lesson 4

Johnson's vetos

made 29 and 15 were overturned

Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

it was the right of the United States to intervene when problems arose in the governments of the nations of Central and South America

Civil War to Lincoln

proof to the world that democracy could survive

Wilmot Proviso

proposed to ban slavery from all territory gained as a result of the war. Although the Proviso was never passed, the fight over it permanently broke the Democratic Party into two factions

Lincoln felt secession

put democracy on trial (If the losers of elections could just pull out, democracy would not be a way to facilitate the peaceful transition of power in a stable system)

executive agreement with Santo Domingo

represented an expansion in presidential control of foreign affairs when Teddy R made an exec agreement with Santo Domingo

sanctification

saving the country was worth the sacrifice (1st machine gun tech)

greatest crisis in American history

secession of the Confederate states

as a result of the war with Spain

US got control of Guam, the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii

Roosevelt invoked the Roosevelt Corollary

in Venezuela and Santo Domingo

Pullman Strike in Chicago

workers across the country refused to service any trains pulling Pullman cars - Cleveland justified federal intervention because the strike was interfering with the delivery of the US mail and because the strikers were violating a federal court injunction that forbade them from striking

Independent National Treasury: Polk

Polk had Congress create the independent treasury in 1846 - federal budget

How, in his opinion, did Lincoln subject his decisions to higher judgment?

- He called Congress into special session and received its ratification for his decisions. - He presided over midterm elections in 1862 and stood for reelection in 1864. - He said he was always subject to impeachment and removal, and he accepted as approval of his actions the fact that those things never happened.

The Civil War began while Congress was in recess, and Lincoln encroached on congressional power in several ways:

- He increased the size of the armed forces (without congressional authorization). - He spent funds that had not been appropriated by Congress. - He blockaded southern ports (making war without congressional declaration). - He proclaimed martial law. - He suspended the writ of habeas corpus in selected places. Habeas corpus requires the government to inform a prisoner of his or her charges.

Ex parte Merryman (1861):

- Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus - Supreme Court found that only Congress could suspend the writ - Lincoln ignored the court, arguing that the executive was one of three coordinate departments of government - The court has difficulty enforcing its will on the executive branch when a president wields the sword. (The court also needs Congress's help, and if Congress is unwilling to help, its rulings can be ignored.)

Prize Cases (1863):

- Lincoln's blockade of souther ports after secession - Who has the power to declare war? (Answer: Congress) - The president has the power to act in a way not normally permissible when organized and violent insurrection is taking place

Polk pursued five major policies:

- Reduce tariffs (for the southern wing of the party). - Establish an independent national treasury (for Van Buren's wing of the party). - Resolve the Oregon boundary dispute (Here he presented different plans to different factions, disappointing many in the Northwest.) - Pursue territorial expansion (This satisfied the Manifest Destiny goals of all factions of the party, although they had different objectives for the land.) - Keep the party together by being (or appearing to be) as neutral as possible. Neutrality on his part was necessary, and in order to be neutral, he also had to assert the power of the presidency.

Teddy Roosevelt's Legacy

- felt the president can, and should, be proactive - brought the presidency to center stage (but wilson pushed it much further)

Teddy and the Media

- inexpensive newspapers gave him an outlet to address public - gave the press new access, but got mad if he didn't like what they wrote - formed relationships with owners of media outlets - tried to make himself an object of interest

Johnson's plan for Reconstruction

- opposed by congress - he didn't have the political skills or an ongoing war that made people look to the pres.

Abraham Lincoln's Legacy

- preserved the Union - a model of integrity, rising above pressures and pettiness - open, modest - was able to articulate goals so that people understood why he was leading the nation to war - communicating directly and honestly with the people, he garnered respect

Dred Scott v. Sanford case

- slavery was protected by the Constitution, largely through Fifth Amendment property rights; - that Congress could not ban slavery from any territory; and - that no African American, whether free or slave, could ever become a citizen.

Ex parte Milligan (1866):

- spy tried in court of martial law, even tho federal courts were open - Martial law can exist only if the situation is so bad that civil courts must close, and in this case they were open - court's argument was diluted by the fact that the case was decided after war was over (and Lincoln was dead)

Lincoln decided that several advantages would be gained by issuing the proclamation. These included:

1. giving the country a moral reason to continue fighting (in addition to keeping the Union together and stopping the spread of slavery, now they were fighting to completely eliminate slavery) 2. giving free African Americans a reason to join the military and fight 3. building support for the US in the international community.

