AP Government Review
INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT – THE
PRESIDENCY
22nd Amendment
 Why was it adopted?
 FDR’s four term stint
 What is the term limits?
 Two terms, not more than 10 years
25th Amendment
 What is this amendment also known as?
 Presidential disability amendment
 What does this establish?
 Vice President succeeds the president
 Vacancy in VP slot means president can appoint a VP with
majority consent of both houses of Congress
 President can inform both houses if he will be incapacitated so
VP can take over
 If President can’t let Congress know, VP and majority of
Cabinet can so VP can take over
Informal Sources of Presidential Power
 To whom does the President make legislative
recommendations?

Congress
 What does he do as Chief of Party?
 Leads his political party
 Why is executive privilege important?
 To protect his actions from Congressional oversight
 How is the President a lobbyist?
 He “lobbies” Congress to implement his agenda
Constitutional Powers of the Vice President
 What is the only job for the VP listed in the
Constitution?

President of the Senate
 When is the only time the VP can vote in the Senate?
 To break a tie
Executive Office of the President
 List the components of the Executive Office
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Office of the President
Office of the Vice President
Office of Management and Budget
Office of Administration
U.S. Trade Representative
Various policy development offices, such as
National Security Council
 National Economic Council
 Domestic Policy Council
 Office of Science, Technology, and Space
 Office of Environmental Policy
 National Drug Council

White House Chief of Staff
 What IS the Chief of Staff?
 President’s closest advisor
 Does this position require Senate confirmation?
 No
 Why is the Chief of Staff often called the
“gatekeeper”?

He coordinates the day-to-day schedule of the president.
 Who is often considered the strongest man to ever
hold this position?

H.R. Halderman – President Nixon’s Chief of Staff
National Security Advisor
 What does this person do?
 Provides daily security briefings to the president along with
other key security personnel.
 Historically, what promotions do National Security
Advisors receive?


Advancement to Secretary of State
Examples:
Kissinger for Nixon
 Rice for GW Bush

White House Staff
 What does the White House Staff do?

Make up the personnel that run the White House and advise the president
 Do these advisers need Senate approval?

No
 What are some positions included in the White House Staff?
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Chief of Staff
Press Secretary
Councils to the President
Personal aides
Ancillary people such as
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White House Cook
Secretaries to the President and the First Lady
 How did the President choose these people?

Most worked with him during the election
 How does he know it’s okay to talk with them about national matters?

They are also protected by executive privilege
White House Press Secretary
 What does this person do?
 Works out of the office of communications and is the chief
White House spokesperson to communicate directly with the
media
 Does this job need Senate confirmation?
 No
 How does this Press Secretary try to control the flow
of information out of the White House?
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Tries to set the agenda on a daily basis
Holds daily press briefings
Office of Management and Budget
 Does the director of the OMB need Senate
confirmation?

Yes
 What is the main responsibility of the OMB?
 Assist the president in overseeing the preparation of the
federal budget and supervise its administration after the
budget is passed by Congress
 List two other jobs of the OMB.
 Evaluates the effectiveness of bureaucratic agencies and sets
funding priorities
 Issues reports and recommends legislation related to budget
priorities.
Council of Economic Affairs
 How many people are on the council and do they
need Senate confirmation?

Three, yes
 What is the main job of the council?
 Advise the president in the preparation of economic reports
 Gathers information about economic developments and trends
 Recommends national economic policies that promote free
enterprise and further national employment
 Recommends economic legislation that would achieve the
economic goals of the administration
President’s Cabinet
 How is this group part of the “unwritten
Constitution”?

Based on practice, precedent, and tradition even though the
Constitution does mention “executive departments”
 Who began this tradition, precedent, or practice?
 George Washington
 Do they need Senate confirmation?
 Yes
 Who creates new cabinet positions?
 President requests, Congress approves
Secretaries of State, Defense, & Veterans Affairs
 What is the job of the Secretary of State?
 Be the diplomatic representative for the president in foreign
affairs & assist in formulating foreign policy.
 What is the job of the Secretary of Defense?
 Oversee the military and assist the president in formulating
military policy
 Supervises the Joint Chiefs of Staff
 Works in the Pentagon
 What is the job of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs?
 He/she is responsible for all matters related to veterans
including benefits
Attorney General & Secretary of Homeland
Security
 What is the job/role of the Attorney General?
 Enforces all federal laws
 Heads the Department of Justice
 Is called the “nation’s lawyer”
 Works with the Solicitor General to arguing cases before the Supreme Court
 What agencies are included in the Department of Justice?
 Civil Rights Division
 Drug Enforcement Administration
 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
 FBI
 U.S. Marshals Service
 What is the job of the Secretary of Homeland Security?
 Protect the U.S. from attacks
 What agencies are included in Homeland Security?
 Immigration and Naturalization
 Customs and Border Patrol
 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
 Transportation Security Administration
 U.S. Coast Guard
Secretaries of Treasury and Housing & Urban
Development
 What is the main job of the Secretary of Treasury?
 Act as the principle economic advisor to the president
 What is he/she responsible for?
 Formulating and recommending domestic and international
financial, economic, and tax policy and overall fiscal policies
that have an impact on the economy.
 Chairman of the President’s Economic Council
 Oversees the U.S. mint
 What about the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development?

