?
6. What is the importance of INS V. Chada on the War Powers Act ?
7. Is there any value in this act now?
8. Why is Congress reluctant to challenge the President's warmaking
power? Describe President Bush's attempts at congressional consultation during
the Persian Gulf crisis ?
9. What is the difference between executive agreements and treaties ? Why
have president's focused on one at the expense of the other? What are the
provisions of the Case Act? Was it successful ? Why or why not?
10. List and explain the efforts by the executive and legislative branches to
make the CIA more accountable.
11. What is the problem with the 1980 Accountability for Intelligence Act?
12. What can we say about Congress's role in foreign aid and trade in arm
sales ?
CHAPTER THREE
1. What are the factors that serve to frustrate harmonious relationships
between the president and congress?
2. What factors can actually increase harmony between the branches and
make the president's job easier ?
3. Contrast Carter reagan and Johnson's legislative styles .
4. Why is the President the chief initiator of legislation?
How has this changed and why ?
5. Explain the concept of impoundment and how has the Budget Act of
1974 controlled this concept?
6. Explain the INS V. Chada case. How did it impact the Budget Act of
1974? What about the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990 ?
7. What tools of persuasion are available to the president in his/her
relationship with Congress?
8. What is executive privilege and how was it enlarged?
9. What is the danger in this expanded notion of executive privilege?
10. What did this eventually lead to in the Nixon Administration?
11. What is the significance of the ruling in U.S. V.Nixon /
12. Describe the Impeachment process.
13. What are impeachable offenses?
14. List the charges against president Nixon.
15. What are the limitations of the impeachment process?
16. Are there any alternatives to our impeachment process?
17. What are some of the causes for deadlock or paralysis of our
government in recent times?
18. Describe a few proposals for breaking this deadlock.
CHAPTER FOUR
1. Describe the public's attitude towards the Presidency in the pre
Watergate period. Why did the public feel this way ?
2. How did the public feel about the power relationship between the
Presidency and the Congress during this period?
3. What happens to presidential popularity during a president's term?
Why?
4. Please interpret the charts on pages 123-128.
5. What does all of this mean for a president seeking passage of his/her
program through the Congress.
6. What impact did the watergate scandal have upon the public's attitude
towards the Presidency?
7. How might we explain the long term decline in public support for the
president?
8. How does the president use the media in an attempt to increase
influence?
9 Why does the president retain advantage during press conferences?
10. Describe the ways the media can reduce or complicate presidential
influence.
11. Does the bias which exists in press coverage adversely affect a
president? Why or why not?
12. What one word best describes the present relationship between the
president and the press?
13. Why and how does the press become the amplifier of a president's
problems ?
CHAPTER FIVE
1.What are the limitations on the President's appointment power?
2. What is the major problem with career civil servants?
3. How has the creation of the Civil Service Reform Act strengthened a
president's control over the bureaucracy?
4. How can the regulatory bureaucracy limit presidential control?
5. Describe the nature the problem that a president has with his/her own
political appointees?
6. In the wake of INS V. Chada what do you think Congress' reaction will be
to future presidential requests to reorganize the bureaucracy?
7. Describe the role of OMB.
8. How does an agency "end run" the OMB? Is there a risk associated with
this strategy?
9. What other limitations confront the president in attempting to deal with
the bureaucracy?
10. Contrast the attempts to achieve greater control over the bureaucracy
by President Nixon and President Reagan?
CHAPTER SIX
1. Why do presidents refrain from relying too heavily upon the cabinet for
advice?
2. Why do we distinguish between an inner and an outer cabinet?
3. What was Reagan's relationship with his cabinet? What process did he
establish for dealing with the cabinet and national policy?
4. How did this work in practice?
5. How has the NSC evolved in the various presidential administrations?
What is the danger in this ?
6. What is the role of the CEA and the OMB?
7. Why was the OMB so important to the Reagan Administration?
8. What is the role of the NEC and the OPD ?
9.Why is the White House Staff extremely important to the President? Why
has it increased in recent years? What is the overall problem with such growth?
10. Discuss the problem of isolation and staff in the Carter, Nixon, Reagan
and Clinton Presidencies.
11. How do staff members view the president? What problems does this
view lead to ?
12. How does the regal trappings of the office of the president affect the
person as president?
13. What is the role of outside advisers?
CHAPTER SEVEN
1. Use the continuum on page 232 foreign to domestic, routine to crisis, to
analyze the 5 cases of presidential decisionmaking.
Why were some cases successful and others failures? What role did information
play in these situations? How can we correct these problems? Describe the
problem of group think as it relates to these situations. Did JFK handle the Cuban
crisis properly? How did the missile crises compare with LBJ's decisions in the
Vietnam War? Did LBJ fail to reach out for information? Contrast this with
Reagan's decision to go into Lebanon or Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq.
What impact did the Wise Men have upon LBJ ?
Discuss the Iran Contra Affair. What was the main problem demonstrated
by president Reagan
What are some proposals which would increase the flow of information to
the president?
Evaluate the proposals in the 2nd paragraph of page 264. Will they work?
Why or why not?
What is the author's final thoughts on this matter? In your opinion is this
good enough?
CHAPTER EIGHT
1. Briefly describe the magnitude of presidential emergency powers.
2. What were the views of the Founders concerning emergency powers of
the president?
3. What are the rules that scholars and policymakers agree should govern
the initiation of these emergency powers?
4. What has been the history of our declared national emergencies? Have
presidents followed the advice on these rules?
5. How have the Courts reacted to presidential emergency powers?
6. What is the overall danger associated with presidential emergency
powers?
7. How has the Congress reacted with regard to these powers?
8. Is this action effective? Why or why not?
CHAPTER NINE
1. Describe James David Barber's psychological topology of presidential
personality.
2. Why does DiClerico term Ronald Reagan an imperfect passive positive?
3. What are the problems associated with Barber's topology?
4. What are the problems associated with predicting personality types?
CHAPTER TEN
1. What are the qualities of leadership identified by DiClerico?
2. Are there any contradictions in these characteristics of leadership?
3. Is there anything wrong with the focus of this chapter? Is it really about
leadership? If not why not?
4. What is good leadership and what does it require?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1. What are the two major problems historically associated with the Vice
Presidency?
2. Describe the 12th amendment as it relates to the Vice President.
3.Discuss the proposals for reforming the Vice Presidential selection
process.
4. What are the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the Vice
President?
5. What other jobs or roles has the Vice President performed?
6. What precedent was established by he Carter/Mondale Administration?
7. What was the role of the VP under Reagan and Bush?
8. List the various proposals for reforming the Vice Presidency.
The Bush Presidency: First Appraisals
Colin Campbell and Bert Rockman, eds.
CHAPTER ONE
1. What are George Bush's inheritances or legacies as a leader and how do
these legacies work to his advantage or disadvantage?
2. What can we say about Bush and the type of advisors he surrounds
himself with?
3. How does Bush relate to the Presidency as corporate enterprise? Is he
an insider or outsider?
4. How does the author describe Bush's personal style ?
5. What is his style of political/policy leadership?
6. How would you describe Bush's interpersonal relationships?
7. How would you describe his decision making?
8. Is this really a chapter on leadership? Why or why not?
CHAPTER TWO
1. What is the dominant scholarly perspective in judging and analyzing the
Presidency and the Congress? Describe this perspective.