An Example of Prerogative Power in Detail: The Emancipation Proclamation

1. slavery is morally wrong 2. despite his personal feelings, he had taken an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, (and several times during his presidency he rejected the emancipation of slavery because the court had found it constitutional) 3. he didn't issue the proclamation until he decided that it was necessary to preserve the Union

Explain the three presidential resources Roosevelt used to expand presidential power.

1. Roosevelt viewed the presidency as a platform from which to argue his case. He called it the "bully pulpit." "Bully" means "good," and a pulpit is a place to preach from. He felt the president should be assertive and proactive, not reactive. He tried to cultivate public opinion as a way to get the government to act. 2. The mass circulation of inexpensive newspapers gave Roosevelt an outlet to address the public. He gave members of the press access to the presidency that they never had before, but with a condition. If he was unhappy with what they wrote about him or if they quoted him without his permission, they lost their access. 3. Roosevelt was a showman, and this allowed him to get and keep the public's attention.

What are executive orders? What was significant about the way Teddy Roosevelt used them?

An executive order is a lawlike order from the president for an agency in the executive branch to do something. Roosevelt hoped to eliminate the influence of patronage, and he used executive orders to greatly expand the civil service, which meant that getting jobs was based on merit, not political payoffs. Roosevelt's willingness to use the executive order power frequently was another demonstration of his use of prerogative power.

Why did Polk develop the reputation of "Polk the Mendacious?" Compare and contrast the argument of political scientist Bruce Buchanan that this reputation was justified with the argument of political scientist Stephen Skowronek that it was not.

Bruce Buchanan argues that Polk achieved success by using manipulation and lies. He manipulated the members of his cabinet; he manipulated the country into war; and he manipulated the various constituencies that elected him, playing them off each other. In Buchanan's opinion, Polk may have had good reasons for all of these moves, but the consequence of his tactics was that many felt betrayed by him and Polk lost support. Polk worked behind the scenes and used the power of the office to accomplish his goals, but critics such as Buchanan wonder whether a president could achieve the same kind of results with better methods. Skowronek argues that Polk's biggest problem was trying to play a game he could not win. This was due, in part, to the fraying of the Democratic coalition and, in part, to Polk's inability to invoke Jackson's legacy while also establishing a separate identity and leaving his own mark on the presidency. To Skowronek, one of Polk's biggest errors was declaring that he would serve only one term. This made him a lame-duck president from the beginning.

According to the textbook, "One of Polk's major achievements was to coordinate the budget." In a sentence or two, explain this statement.

For the first time in history, the president oversaw the formation of a fiscal policy. Not only did Polk review all budget requests, but he also insisted that the department heads revise their planned expenditures downward

first president to forcefully advocate a domestic policy agenda

Grover Cleveland

In re Debs.

In this case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the president's use of prerogative power—calling out the military—in a domestic crisis. It set an important precedent for the idea that the president has power to use the military domestically, and this was a key factor in the World War II Japanese internment cases.

How did the Supreme Court view Lincoln's use of prerogative power?

It was a split decision. In three major cases, the court found in favor of Lincoln in one case and against him in two cases. The court supported his use of the military in an emergency situation in the Prize Cases but ruled against his suspension of individual civil liberties in Ex Parte Milligan and Ex Parte Merryman.

According to the textbook, what was Lincoln's feeling about the fact that he may have violated the Constitution with some of his responses to the secession of southern states?

It was senseless, Lincoln argued, to obey legal niceties while the very foundation of the law was threatened: "Was it possible to lose the nation and yet preserve the Constitution? By general law, life and limb must be protected, yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures otherwise unconstitutional might become lawful by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the nation."

According to the textbook, what did Andrew Johnson do that so quickly alienated the radical Republicans in Congress?

Johnson had cut his ties to the Democrats by joining Lincoln's ticket in 1864 and alienated Republicans by his conduct as president. When his effort to build his own political organization failed, the president no longer had a party

How did the presidency of Andrew Johnson begin a long period of congressional dominance over the presidency?

