Chapter 13: Objectives/Notes

Summarize the constitutional powers that are allocated to the president in the realm of national security.

(1) Commander in chief of the armed forces. (2) Make treaties with other nations, subject to the agreement of two-thirds of the Senate. (3) Nominate ambassadors, with the agreement of a majority of the Senate. (4) Receive ambassadors of other nations, thereby conferring diplomatic recognition on other governments.

Identify the powers that lead us to refer to the president as chief legislator.

(1) Present information on the state of the union to Congress. (2) Recommend legislation to Congress. (3) Convene both houses of Congress on extraordinary occasions. (4) Adjourn Congress if the House and Senate cannot agree on adjournment; and (5) Veto legislation (Congress may overrule with a two-thirds vote of each house).

Outline the procedures established in the Twenty-fifth Amendment to deal with presidential succession and presidential disability.

1. Disability: The Amendment permits the vice president to become acting president if the vice president and the president's cabinet determine that the president is disabled or if the president declares his own disability, and it outlines how a recuperated president can reclaim the office. 2. Succession: Statutes specify the order of succession following the president and vice president—from vice president, to the Speaker of the House, to the president pro tempore of the Senate, through the cabinet in chronological order according to when the department was created.

Review methods by which presidents may improve their chances of obtaining party support in Congress.

1. One way for the president to improve the chances of obtaining support in Congress is to increase the number of party members in the legislature. 2. The term presidential coattails refers to voters casting their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because those candidates support the president. Thus, the symbolism was that the candidates would "ride into office on the president's coattails."

Determine the role that public opinion plays in setting and implementing the president's agenda.

1. Perhaps the greatest challenge to any president is to obtain and maintain the public's support. Because presidents are rarely in a position to command others to comply with their wishes, they must rely on persuasion. 2. The jobs of head of state (ceremonial) and head of government (executive authority) are combined: (a) As head of state, the president is America's ceremonial leader and symbol of government while making public appearances; (b) Ceremonial activities give presidents an important symbolic aura and a great deal of favorable press coverage, contributing to their efforts to build public support.

Describe the constitutional process of impeachment and explain why it is so difficult to remove a discredited president before the end of his term.

1. The Constitution prescribes the process through impeachment, which is roughly the political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law. (The term "impeachment" refers to the formal accusation, not to conviction.) 2.. The House of Representatives may impeach the president (and other civil officers) for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Impeachment requires a simple majority vote of the House. 3. If the House votes for impeachment, the accused president will be tried by the Senate. 4. The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides when a president is being tried; the vice president (as president of the Senate) will preside if a civil officer other than the president has been impeached. 5. The Senate may convict and remove the president by a two-thirds vote of the senators present.

Identify the major offices and positions that serve as key aides and advisors to the president.

1. The Vice President: Role depends on the tasks the president is willing to delgate. 2. The Cabinet: Today, 14 secretaries and the attorney general head executive departments and constitute the cabinet. In addition, individual presidents may designate other officials (such as the ambassador to the United Nations) as cabinet members. 3. The Executive Office of the President: includes three major policy-making bodies—the National Security Council, the Council of Economic Advisors, and the Office of Management and Budget—plus several other units serving the president. 4. White House Office: includes the key aides the president sees daily—the chief of staff, congressional liaison people, press secretary, national security advisor, and a few other administrative political assistants. 5. The First Lady: More recently, First Ladies have been at the center of attention in policy-making matters and played important roles as advisors to their husbands.

Describe the methods used by presidents and their advisors to encourage the media to project a positive image of the president's activities and policies.

1. The modern White House makes extraordinary efforts to control the context in which presidents appear in public and the way they are portrayed by the press. 2. All presidents since Truman have had media advice from experts on such matters as speech writing, public speaking, lighting, makeup, stage settings, camera angles, and even clothing.

Examine the ways in which the American system of separation of powers is actually one of shared powers.

1. There is little that presidents can do on their own. They share executive, legislative, and judicial power with the other branches of government. 2. Understand the system of checks and balances.

Trace the evolution of the presidency from the limited office envisioned by the framers to the more powerful contemporary office.

1. Today there is more to presidential power than the Constitution alone suggests, and that power is derived from many sources. 2. The role of the president changed as America increased in prominence on the world stage, and technology also helped to reshape the presidency. 3. Presidents themselves have taken the initiative in developing new roles for the office. Various presidents enlarged the power of the presidency by expanding the president's responsibilities and political resources.

Examine the impact that changing world events (such as the transition from the 1950s and 1960s to the era of Vietnam and Watergate) have had on public debate over whether a "strong" president is a threat or a support to democratic government.

1.Those who oppose the president's policies are the most likely to be concerned about too much presidential power. 2. In an era of divided government, some observers are concerned that there is too much checking and balancing and too little capacity to act to meet pressing national challenges. 3. However, the best evidence indicates that major policy change is not hindered by divided government—that it is as likely to occur when the parties share control as when party control of the executive and legislative branches is divided. 4. It has been the president more often than Congress who has objected to government growth.

Identify and review major roles and functions of the president as chief adminsitrator and crisis manager.

Administrative powers: 1. "Take care that the laws be faithfully executed". 2. Appoint officials as provided for by Congress and with the agreement of a majority of the Senate. 3. Request written opinions of administrative officials. 4. Fill administrative vacancies during congressional recesses. Crisis Manager: 1. A crisis is a sudden, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous event. 2. Because situations develop more rapidly today, there is a premium on rapid action, secrecy, constant management, consistent judgment, and expert advice. 3. Since Congress usually moves slowly, the president has become more prominent in handling crises.