2. Describe the mixed representative perspective.
3. Which perspective is more suited to out times and why?
4. What are the advantages of the mixed representative system?
5. How do voters feel about divided government?
6. What role did ideology play in the 1988 election?
7. Describe the profile of the Bush voters in 1988.
8. What about the profile of the Dukakis voters?
9. What did voters like about Bush and dislike about Dukakis?
10. What was the result of the election?
11. Explain the concept of co-partisanship.
12. Discuss the outcome of co-partisanship in the three issue areas of
budget, savings and loan disaster, aid to the Contras.
13. What can we say about Bush's relations with Congress during his first
year?
14. What was the result of co-partisanship in 1989?
15. According to the author what is Bush's strategy?
CHAPTER THREE
1. What does the author say about Bush's accomplishments domestically
in the first two years of his presidency?
2. What are the problems associated with divided government?
3. What are the advantages of divided government?
5. What are the two principle requirements of cooperative leadership in
divided government ?
6. According to these two principles how can we evaluate Bush's domestic
accomplishments?
7. What were the issues that eclipsed domestic reform in the early Bush
Administration?
8. What were the issues that were domestically handled by Bush?
9. Was Bush flexible about policy means and rigid about policy ends?
10. How does the author evaluate Bush's strategy and results in the budget
deficit area?
11. How did the author evaluate Bush's performance on the issues of
education, drugs and welfare?
12. What about civil rights and environmental protection?
13. What is the author's feeling concerning divided government?
14. What is the author's solution to the problem?
CHAPTER FOUR
1.The author describes two or possibly four Bush characteristics in foreign
policy. What are they?
2.Briefly describe the new global transition.
3. What does the comparison with Teddy Roosevelt tell us about Bush's
Presidency in foreign policy?
4. Describe Bush's style in foreign policy.
5. What are the two characteristics of Bush's foreign policy appointees?
6. How have the Bush advisers been regarded?
7. Are there any concerns about the Bush foreign policy team?
8. Describe how Bush is torn in his dealings with Congress.
9. What can we learn about the Bush approach to foreign affairs from the
China, Latin America, Nicaragua and Panama examples?
10. What were the successes and failures of the Bush Administration in
dealing with the Soviet Union and the fall of Communism?
11.How do the authors assess his leadership of the Gulf War effort?
CHAPTER FIVE
1. Did Bush have a mandate to govern? Why or why not?
2. Early ion his Administration, why did Bush receive high public approval
ratings?
3. What is the nature of George Bush's "vision thing" ?
4. Analyze Bush's attempts at press and image management.
5. What is the politics of inclusion?
CHAPTER SIX
1.Why was George Bush "resource poor" and the Congress strong?
2. Why is the Congress stronger today than in the 1960s?
3. How did the budget deficit influence the President and Congress?
4. What did limited resources imply for presidential strategies in policymaking?
5. Why did the Congress compromise with Bush?
6. Are there any costs associated with a compromise strategy?
7. Give Examples of Executive/legislative COOPERATION, CONFLICT and
CONSPIRACY .
8. What can we say about a president who exercises the veto often?
9. Describe the maneuvering over the Budget in 1990. Why did Bush lose
the battle?
10. What is the advantage of united control of the Presidency and
Congress?
CHAPTER SEVEN
1. In the last 30 years what two things can be noted about the relationship
between the career bureaucracy and the EOP ?
2. How does a president's character relate to how he/she uses staff?
3. Describe the four types of presidential management style.
4. Where does the Bush Administration fit in this topology and why?
5. How did Bush originally organize the White House Staff? Did it hold up?
6. List some management problems that surfaced in foreign policy ?
7. During the first two years which administration officials did Bush rely
heavily upon? What does this say about the inter agency consultative process?
8. Describe Chief of staff Sununu's relationship with Congress.
CHAPTER EIGHT
1. Describe the difference between the Bush and reagan Administrations
and their relationship with the career bureaucrats.
What lessons did the reagan Administration learn from the Nixon
Administration in the appointment area?
3. What were the tools in the Carter Civil service reform Act of 1978 that
Reagan used to control the bureaucracy?
4. Was Reagan successful in his appointment strategies?
5. What was the nature of the clash between Reagan's appointees and the
career civil servants?
6. Did the career people under Reagan feel that they were influential in
terms of policy? Why?
7. How does Bush differ from Reagan regarding his view of bureaucrats?
8. Are there any problems associated with the Bush outlook?
CHAPTER NINE
1. What are the disadvantages of the Gramm Rudman Hollings Act?
2. What do the authors see as the underlying problems to our budget
deficit?
3. Contrast electoral differences in the U.S. from the U.K.
4. Why are British governments able to tackle tough issues while American
governments hesitant?
5. What is the author's solution to the problem?
6. Why has the problem of the underclass not really been solved?
7. What contributed to raising the level of exposure of the drug problem in
the 1980s?
8. Why did the government act in this policy area?
9. What effect does high exposure politics have on the Presidency?
CHAPTER TEN
No Questions , summary of book.
RICHARD NEUSTADT: PRESIDENTIAL POWER
The following questions are to be utilized in the discussion sections
devoted to Neustadt's book.
1. What is Neustadt's definition of power?
2. What does this imply for the Presidency?
3. List the five limits to the exercise of presidential power?
4. Neustadt talks of status, authority, prestige and bargaining power, how
do all of these relate to presidential power?
5. What types of officeholders would present the most problems for
presidential persuasion efforts?
6. How can a president protect power?
7. How do a president's reputation and the idea of anticipated reactions fit
together?
8. What is Neustadt's point regarding presidential reputations?
9. What is the relationship between reputation and popularity?
10. Neustadt says a president must teach. How does he suggest a
president teach?
11. What comparisons does Neustadt make between the presidencies of
Eisenhower and Roosevelt?
12. List three aspects associated with a president's influence.
13. Neustadt makes a claim concerning political experts. What is the gist of
this claim?
14. How would you summarize the major message of the book?
15. What other philosophical work might Neustadt's work be based upon?
16. After Vietnam and Watergate Neustadt re-assessed his work, what are
his findings?
17. How does Neustadt explain the Watergate Affair?
18. How does he treat the Carter and reagan Presidencies?
19. Are there any dangers to democracy inherent in Neustadt's book? If so,
what are they?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
BOB WOODWARD
THE AGENDA
1. What were the pro and con arguments concerning Clinton's potential run for the
presidency ?
2. How would you describe the deliberations over this decision ?
3. How did the Republican and Democrat Parties differ over social and economic
issues ? p. 28
4. Describe Clinton's agony and internal struggle over the middle class tax cut ?
p. 32
5. What was the view of Perot from the Clinton camp ? p. 39
6. Describe the problem with Ira Magaziner's health care claims ? p. 41
7. Describe the "no numbers" compromise on health care ? p. 50-51
8. Why did Clinton endorse the NAFTA Treaty ? p. 55
9. How did the initial Clinton meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan
go ? p. 68-71
10. What was the nature of the budget problems that erupted on Bill Clinton in
December of 1992 ? p. 77
11. What was the gist of Adelman's advice to Clinton ? p. 78 (4 pieces of advice)
12. Describe Alan Blinder's analysis of the deficit for Clinton ? p. 82-83
13. How did Panetta's advice on the deficit and short term interest rates square
with reality today ? p. 91-92.