Advises the president on matters related to housing urban
development
Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior
 What’s the Secretary of Agriculture responsible for?
 Matters related to agriculture, farming, food, and rural development
 What agencies does the Department of Agriculture include?
 U.S. Forest Service
 U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service
 What else?
 Coordinates the Food Stamp program
 Works closely with nation’s farmers
 What agencies are included in the Department of Interior?
 Bureau of Indian Affairs
 U.S. Geological Survey
 National Park Service
Secretaries of Commerce and Transportation
 What’s the Secretary of Commerce mainly responsible for?
 Matters related to promoting economic growth, trade and the improvement of
business and industry
 Gathering economic and demographic data for businesses
 What other agencies are a part of the Department of Commerce?
 National Weather Service
 Bureau of the Census
 Patent and Trademark Office
 What about the Secretary of Transportation?
 He’s responsible for all matters related to transportation and the nation’s
infrastructure
 What agencies are also part of the Department of Transportation?
 Federal Aviation Administration
 Federal Highway Administration
 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Secretaries of Labor & Energy
 What’s the Sec. of Labor do?
 He’s responsible for issues related to labor unions and laws
involving workplace issues
 What other agencies are part of the Department of
Labor?
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Bureau of Labor Affairs
Employees Compensation Appeals Board
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
 What’s the Sec. of Energy do?
 He’s responsible for matters related to energy resources
including nuclear energy and energy conservation
Secretaries of Health & Human Services and
Education
 What’s the Sec. of H&H Services do?
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He’s responsible for all matters related to the health of U.S. citizens
 What other agencies are part of H&H Services?
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Administration of Aging
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health
 What about the Sec. of Education?
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Deals with matters of national education policy
Oversees No Child Left Behind
Sees that all federal laws and grants dealing with education are
implemented.
State of the Union Address
 Why does the President deliver this message?
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Article II, section 3 of the Constitution requires him to do this
 How has this been delivered to Congress?
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Washington to Taft – written report
Wilson on – speech
Coolidge – since him it’s been nationally broadcast to the American
people
 What’s this speech do?

Outlines the president’s agenda and motivate the Congress to adopt
his proposals
 How does the opposition respond?

They are interviewed immediately following the speech – kind of like
a rebuttal
Bully Pulpit
 What’s this?
 Coined by Teddy Roosevelt to explain how he could use the
White House to promote his policies
 How do modern presidents use the bully pulpit?
 They use the media to communicate with the people
Reagan – began Saturday morning radio broadcasts
 Clinton & GW Bush – held town meetings
 Others have spoke to special-interest groups that support the
policies they support
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Line Item Veto
 What is this?
 Gives the president the authority to selectively veto portions of
the 13 appropriations bills that are passed by Congress and
make up the federal budget
 When did this go into effect?
 With the Republican Contract with America and signed into
law by Clinton in 1996
 Is it still in use?
 No, it was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
Executive Order & Executive Agreement
 What are Executive Orders?
 Have the force of law and do not need congressional approval
unless appropriations are needed to carry out the order
 Examples:
 Truman’s integration of the military
 Kennedy’s creation of the Peace Corps
 Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy
 Executive Agreements are…
 Agreements made with foreign countries that DO NOT need
Senate approval

Example: - Trade Agreements
Executive Privilege
 Why does the president use this?
 A power that allows the president to protect the privacy
interests of the executive branch
 In what area is it mainly used?
 Foreign policy
 What did Nixon, Clinton, and GW Bush try to
protect?
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Nixon – Watergate info
Clinton – Monica Lewinsky affair
GW Bush – firing of U.S. Attorneys
Signing Statements
 When are these used?
 When he signs a bill into law
 What do they do?
 Explain his view about the legislation
 Why are they controversial?
 Critics say they change the intent of the law
U.S. v. Nixon
 Facts:
 Grand jury investigating Watergate wanted the tapes Nixon
kept of all conversations in his office once they learned of them
 Nixon refused to turn them over claiming executive privilege
 Issue:
 Was executive privilege justified?
 Decision:
 Supreme Court ruled refusal violate separation of powers
because executive privilege could be claimed in issues of
national security, not general privacy
Impeachment of the President
 What is impeachment?
 Formal charges brought by the House of Representatives
stating the President is guilty of a high crime or misdemeanor
 Steps:
 1. House Judiciary Committee brings articles of impeachment
to the full house
 2. Whole House votes – majority “yes” means Senate convenes
and conducts the trial
 3. Chief Justice of the U.S. comes over to preside
 Who’s been impeached?
 Andrew Johnson
 Bill Clinton
Impeachment of Bill Clinton
 Who was the Special Investigator appointed by the
Attorney General?

Kenneth Starr
 What were the charges against Clinton?
 Perjury and obstruction of justice
 What happened?
 Senate failed to convict Clinton