2/15/2009
Describe
Why
the trend of presidential power.
is the veto such a strong tool?
What
is the importance of the State of the
Union Address?
What
does the term imperial president
mean?
1
Framers’ view
Clerk
(1789)
in Chief (1840-1900)
• Political power rested in Congress
• Fear of executive power
• Limited role, Congress to dominate
King
2
• Most presidents carried out decisions of
Congress and little else
Caucus (1789-1830s)
• Presidential candidates selected in
Assertive Early Presidents
caucuses by party members
Early active presidents included
George Washington, Andrew
Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.
• Critics called it undemocratic “King
King
Caucus”
Caucus
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President-centered
(1900-1950s)
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FDR
• Theodore Roosevelt- “trust buster”
•
•
•
•
• Woodrow Wilson- “Make the World Safe for
Democracy”
• Franklin D. Roosevelt- “New Deal”
• Believed that president should initiate public & foreign
(1933-1945)
Changed role of president
President as active force for change
New Deal -powers of president increased
WWII-FDR reduced civil liberties
policy
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2/15/2009
Imperial
Presidency (1960s-Present)
Eligibility
• Increased presidential power in foreign &
• 35 years old
• 14 year resident of US
• Natural-born citizen
domestic policy
• Critics claimed president has too much
power
• After 9-11 many fear return
of imperial president
America's
youngest
president was not
JFK (43) it was TR
(42).
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Campaigning
Electoral
• Must win primary elections (open to the
College
• Winner of presidency is the winner
people)
• Officially selected by party at convention
• General election=democrat vs.
republican & (independents)
• Televised debates
of the Electoral College
Each state gets a number of electors
equal to its number of congresspersons
(Idaho=4)
Electors vote for their party’s candidate
Faithless electors vote for someone
other than the winner of the popular
vote
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Vice
President
• Increased power over recent years
(Gore & Cheney)
• Right running mate can help win
elections
• VP’s main job is to become pres if pres
can’t
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Order of Presidential Succession
Order of Presidential Succession
1
Vice President
14 Secretary of transportation
2
Speaker of the House
15 Secretary of Energy
3
President Pro Temp of Senate
16 Secretary of Education
4
Secretary of State
17 Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
5
Secretary of the Treasury
18 Secretary of Homeland Security
6
Secretary of Defense
7
Attorney General
Order established by Presidential
Succession Act (1947)
8
Secretary of the Interior
9
Secretary of Agriculture
10 Secretary of Commerce
11 Secretary of Labor
12 Secretary of Health & Human
11
13 Secretary of Housing & Urban
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2/15/2009
The
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy—what
president has six major roles:
Role
Summary
Chief of State
Act as the symbolic leader of the country
Chief Executive
Executes the laws, appoints key federal officials,
grants pardons
Commander in Chief
Runs the armed forces
Chief Diplomat
Negotiates with other countries
Chief Legislator
Signs or vetoes legislation, introduces legislation,
works with Congress on the budget
Superpolitician
Helps his party raise money and elect candidates
is it?
• How the president executes the laws
• Bureaucrats carry out government
policy—put laws into action
Write rules & regulations
red tape)
tape
(red
Administer policies to the
people
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How
is the President the Chief Legislator?
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Presidential
• President gained legislative powers over time
Approval
• Measured by polls
High-60% or above
Low-below 50%
• Honeymoon period
after taking office
president gets treated
well (for a few months)
• People expect a the president to have a legislative
agenda
Series of laws which president wants passed
These proposed laws are revealed in the yearly State of the
Union address
• Signs bills into law
• Veto bills (pocket
pocket veto
veto)
• Federal budget
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Presidential
leadership
Factors
to a successful presidency
1. Strong leadership:
leadership ability to get people
• Successful president engages in
behind him.
statecraft
Combination of power & wisdom for the
public good
Good statesmanship includes:
1. Political skill:
skill ability to persuade.
2. Prudence
Prudence: ability to think before
acting.
3. Opportunity
Opportunity: the ability to be
decisive.
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2. Congress
Congress: ability to control or persuade
members of Congress.
3. Popularity
Popularity: ability to convince others to do
what he wants and be liked.
Circumstances in history make it difficult
to fairly evaluate presidents. For example
how would FDR have handled the first
years of the nation or George
Washington the Great Depression?
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3
2/15/2009
Describe
the general trend of the
development of presidential power.
Who
do you think was among the best
presidents and why?
Why
is the veto such a strong tool?
What
is the importance of the State of the
Union address?
What
does the term imperial president
mean?
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