14. What was the result of Gore's "feeling out" officials of congress on Social
Security COLA's ? P. 93
15. What happened to the middle class tax cuts and why ? p. 97
16. What was Greenspan's initial reaction to Bentsen's report that the Clinton
team was serious about attacking the deficit ? P. 98
17. How did the press respond to Secretary Bentsen's first interview ? P. 103
18. What was the reaction of the Congress to the Clinton Administration's
proposal to freeze Social Security COLAS ? P. 106
19. What was Hillary Clinton's role in the Clinton economic plan ? P. 111
20. What was the gist of Begala's story ? p. 112-113
21. Why did Begala emphasize economic growth instead of deficit reduction ?
22. Describe the struggle for Clinton's soul between Begala and Clinton's new
advisers ? What about the struggle between the elitists and populists sides of
Clinton ? PP. 125-126
23. Describe the split in the Administration over the 140 billion deficit reduction
package ? PP. 130-131
24. What was R. Reich's response to the press coverage of the 140 billion deficit
reduction package ? P. 133
25. How would you describe Greenspan's power over Clinton ? p. 143
26. What was Senator Boren's view of and relationship with the Clinton
Administration ? P. 149-150
27. How did the 1990 budget deal affect Clinton's investment strategies ? P. 155156
28. How did Senators Breaux and Boren react to Senator Byrd's strategy to pass
Clinton's economic stimulus package ? P. 159
29. What was Clinton's reaction when Rubin and Sperling told him about the
budget caps and their effect on his investment strategy ? P. 161-162
30. Describe the conflict between Byrd and Mitchell over the economic stimulus
program ? P. 173
31. What was Moynihan's strategy for Clinton in the Senate Finance Committee ?
P. 182
32. What was Senator Bradley's view of the Clinton economic program ? P. 183
33. What was the gist of Howard Paster's advice on lobbying the Clinton
economic program through the Congress ? P. 194
34. What was the purpose of the Boren plan in the Senate ? P. 197
35. Describe the plight of David McCurdy with respect to Clinton's economic plan
? P. 205-207 What was the significance of the phrase "he gets it" ? P. 206-7
36. What did the Gergan appointment signal ?
37. What was Greenspan's advice on health care reform and why ? P. 228
38. What did the Clinton phone call to Danforth illustrate ? P. 232
39. Describe the split between the consultants and the economic policy team in
the Clinton White House ? P. 250
40. What was the bold zero option ? P. 243
41. What was the role of Hillary Clinton in the White House Solarium meeting ? P.
256
42. Describe the "Proposal For Coordinating Strategy and Message ? P. 259
43. According to focus group interviews, what was the new threat that had
replaced the Soviet Union that president's must manage ? P. 268
44. What was the Clinton team's conclusions after they met with Senator Boren ?
P. 276
45. According to David Gergan, what congressional strategy should Clinton have
pursued ? P. 276
46. How did the Clinton team replace the negative vote of Senator Boren ? P. 283
47. How did the Clinton team convince Senator Bob Kerry to vote for the
economic package ? 288-290
48. Why did senator Kerry ultimately vote yes on the plan ? P. 312
49. Why did Howard Paster resign ? P. 319
50. What was Stenphanopoulos's view of Gergan ? P. 320
Discussion Questions
Cronin and Genovese
The Paradoxes of the American Presidency
Chapter One
1. Why did the Founders leave the Presidency undefined ?
2. Take each presidential paradox and tie it to a specific example in the Clinton
Administration.
3. Describe the analogy of the hedgehog and the fox.
4. What is the problem with taking politics out of the
presidency ?
5. How did J.M. Burns define leadership ?
Chapter Two
1. How do Americans view the presidential selection process ?
2. What are the formal requirements to be president ?
3. Describe the three overriding factors that influence how people vote in
presidential elections.
4. How has party identification or support changed in recent
years ?
5. How has the end of the Cold War changed public policy and character issues ?
6. To what extent are questions of private and moral character relevant to
presidential politics ?
7. What do we mean by character ?
8. Is there a useful model for judging character in a president ? How might this be
applied to President Clinton ?
9. As you examine the needs on page 39, which candidates today seem poised for
a run at the presidency ?
10. What is the importance of the independent or soft money exemption ?
11. Why do primaries favor ideological candidates ?
12. Elaborate on the criticisms of the primary system.
13. Describe the functions of the National Convention.
14. What are the criticisms associated with the national conventions ?
15. Describe the McGovern-Frasier reforms.
16. What do the authors conclude about the convention ?
17. Describe the advantages of incumbency.
18. What campaign strategy makes the most sense in the general election
campaign ?
19. Define a presidential mandate and discuss the three types of mandates.
20. Why do people decide to refrain from voting ?
21 What are the criticisms of the electoral college ?
22. Describe the case for retaining the electoral college.
23. How would a direct vote for president affect the political parties ?
24. Describe the national bonus plan.
Chapter Three
1. What did the Founders expect from the institution of the Presidency?
2. What was expected from Presidents in the 19th century ?
3. Examine the chart on page 75. Why is honesty high and moral character low ?
4. What are the patterns for presidential approval in the past 50 years ?
5. How is popularity related to power ?
6. What are the major reasons for the decline in Presidential popularity ?
7. What types of presidents do people like ? Is there a gap between experts and
scholars in this area ?
8. How do experts judge the President ?
9. What are the five characteristics for judging a president as great ?
10. Discuss the public/expert dichotomy with respect to the Reagan Presidency.
11. Why do the authors state that the media is a double edged sword for the
presidency ?
12. How has press coverage changed after Vietnam and Watergate ?
13. How can image hide policy ? Describe the Haldeman model.
Chapter Four
1. Why is presidential leadership so difficult in our system ?
2. List the impediments to strong leadership. How do antiauthoritarianism and
individualism work against leadership?
3. Describe the cycle of increasing effectiveness and decreasing popularity.
4. List the major tenants of Richard Neustadt's Presidential Leadership.
5. How did Neustadt moderate his work after Watergate ?
6. What are the criticisms of Neustadt's work /
7. Describe the normal state of the presidency.
8. What are the building blocks of leadership ?
9. Is there a problem with the authors discussion of skills ?
10. Describe the authors central challenge for the presidency.
11. List the pre-conditions for effective leadership.
Chapter Five
1. What does it mean to state that the Founders created an antileadership system
of governing ?
2. Discuss Madison's and Hamilton's views of governmental power.
What did this imply for the presidency ?
3. What are the chief controls against the executive ?
4. Describe Clinton Rossiter's view of the presidency.
5. What does this type of view lead to ?
6. What are the problems associated with viewing the jobs of the president as
comparmentalized into the foreign, economic and domestic area ?
7. Examining the table 5.1, are there any paradoxes or conflicts between
presidential jobs or roles ?
8. Describe the problems associated with presidential recruitment of personnel.
9. What is the difference between a governing and an electoral coalition ?
10. What problems are associated with the presidential box score ?
11. List some of the presidential resources which aid presidential coalition
building.
