AP Government/The Executive Branch
AP Forum
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH FORUM
Opinion is Power
-- Thomas Jefferson
"How are National Laws Administered by the Executive Branch in the American Constitutional System?"
About Forum:
All forum are composed of two grades, a written and a verbal grade. The written will usually due the morning to the forum,
without the written portion of the seminar you cannot participate in the in-class discussion and will be given an alternative
assignment. Your written work is your "entry ticket"
For This Seminar:
Using “Bush Challenges Hundreds of Laws, President cites powers of his office” by Charlie Savage The Paradoxes of the American
Presidency by Thomas Cronin/Michael Genovese, Obama Looks to Limit Impact of Tactic Bush Used to Sidestep New Laws
By Charlie Savage, The Imperial Presidency by Arthur Schlesinger, The White House Staff: Chief of Staff by Bradley Patterson, your reading on the
Watergate Scandal, Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose, and James Q. Wilson’s Bureaucracy and your Cabinet and Agency Project:
1. Answer the situation questions on the back of this sheet.
2. Select ONE issue and write a one page position paper arguing your stance on this issue. BE PERSUASIVE, not ignorant,
and please type this using 12pt, New Times Roman font double spaced, with one inch margins. Be sure to include examples
from your reading to highlight your thesis.
3. In class we will discuss and debate these issues, so be prepared
NOTE: R-18 is a safe place for ideas of all kinds. Forums are intended to be a practice in impassioned, civil discourse
So…"How are National Laws Administered in the American Constitutional System?"
Essay Rubric:
10 – Is a well-organized essay that has a strong thesis, few grammatical mistakes, and provides convincing tangible evidence from
multiple readings or outside sources.1
9 – Is an organized essay that has a solid thesis, few grammatical mistakes, and provides tangible evidence from multiple readings.
8 – Is an organized essay that has a thesis, few grammatical mistakes, and provides some evidence from one of the readings.
7 – An essay with a weak thesis, few grammatical mistakes, and provides general information regarding the readings
6-0 – A weak essay with little to no thesis, with very little application, and does not answer the question at hand.
(See back)
1
Outsides sources are not necessary but some questions may open themselves up to outside research
DIRECTIONS: Below are eleven questions to think about while going through your readings for today. Take a few moments
to read each question. Remember you have write a response to ONE question, but able to answer all the questions in class.
You should be able to take a stand on each question, and be prepared to defend your position.
1. After reading The Paradoxes of the American Presidency by Thomas Cronin/Michael Genovese what point are they trying to make
about the American President? How have Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton fit under these paradoxes?
2. Are the Paradoxes a necessary evil in for a constitutional democracy? What is it about Article II that helps to perpetuate these
Paradoxes? Would a parliamentary system better serve the United States today because of its size and diversity?
3. What does it mean to be an imperial president? Do you agree or disagree with Arthur Schlesinger claim?
4. How does 22nd Amendment play a particular role in foreign policy? With the rise in globalism, has the 22 nd Amendment hurt the
progress made by some Presidents to create peace?
5. In Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose what is unique about the type of power the federal bureaucracy has gained? What solutions
does Friedman conclude with? Using your knowledge of the bureaucracy do you agree of disagree with Friedman's claim?
6. After reading James Q. Wilson’s Bureaucracy, what are the problems with private v. public projects? How should we evaluate
efficiency?
7. Compare and contrast Wilson and Friedman? Who do you agree with more why? Are they realistic with there assertions regarding
the Bureaucracy?
8. Looking at the Federal agency you researched. What important function does your agency carry out? Is this function necessary?
With the current budget problems would it be possible to rid the government of your agency? If not yours is there a federal agency we
could deregulate to help clear out the federal deficit?
9. Why was the Watergate Scandal such a watershed moment in Presidential history? What were/are the positive and negative results
of this investigation? Is this a real life example of Madison’s argument in Federalist 51?
10. What is a Presidential signing statement? How and why have they been used? What is it about these statements that make them
constitutionally controversial? Would you defend their use? Why or why not.
11. What role does the Chief of Staff play in regards to the President? Is this the ideal position for those who do not want to run for
office but want to be major political players? Why or why not? What is Bradley Patterson thesis by writing this insightful look at the
White House?
12. What is the most powerful branch of the Federal Government; Congress, President or the Bureaucracy? Explain your answer.