AP US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
(Explanation)
Presidential Term of Office
TRADITION – Washington, etc.
BREAK WITH TRADITION
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
1951 22nd Amendment
POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT ALONE
Commander-in-chief of armed forces
Commission officers in armed forces
Grant reprieves and pardons for federal
offenses (except impeachment)
Convene Congress in special session
Receive ambassadors – appoint officials
Execute laws faithfully
POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
SHARED WITH THE SENATE
Make treaties
Appoint ambassadors, judges, high officials
SHARED WITH CONGRESS AS A WHOLE
Approve legislation
WHITE HOUSE OFFICE
Essentially three ways president can organize
his personal staff:
1) PYRAMID STRUCTURE – assistants report
through hierarchy to chief of staff
(Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton)
White House Office (con’t)
2) CIRCULAR STRUCTURE
Cabinet secretaries and assistants report directly
to the president
(Carter)
3) AD HOC STRUCUTRE
Task forces, committees, informal groups deal
directly with president (Clinton, for a while)
*NOTE: common for Presidents to mix methods
EXECUTIVE OFFICE of the PRESIDENT
*Agencies report directly to president
*Perform staff services for him (though not located
in White House itself)
Principle agencies:
Office of Management and Budget
Director of National Intelligence
Office of Economic Advisers
Office of Personnel Management
Office of U. S. Trade Representative
PRESIDENTS CABINET
Fifteen executive branch departments of the
federal government
Abundance of political appointments
NOTE the Cabinet Departments
Independent Agencies,
Commissions, Judgeships
About 50 agencies and commissions to which
the president appoints people.
Heads of many independent agencies serve for
fixed terms – removed only “for cause.”
President can also appoint federal judges
Presidential Character
Each president brings to White House a
distinctive personality:
Eisenhower: orderly, military, delegating
Kennedy: bold, “pattern of personal rule and an
atmosphere of improvisation”
Johnson: master legislative strategist;
persuasive; many personal decisions
Nixon: knowledgeable; distrustful
Presidential Character
(con’t)
Ford: genial; at home with “give-and-take”
Carter: outsider; moved from circular to
pyramid structure
Reagan: outsider; set agenda, left details to
others; “Great Communicator”
Bush: hand-on manager; extensive experience
in federal government
Clinton: attentive to public policy; informal
Power to Persuade
Chief Executive of Government; Ceremonial
Head of State
Three Audiences:
1. Fellow politicians / leaders in Washington
2. Party activists and officeholders
3. “The Public” – but many different publics
Popularity and Influence
Goal: convert personal popularity into
congressional support to legislative programs
Presidential coattails? (chart p. 391)
Presidential popularity (chart p. 392)
What do the tables/charts demonstrate?
Presidential Power to Say “No”
“Executive Privilege”: withhold info. From Congress
VETO
Veto message
Pocket veto (Pres. doesn’t sign within 10 days
and Congress adjourned)
Line-item veto (don’t have!)
IMPOUNDMENT OF FUNDS