12. What factors lead the bureaucracy to resist change ?
Chapter Six
1. How have executive/legislative relationships evolved ?
2. How has divided government impacted the politics of shared powers ?
3. When and under what circumstances can a president lead or follow the
Congress ?
4. Explain the following: Line item veto, presidential veto and legislative veto.
5. In the aftermath of INS V. Chada how has the Congress reacted ?
6. Describe the imperial presidency argument. What is Lowi's contribution to this
argument ?
7. What were the chief congressional complaints of the Congress against the
presidency in the 1970s ?
8. Describe the problems associated with the war Powers Act.
9. How can we describe the effort of Congress to control the intelligence agencies
?
10. Describe the Budget Impoundment Control Act and the deferral process.
11. What is the role of the CBO ?
12. How has the new budget process worked ?
13. Why was the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act ineffective ?
14. Discuss the Sundquist reforms for the fusion of government.
15. Discuss the Burns proposals.
16. What do the critics say about these proposals ?
17. Describe the arguments against an imperial Congress.
Chapter Seven
1. What , in theory, are the obligations of presidents as party leaders ?
2. What can happen when a president strives to be above party politics ?
3. Describe the limits on presidents as party leaders.
4. What are the factors that undermine political parties in this country ?
5. How can we describe the president's appeal to parties in Congress ?
6. Discuss the reforms aimed at increasing cohesion between the president and
the political party.
7. Why did the Campaign Financing Act of 1974 virtually ignore political parties ?
Chapter Eight
1. What are the factors that have influenced judicial selection in recent years ?
Which is the most important ?
2. Discuss the table on page 230. What does it tell you about presidential
appointment strategies ?
3. What would a profile of a judicial nominee to the Supreme Court look like ?
4. What are the factors that affect the president in the selection of Supreme Court
Justices ?
5.How would you describe the Supreme Court nomination battles in recent years .
6. What are the problems associated with loyalty of judicial nominees to the
president ?
7. Why have so many justices disappointed the presidents who appointed them ?
8. What can be concluded from Lincoln and Roosevelt's experiences with the
courts ?
9. Describe the Curtis Wright and the Korematsu cases.
10. Examine the table on page 253 and note the different type of Supreme Court
divisions.
11. What are the requirements for a national emergence to be seen as legitimate ?
12. Note the Supreme Court cases expanding presidential power.
13. Note the Supreme Court cases that did not favor the presidency.
Chapter Nine
1. Describe just how cabinet nominees are torn between competing interests.
2. What is the primary characteristic that all presidents look for in a cabinet
nominee ?
3. What are the pitfalls associated with firing a cabinet member ?
4.Describe the consistent pattern which characterizes cabinet/executive relations
over time.
5. What are the three ways that presidents can use the cabinet as a group ?
6. What was the real purpose of President Reagan's cabinet council experiment ?
7. Why did it fail ?
8. Describe the concept of the inner and outer cabinet.
9. How have presidents used the White House Staff in recent
years?
10. How has the role of the First Lady evolved ?
11. Why has the White House Staff grown in recent years ?
12. Why is the role of the white House Chief Of Staff so
important ?
13. What advice do the authors give to avert presidential managerial failures ?
14. How do White House aides view outer cabinet members ?
15. Why is isolation of the outer cabinet officials inevitable ?
Chapter Ten
1. What are the provisions of the 25th Amendment ?
2. Describe the jobs of the Vice-President.
3. How do Vice Presidents and senators view the role of the VP as President of
the Senate ?
4. What is the Throttlebottom complex ?
5. Describe the Mondale model of the Vice presidency.
6. How much of Mondale's success as VP is attributable to Carter ?
7. What were the recommendations which Mondale left for Bush ?
8. Describe the Bush experience as VP.
9. Describe the Gore experience.
10. List some suggestions for reforming the Vice Presidency selection process.
11. What are the disadvantages associated with abolishing the office ?
12. List some of the more modest recommendations concerning the VP selection
process.
13. What questions were raised by President Reagan's actions under section 3 of
the 25th amendment ?
Chapter Eleven
1. List the three types of accountability.
2. What are the arguments for and against the 6 year non renewable term for the
presidency ?
3. What are the variations of the plural executive reform ?
4. List the defects of the plural executive reform.
5. What are the arguments for and against the no confidence vote reform ?
6. How do the authors feel about the establishment of third
parties ?
7. List the four ways that a president could make him/herself eligible for
impeachment. Do any of these ways link to President Clinton ?
8. How do the authors feel about independent counsels ?
9. How would Archibald Cox reform the Independent Counsel Act ?
10. What do the authors have to say about campaign financing reforms ?
11. Please comment on the author's observations on pages 375-378.
Anthony J. Eksterowicz and Glenn P. Hastedt, eds.
The Post Cold War Presidency
William W. Lammers
1. According to Lammers, what are the factors contributing to a tougher job for
modern presidents ?
2. Identify and explain all the tools for presidential leadership.
3. Which tools would you characterize as strong and which ones
weak ?
Eksterowicz and Hastedt
1. What were the factors leading to presidential dominance over the Congress in
foreign policy during the Cold War ?
2. How have different presidents utilized the NSC system ?
3. How has the end of the Cold War impacted the Congress ?
4. Describe how various presidents from Carter to Clinton have used their White
House Legislative liaison offices.
5. Describe some of the problems associated with President Carter's legislative
liaison efforts.
6. Describe the problems in the Clinton Administration. Were there any
similarities to Carter ?
7. Discuss the author's recommendations.
Harold Barger
1. Describe the popular image of the presidency during the Cold War.
2.How did the Cold War contribute to this popular image ?
3.How did domestic policy add to the image of an all powerful presidency ?
4. Describe the post modern presidency.
5. According to the author which technological transformations have affected
presidential authority the most ?
6. What was the problem with the original image of the presidency developed
during the Cold War ?
7. What event effectively terminated the Cold War presidency and why ?
8. How does the author define the globalist presidency ?
9. What event indicates the beginning of a globalist presidency ?
10. How has the globalist presidency affected campaign financing of the race for
the presidency ?
11. How does a globalist economy affect national soverignity ?
12. How does the information revolution affect national
soverignity ?
13. How did the revolution in electronic communications contribute to the decline
in the presidency ?
14. Is there any problem with the president floating major policy moves to the
public before he or she takes action ?
James K. Oliver
1. What has been the impact of Vietnam on the conduct of American foreign
policy ?
2. Describe the positive and negative projections for President Clinton's foreign
policy.
3. Why do presidents tend to circumvent the Congress ?
4. Describe the nature of the fundamental executive/legislative restraints now in
our governmental system.
5. What is the NEC and why was it formed ?
6. How does the author describe the focus of the Clinton Administration in
foreign policy ?
7. According to the author what is relay needed with respect to the clustering of
bureaucracies within the Global Affairs Group ?
8. Describe the divisions within the Clinton Administration over military
intervention.
9. How does the author characterize American public opinion concerning
isolationism ?
10. What does the author state about Bill Clinton and his link with the public in
foreign policy ?
Goidel, Shields and Langley
1. Summarize the findings of table one.
2. What does table two indicate ?
3. Why have the public's economic expectations become more volatile in recent
years ?
4. What are the author's conclusions ?
Loch K. Johnson
Try to assess just how the CIA's role has changed in the Post Cold War era in the
following areas: collection, cover, analysis, counterintelligence and covert action.
Chris E. Cookson
What is the author's opinion concerning the increasing use of presidential
executive orders and signing documents ?
2. What impact do these have upon the Madisonian system of government ?
3. Describe the Madisonian model of the Presidency.
4. According to the author, how does the modern presidency differ from its
traditional roots ?
5. How does the author view Clinton's Mexican bailout ?
6. Of what use are presidential signing statements ?
Thomas S. Langston
1. Describe the similarities between Bill Clinton and Warren Harding.
2. Describe the patterns of post war presidential politics.
Elizabeth Drew
Showdown
Chapter one
1. What was the one thing that Gingrich worried about as he attempted to lead ?
2. Why did Gingrich emphasize Civil rights in his first speech to the House as
Speaker ?
3. Describe the nature of the pressure Dole was under.
4. Describe the plight of the Democrats after 1994.
5. What was the nature of Clinton's mood after 1994?
6. What were the political stakes after the 1994 election?
Chapter two
1. Describe the nature of the Republican victory in 1994.
2. What are some of the failures that led to Republican control of the House ?
3. What was the ideological make up of the House republican Conference ?
4. What were the three purposes of the Contract for America ?
5. Describe the "spin" on the contract.
6. According to the Democrats, what was the main vulnerability of the contract ?
7. How did Gingrich handle appointments to congressional
committees ? Why ?
8. Under Gingrich's leadership where has power drifted in the
House?
9. What happened to special caucuses ?
10. Describe the committee and subcommittee changes in Republican rule.
11. Describe the rule changes in the House.
12. What was the nature of Democratic anger with Gingrich ?
Chapter three
1. What is the place of VILLIFICATION in the Gingrich strategy ?
2. Describe the tools and messages that had influenced Gingrich.
3. How would you describe Gingrich's personality ?
4. Contrast Gingrich to Clinton.
5. Describe the politics of GOPAC.
6. What was the result of the Carrie Meek incident ?
7. Describe Dick Armey and Tom Delay.
Chapter four
1. Why did Clinton and Gingrich work together on the Mexican bailout ?
2. Describe the struggle in the Clinton Adm. to put together a strategy after 1994.
3. Describe the contribution of Dick Morris.
4. According to Morris, what happened when Clinton attempted to appease
congressional Democrats ?
5. What was the importance of the New covenant theme ?
6. How did Hillary Clinton's role change after 1994 ?
7. Describe Clinton's 1995 strategy on the budget.
8. Describe Gephardt's strategy in the House.
9. Describe the Democratic strategy with respect to Gingrich.
10. Describe the changes in the Senate. How did these affect Dole's strategy ?
11. What was the nature of Dole's Gramm problem ?
12. Describe Lott's whip system in the Senate.
Chapter Five
1. What was the relationship between the Republican governors and the
Republican Congress ?
2. Why did Republican governors have newfound power ?
3. Describe the welfare debate between Democrats and Republicans.
Chapter Six
1. What was the relationship of unfunded mandates to the Republican desire for
devolution of government power ?
2. How did the Democrats win the SDI issue ?
Chapter Seven
1. How did the lobbyists prosper in the Republican controlled Congress ?
2. Describe Delay's K-Street strategy.
3. What can we observe about the access lobbyists were granted in the 104th
Congress ?
Chapter Eight
1. How did Gingrich feel about the Republican freshmen proposals to balance the
budget ?
Chapter Nine
1. What was Gingrich's opinion of John Kasich ?
2. Describe the "Zorro principle" ?
3. What was Livingston's relationship with Kasich ?
4. Describe the Republicans first costly blunder in the budget.
5. What was Senator Domenici's view of the House budget plan ?
6. What was the relationship between the House and Senate leaders?
7. How did the White House use the school lunch cuts against the Republicans ?
Chapter Ten
1. Describe the two opposing philosophies between Democrats and Republicans
over the Welfare bill.
2. What were the three Republican goals with respect to welfare reform ?
3. How did the moderate Republicans view the Welfare bill ?
4. How did the Democrats argue against the Republican Welfare
bill ?
5. Describe the Democratic alternative on Welfare.
6. What happened to Representative Deal ?
7. What was the President's position on the House welfare bill ?
Chapter Eleven
1. Describe the splits in the REPUBLICAN Senate leadership.
2. Contrast the Senate Republican freshman class with the Democratic freshmen
class of 1974.
3. How did the freshmen Senate Republican view Dole's leadership ?
4. What was Dole's position on the Balanced Budget Amendment ?
5. How did Republicans and Democrats view the Balanced Budget Amendment ?
6. What was Senator Hatfield's position on the Balanced Budget Amendment ?
7. Describe the plight of Senator Conrad on the Balanced Budget Amendment.
8. What was the White House's position on the Balanced Budget amendment ?
9. Describe the discussions of repercussions against Hatfield after the defeat of
the Balanced Budget Amendment.
Chapter Twelve
1. What was the position of the House Republican Party on term limits ? How
were they divided ?
2. Describe Henry Hyde's argument against term limits.
3. Why did Republicans support a line item veto which would give Democratic
presidents more power ?
4. Describe the sunset provision in the line item veto bill. Why was it crafted ?
Chapter thirteen
1. Describe the Republican tax cut proposal.
2. Describe the discussions within the House Republican party over the tax cut
bill.
3. Why did conservative Republicans not want to lower the cap on tax cuts ?
4. How did the debate over the tax bill illustrate the difference between
Republicans and Democrats ?
5. Why were the Democrats unable to provide an alternative vision on tax cuts ?
Chapter Fourteen
1. Describe the clouds over Gingrich's success.
2. Describe Clinton's strategy during the 100 days of Republican rule.
3. How did a meeting between House Democrats and President Clinton go ?
4. Why id President Clinton begin to emphasize foreign policy ?
5. Why was the hundred days speech in Dallas a defining moment for the Clinton
Presidency ?
6. Describe the role of Dick Morris in the Clnton Administration.
7. What role did Bill Curry play ?
Chapter Fifteen
1. What role did the bombing in Oklahoma City play in the debate between
Democrats, Republicans and President Clinton ?
Chapter Sixteen
1. What was Domenici's views on balancing the budget ?
2. What role would Medicare play in the House plans to balance the budget ?
3. Why was Kasich angry about the Leesburg meeting ?
4. Describe the difference in the House and Senate plans to balance the budget.
5. What was the Democratic response to Republican plans to balance the budget
?
6. How did Clinton react to the Republican budget bill ?
7. How did the Morris relationship with Senator Lott affect the budget
negotiations ?
8 Describe Clinton's concerns about the budget. How were his advisers split ?
9. Describe the nature of the White Houses's grand compromise on the budget.
10 How was Mrs. Clinton's advisement strategy changing ?
11. What was the nature of President Clinton's New Hampshire mistake on the
budget ?
Chapter Seventeen
1. Who really got the better of whom at the New Hampshire meeting between
Gingrich and President Clinton ?
Chapter Eighteen
1. What did the Democratic congressional leaders advise Clinton to do with
respect to the budget ?
2. How did the House Democratic Caucus react to Clinton's speech offering to
propose a budget ?
3. How did the battle of the budget affect Clinton's advisers ? How did they split
on this issue ?
4. What was the final deal that Dole and Gingrich worked out on tax cuts ?
Chapter Nineteen
1. How did some administration officials view the Clinton Bosnia policy ?
2. Describe Dole's views and desires with respect to Bosnia.
3. What was the implication of Dole's resolution on Clinton's foreign policy ?
4. Describe Richard Holbrooke's role in the Bosnian settlement.
Chapter Twenty
1. How did Republicans use the appropriation process ? Why ?
2. Describe the splits in the House Republican party over the appropriation
process.
3. What had been the Republican experience with killing programs ? Why ?
4. How did chairman Livingston react to policy riders ? What was Gingrich's
reaction ?
5. What did Republicans find when they tried to cut the NEA, CPB and NEH ?
6. What happened to Delay's amendment or rider on the EPA ?
7. How did the Democrats react to the eventual defeat of the Bohlert Amendment
?
8. How did Gingrich react to the anti-abortion movement ?
9. What happened to the moderates on the Labor-HHS-Education
bill ?
10. How would you characterize Gingrich's comments on page 275 ?
11. Why does Gingrich refer to himself as a revolutionary ?
12. What were Gingrich's views of congressmen Bonior's ethics complaints
against him ?
13. Describe the nature of the rule changes accepted by the Senate Republican
conference.
14. Describe Senator Packwood's demise.
15. What was the difference between the Republican and democratic welfare bills
?
Chapter Twenty One
1. By the summer of 1995 what were the respective popularity ratings of Clinton
and Gingrich ?
2. How did Morris describe "triangulation" ?
3. What was the importance of Clinton's Georgetown speech ?
4. How did Clinton handle the Affirmative Action issue ?
5. How did the Supreme Court decision in Adarand affect the Clinton Affirmative
Action debate ?
6. What was the gist of Clinton's National Archives speech on affirmative Action ?
7. How does Drew describe the First Lady's involvement in whitewater ?
8. What were the lingering questions surrounding Whitewater ?
9. Why did Clinton advocate stronger control on cigarette advertising ?
Chapter twenty Two
1. What were Gingrich's goals in the fall of 1995.
2. How would you describe his attitude towards success ?
3. Describe the nature of Gingrich's confidence about dealing with Clinton and
the Republican Senate on the budget.
4. Why did Clinton say he was not going to blink ?
Chapter twenty-three
1. What did Morris feel Democrats could give Republicans on the budget ?
2. What was the problem with the back channel that Lott and Morris developed ?
3. Describe Gingrich's views of Clinton.
4. What were the parameters of a budget deal ?
5. How did the 1990 Bush budget deal affect the White House ?
6. Describe the pressures on the white House for a budget deal.
7. How did the freshmen Republicans view the contacts between Gingrich and
Clinton ?
8. How were these freshmen Republicans different at negotiating on the budget ?
9. What can be said of the power these freshmen Republicans had over Gingrich
?
10. Describe the split between White House advisers over whether to negotiate
with the Republicans over the budget.
11. What was Gingrich's view of Powell campaigning for the Presidency ?
12. Why does the author characterize the debate over Medicare as fraudulent on
both sides ?
13. Describe the Republican Medicare plan.
14. In the meeting with Dole, Gingrich and Clinton on the issue of debt extension,
what did Clinton tell the Republicans ?
15. What should this have signalled about his resolve ?
16. Describe the Republican's big blunder in the continuing resolution.
17. how did Clinton cast the difference between Republicans and Democrats over
the Continuing Resolution ?
18. What were the polls showing for Republicans ?
19. What can be said of communication between the White House and
congressional leaders during the budget debate ?
20. What was the essence of the House/Senate budget reconciliation bill ?
21. What does Dick Armey's "dust up" with Clinton indicate about executive
legislative relations ?
22. What was this budget debate really all about ?
23. How did Democrats use the Gingrich plane incident ?
24. What pressure did removing Medicare from the continuing resolution have on
the White House ?
25. Describe the mistrust between the House and Senate over negotiating with
the White House.
26. Describe the debate within the White House over the possible override of the
Clinton veto of the continuing resolution.
27. What did the White House offer the Republicans ?
28. Who really got the better of the deal on the continuing resolution ?
Chapter Twenty-Four
1. Assess the deal on the continuing resolution.
2. Describe the Kasich and Panetta negotiations on the second CR.
3. Describe the debate within Republican circles over whether to offer a second
CR to Clinton.
4. Describe the nature of the trouble Gingrich was in within his Republican
conference over offering a second CR.
5. What was the view of the freshmen Republicans about Gingrich's ability as a
negotiator ?
6. What was the result over the failure to offer a second CR ?
7. How did Clinton exploit the second government shutdown ?
8. What was the importance of a second smaller group negotiating with the White
House ?
9. At this time what happened to the policy of triangulation ?
10. Why did Republican negotiators return after breaks with stronger positions ?
11. According to Gingrich, what mistakes did Republicans make with respect to
polling ?
12. What eventually happened to many of the Republican revenue bills ?
13. Why were people retiring in greater numbers from the
Congress ?
14. How did Gingrich eventually handle the freshmen Republicans ?
15. What is the significance of the White House negotiators and Clinton watching
a movie while Republicans deliberated ?
16. How did the talks between the Republicans and the White House end ?
17. After reading page 372, who in the end won this battle ? Who really saved
Clinton ?
18. What did the battle over suspend or recess really mean ?
Epilogue
1. How did Republicans feel about Clinton's co-opting their
issues ?
Afterword
1. How did the budget battle serve as a precursor to the election of 1996 ?
2. What was the effect of this battle on Dole Clinton and Gingrich?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
CAMPBELL AND ROCKMAN
THE CLINTON PRSIDENCY: FIRST APPRAISALS
CHAPTER ONE
1. Discuss the following presidential governing strategies: a)Aggressive, b)
guardian, c) compensatory.
2. Do the circumstances surounding the Clinton election meet the criteria
for effecting large change ? Why or why not.
3. What type of chief of staff would work well with President Clinton ?
4. Describe the tension between the insiders and outsiders, campaign
consultants and White House advisers in the Clinton Administration. Also
describe the tension between the investment and deficit reduction strategies.
5. What can Bill Clinton's travel schedule tell us about his policies ?
6. Comment on the following Clinton proposals; Health Care, Stimulus
Package, NAFTA, Economic Program.
7. Who originated the health care plan and what was the problem with it ?
8. How would you describe the Clinton foreign plicy during the first two
years ?
9. Describe the result of the mid-term election on Clinton's policies.
CHAPTER TWO
1. What are the two gear boxes of the institutionalized presidency?
2. Which gearbox was strengthened and which declined in modern times ?
3. Describe the principle - agent theory of government.
4. How has divided government affected the "public choice" theory of
government ?
5. Describe the two gear boxes and how they worked in the Bush
Administration during Desert Storm. How did they operate in the domerstic area
under Bush ?
6. How is President Clinton personally divided on the
issues ? Why is he perceived as the ultimate compromiser ?
7.What does the gays in the military and the Colin Powell story tell us about
the second gearbox ?
8. Describe problems in the second gearbox and Clinton's spokes of the
wheel approach to organization ?
CHAPTER THREE
1. What can be said of the "cohesion" of the democrats in Congress after
the 1992 election ?
2. What effect did this have upon party leadership ?
3. Which chamber of Congress was more amenable to strong party
leadership and why ?
4. How does Sinclair describe the House Republican Party ?
5. What were Clinton's prospects for working with House Republicans ?
6. How did Clinton's high level appointments play with the Congress ? How
were his mid - level appointments received ?
7. How does Sinclair describe the relationship between Foley, Mitchell and
Clinton ?
8. What were the three elements in the Clinton economic program ?
9. Describe the split among the Democrats in the House over the stimulus
plan. What happened in the Senate ?
10. What happened to the BTU, energy tax ?
11. Describe Clinton's efforts at helping to pass the rest of his economic
program.
12. Describe the political battlelines over the NAFTA policy.
13. As you read about the health care debate please answer the questions
provided by Sinclair in the text. Why were Clinton and the Democrats in congress
unable to pass health care ? Was it their fault or the contextual problems beyond
their control ?
14. Describe the Republicans use of the filibuster during the 103rd
Congress.
15. Is the news media to blame in assessing the accomplishments of the
103rd Congress ?
CHAPTER FOUR
1. Describe the problems with the Wood and Baird nominations.
2. Describe some of the criticisms of the Reno appointment.
3. What was the controversy surrounding the Lani Guinier apointment ?
4. Describe the inner conflict within Bill Clinton over these appointments.
5. What was the result of Clinton's tardiness in appointing people to Justice
Departmnt posts ?
6. What happened to Hubbell and Nussbaum ?
7. How does the author contrast Clinton's 1st year and 2nd year relatonship
with the Justice Department ?
8. How does the Clinton Administration compare with Carter, reagan and
Bush in determining who to appoint to the federal
bench?
9. What can be said about the quality of judges appointed by the Clinton
Administration ?
10. What can be said of Clinton and the 'lithmus test" for judicial
appointments ?
11. Assess Clinton's impact on the federal judiciary as a result of his
appointments.
12. Describe Justice Ginsburg's voting patterns on the Supreme Court.
13. Describe Clinton's actions on the abortion policy.
14. What was the argument against Clinton's invasion of
Haiti? Pay attention to the lawyers' arguments. What was Dellinger's response ?
15. Describe the confusion, mixed signals and lack of coordination
surrounding Know v. United States.
16. Is there an evident bias in this article ?
CHAPTER FIVE
1. Describe the goals of the administrative presidency strategy of REagan
and Bush.
2. How would you describe the ideology of civil servants in domestic
agencies ? What were the ideologies of Reagan Bush appointees ?
3. How could we describe the political views of civil servants that Clinton
faced after he was elected ?
4. How would one describe the Clinton cabinet appointments ?
5. What one word would describe the goal of Bill Clinton as he pursued his
appointment strategy ?
6. What are the costs associated with Bill Clinton's appointment strategy ?
7. How does the author rate Clinton's sub-cabinet apointments?
8. What are the four principles of the Natinal Performance Review NPR ?
9. What is Wilson's criticisms of the NPR ?
10. According to Dolald Kettle, what is really behind the
NPR?
11. If there is no consensus on policy what is likely to happen if the goals
of the NPR are met ?
12. What is the problem of the NPR movement and the top executives of the
SES ?
CHAPTER SIX
1. Describe a few of Bush's problems as he entered the 1992 election.
2. What were the grounds for concern among Democrats after Clinton's
victory in 1992 ?
3. Describe the Democrat losses in the Congress, Governorships, and state
houses after the1994 mid-term elections.
4. Was the 1994 election a referendum on the Clinton Presidency ?
5. Why was Clinton a drag for the Democrats ?
6. How would you describe Clinton's public approval rating in 1993-94?
7. Did the 1994 election signal partisan realignment, dealignment or the
breakup of the two party system ?
8. Is there an emerging Republican majority coalition ?
9. Did the Contract for America provide the REpublican Congress with a
real mandate for change ? Why or why not ?
10. What recent trends favor Republicans ?
11. Which campaign strategy described by the author does Bill Clinton now
seem to be following ?
12. What are some of the Republican concerns for retaining power in the
Congress ?
CHAPTER SEVEN
1. Why have interest groups exploded in numbers in recent years ?
2. Describe the White House Office Of Public Liaison.
3. What are the Clinton dilemmas in relationship to his interest group
constituency ?
4. How did the interst group community view President
Clinton ?
5. Describe the interest group influence over Clinton on the following
issues; Macedonia, Haiti, IRA,
6. How did Clinton plicies actually encourage interest group mobilization ?
7. What episodes indicate that Clinton tilts too heavily in favor of new
groups in the Democrat coalition ?
8. According to the authors, why did Clinton fail in his health care strategy
?
CHAPTER EIGHT
1. What are the forces compelling Clinton to practice a public presidency ?
2. Where does Clinton's public support come from ?
3. Why has the President fared so poorly with the public ?
4. What was the problem with setting the agenda and maintaining a focus
during the health care debate ?
5. How much of these problems are related to Clinton's
style?
6. What is the essence of Greenberg's June 1993 memo to Clinton ?
7. What are some of the obstacles to structuring choice in the Clinton
Administration ?
8. What are the limits to what public support can do for a President ?
9. Is the problem facing the Clinton Administration one of communicating
better with the public ? Why or why not ?
CHAPTER NINE
1. What were the obstacles to Clinton's successful leadership?
2. What were the obstacles to his centrist agenda?
3. What was the Republican strategy with respect to Bill Clinton ?
4. When does the split between new democrats and traditional democrats
begin ?
5. In the last ten years, what type of congresspeople were being elected in
both parties ? How did this impact Clinton and the making of public policy ?
6. Describe some of the early successes in the Clinton Administration ?
7. Regarding the Clinton economic program, describe the positions of the
conservative, liberal Democrata and the Republicans.
8.What were the two problems associated withg health care in America ?
9. What were the basic problems associated with Clinton's health care
proposals ?
10. What was the problem with the task force approach to health care
reform ?
11. Describe the competing health care proposals in the Congress.
12. Describe the liberal and conservative approaches to the issue of crime.
13. Describe Clinton's centrist position on welfare.
14. According to the author, what is the strategic dilemma for future
presidents ?
CHAPTER TEN
1. What terms do the authors use to describe Clinton's foreign policy ?
2. Briefly describe the post Cold ar environment.
3. Why has a sense of national purpose eluded President Clinton ?
4. What are the chief threats to this nation from Clinton's domestic national
purpose orientation ?
5. What does it mean to ay that Bush was "proactively flexible" an Clinton
is "reactively flexible" ?
6. What are President Clinton's beliefs with respect to foreign policy ?
7. Describe the importance of the "bottom up review" of Les Aspin ?
8. According to the BUR, what four dangers confront the United States ?
9. Describe the Clinton waffling over Bosnia.
10. Describe the indecision over Somolia an Haiti.
11. What was the role of the congressional Black Caucus over the Haiti
affair ?
12. Describe Clinton's vacillation over China and MFN status.
13. What role did former Prersident Carter play in North Korean
negotiations ?
14. Describe the final agreement with North Korea.
15. How do the authord characterize Clinton's Russia policy ?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1. What is the great problem that modern presidents confront in
contemporay times ?
2. Describe the DLC.
3. Contrast the Dahl and Downs approaches to governing.
4. Describe Bill Clinton's problem of trying to be attracvtive to all elements
in the Democratic party.
5. Describe President Clinton's personal baggage.
6. What is the strategic dilemma facing Democrat candidates for president
?
7. Describe Clinton's political weakensses.
8. What are Clinton's policy legacies?
9. Describe Clinton's policy style.
10. Describe Clinton's political style.
11. Describe Clinton's executive style.
12. Does the author believe that Clinton could have handleded things
differently in the first 2 years ? Would this have made a difference ? Why or why
not ?
CHAPTER TWELVE
1. Describe the dimensions of the Republican victory in 1994.
2. According to Burnham, what was the reason for the REpublican 1994
victory ?
3. How does Burnham describe a "critical realignment" ?
4. Describe the "pain of the midle class" as a reason for the 1994 outcome
?
5. Why does Burnham call the Contract for America a devolution revolution
?
6. Why may the 1994 realignment turn out to be an optical illusion ?
7. What does Burnham conclude about the House in the future as a result
of the 1994 election ?
THINK PIECE ASSIGNMENTS
THINK PIECE #1
PRESIDENTIAL SELECTION
You have been working on a Republican presidential campaign for the last
two years. Your candidate, Ronald George Blinton has won the election by 20% of
the popular vote. However, only 40% of the registered voters bothered to vote.
Despite this , the new president has an after inauguration 70% popular approval
rating.
During the campaign the president expressed his feelings on the following
issues; for increases in economic growth, pro school prayer, pro life, pro union
issues, pro equal rights for women, for a strong BUT lean national defense, antiapartheid, pro national health insurance. We should note, however, that this was
not an issues campaign. Your president's victory was a result of the incumbent's
economic incompetency. The Democrat president,James (call me Jim) Early
Ronreg, has mismanaged the economy. There is a 400 billion budget deficit and
10% unemployment. The nation is in a recession. The Democrats control both
houses of congress. The people are angry, turned off, disinterested and alienated
from politics.
You have been asked by President Blinton to head up the transition team.
One of your first tasks is to define just how the selection process might enhance
or limit your president's initiatives. Your president is widely acknowledged to be a
national political novice. He was governor of the great state of Nevada six years
ago. Your purpose is to advise the president where his opportunities lie.
In addition to the above campaign stands your president has hinted that he
would not raise taxes. You must examine the roles of the president, the selection
process and the job description of the presidency and presidential leadership.
Given the above information, where should the president concentrate his efforts
and why? How might the selection process limit his initiatives? What type of
leadership would you advise him to stress and why? How should the president
act? How soon should he act and why? What issues should he stress and why?
How many issues should he fight for and why? Remember the limit for this think
piece is five pages. You are expected to have read the chapters in the textbook
and utilize this information along with lecture notes and a few (4-5) outside
sources to bolster your reasoning in the paper. The results will be discussed in
class. THINK FIRST. WRITE LATER.
THINK PIECE # 2
THE PRESIDENT AND THE BUREAUCRACY
There are essentially two strains of thought concerning the bureaucracy.
Presidentialists argue that the Presidency's control of the bureaucracy must be
increased. If it is not then any president's initiatives can be defeated by nameless,
faceless and unelected bureaucrats. Departmentalists on the other hand argue
that bureau secretaries should be given more power to make and initiate policy
because they are ultimately accountable to the Congress and the Congress is
accountable to the public even more so than the president. An increase the power
of the presidency over the bureaucracy can only lead to the erosion of popular
democracy.
You are to place yourself in the position of a presidential adviser. You have
recently served in the bureaucracy as a cabinet secretary in an outer cabinet
position. You understand the tug of war that exists between the White House and
the bureaucracy. You are not an ideologue. You are advising the president on his
ability to get the bureaucracy to move on his programs but you are also
concerned about presidential accountability and democracy.
What procedures would you advise him to implement? Remember you are
an independent adviser now. You need not worry about being fired for you are
independently wealthy. You can be candid. You can propose anything you wish.
You can change the structure of government if you wish. You can suggest
alterations in the presidential term or in the cabinet posts or in Congress. You
can suggest creating new government agencies or institutions. The choice is
yours. You must somehow balance presidential control with democratic
accountability. Please read about the Reagan and Carter experiences in the texts
before writing. Please attempt to illustrate your discussion with real world
examples, e.g., 4-5 non course sources.
THINK PIECE # 3
THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS
You are to carefully read DiClerico's chapter, " The President and
Congress" and place yourself in the position of a presidential adviser to a newly
elected president. Your president has made a number of commitments during the
campaign which have different types of support in the public. He has campaigned
for national health insurance and he has received great, in fact overwhelming
public support for this issue but the Congress largely controlled by the other
party is on record against such a policy. Your president has also taken a pro gun
control stand but the public support for this issue has not been tested. It was not
a major campaign issue. Congress however is willing to support such a stand.
Third, your president desires to undertake a peace initiative that would transform
defense dollars to social service dollars. Congress is skeptical of this
transformation. The economy is growing but at a small rate of 2% per year.
Unemployment is about 7.5% per year. The budget deficit is 150 billion. The
public supports such a transformation. Congress is worried about the
transformation increasing unemployment.
You have been appointed to the president's Congressional liaison task
force. You represent a president who has won the election by a large margin of
59%. He has the support of the public in general and is considered a popular
figure. You are to pick one of three policy problems and plot legislative strategy.
How would you proceed to successfully implement the president's policy in these
areas? How would you influence Congress? What influence devices or
instrumentalities would you use? What areas of Congress would you concentrate
upon? Which committees would be important and why? What arguments would
you develop and why? What presidential alternatives would you develop and
why? As always 4-5 non text sources in the paper.
THINK PIECE # 4
THE PRESIDENT AND DOMESTIC POLICY
In the lecture on Paul Light's book, The President's Agenda. the author
presents a few guides and suggestions and argues that this is the best we can do
in our modern era. He notes that these suggestions fly in the face of what people
in our democracy seem to desire. Perhaps he is right. Perhaps this is the best
that we can expect from our presidents. However, for the sake of this think piece
let us stand this assumption on its head. Let us , perhaps by clicking our heels,
suppose it is not the best we can do. Let us assume that people have the
potential to order political realities. Let us assume that ideas do have a profound
effect upon politics. Let us begin to suggest possibilities for remedying the
situation that Light has described and I have tried to capture in the lectures.
Your task is to take the Presidency in the "no win" situation and make it
winnable. Make it work in a more responsible and responsive fashion. This
implies leadership and good public policy proposals coming from the president.
You have to confront and solve the following problems: a. the cycle of decreasing
influence and increasing effectiveness, b. the need to move quickly, c. the
fragmented policy process,e.g. Congress and the bureaucracy d. party non
support, e. non familiarity with the political process by new presidents f. available
alternatives g. internal and external political resources for influence h. the costs
of policymaking.
Please examine your notes on Lights proposals. Remember you can
institute new governmental actors and institutions. Be creative. Above all think
about the Presidency and the future and try to believe , if only for the sake of this
think piece, that you do have a choice and you can affect our political system. As
always, 4-5 non - text sources.