Johnson was not as good a politician as Abraham Lincoln, and although he stood for the same ideas as Lincoln regarding reconstruction, he antagonized the members of Congress so much that they became a united force against him. Once they saw how thoroughly they could dominate a president, it set a pattern for future congressional dominance over presidents.

Lincoln was a former Whig who opposed Jackson's vigorous use of presidential power

Lincoln felt that the executive should not interfere with the work of Congress and should use the veto only rarely.

What did Lincoln do as president that was unconstitutional? How did he justify these actions?

Lincoln increased the size of the armed forces (without congressional authorization); spent funds that had not been appropriated by Congress; blockaded southern ports (making war without congressional declaration); proclaimed martial law; and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in selected places (habeas corpus requires the government to inform a prisoner of his or her charges). In taking these actions, Lincoln demonstrated the president's power to take action during a national emergency. With Congress in recess, Lincoln's actions were made without legislative authorization, and his opponents charged him with instituting a military dictatorship. Lincoln argued and convinced the citizens of the North that his actions were necessary in the name of saving the democracy created by the Constitution (even it if meant violating the Constitution to save it). Lincoln made a Lockeian argument in defense of his use of prerogative power. As president, he acted counter to the law, but he did so for the public good. He was willing, after the fact, to subject his decisions to the higher judgment of the people and Congress. How, in his opinion, did Lincoln subject his decisions to higher judgment? He called Congress into special session and received its ratification for his decisions; he presided over midterm elections in 1862 and stood for reelection in 1864; he said he was always subject to impeachment and removal, and he took the fact that those things never happened as approval for his actions.

Given his extensive use of prerogative power, why were Lincoln's actions relatively uncontroversial outside of the South?

Lincoln's actions weren't as controversial outside the south because the human costs of the Civil War were horrible. The war introduced the first machine gun technology, increasing misery, suffering, and sacrifice

a major issue as the value of the currency, which was based on gold, dropped after the Panic of 1893

Low public confidence in the government and the economy

William McKinley

Many historians have dismissed McKinley as a mediocre, unimportant president whose only significant contribution to the presidency was his unfortunate assassination, which allowed Teddy Roosevelt to become president

first president to give formal recognition to the press by allowing them a permanent room in the White House to use

Mckinley

Territorial Expansion: Polk

Mexican-American war - paid Mexico $15 million for what today are the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming - slavery issue with new states

Lincoln's time in office is the model for a crisis presidency

No president before Lincoln faced as great a crisis to the future of the country, and he used prerogative power to address it

Why is Lincoln's presidency the model for a crisis presidency?

No president before him faced as great a crisis to the future of the country as Lincoln, and he used prerogative power to address it. Both scholars and the public consistently rank Lincoln as our best president for his achievements in a time of crisis. He is seen as a good person who didn't show weakness under pressure.

presidency as a unitary office

Only the president is equipped to react energetically to address a crisis by offering security and stability while also being held accountable for his actions

According to the textbook, how did the Roosevelt Corollary alter the Monroe Doctrine?

Roosevelt formulated a policy proclaiming that it was the duty of the United States to intervene in the affairs of Latin American countries whose governments the president judged to have acted wrongly or been rendered impotent by their leaders' mismanagement. The president announced this policy in December 1904 in his annual message to Congress. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, as it became known, was a bold statement of future American conduct toward the debt-ridden, unstable governments of Latin America.

According to the textbook, TR's conception of executive power was greatly influenced by which of the framers of the Constitution?

Roosevelt's confidence that the president possessed a special mandate from the people made him a conscious disciple of Andrew Jackson. Unlike Jackson, however, Roosevelt wanted to join popular leadership to a greater sense of national purpose that entailed an unprecedented expansion of the government's responsibility to secure the nation's social and economic welfare.

the first president with a conservation agenda

Teddy R

Civil service reform

Teddy R hoped to eliminate the influence of patronage, and he used executive orders to greatly expand the civil service which meant that getting jobs was based on merit, not political payoffs.

get the Hepburn Act passed easily

Teddy was willing to use public opinion as leverage against Congress - threatened conservative Republicans with tariff reforms. (These Republicans, who were strong protectionists, feared this) ^ bargaining tool to get the act passed

How is the Emancipation Proclamation an example of the use of prerogative power

The Emancipation Proclamation is an example of the use of prerogative power because Lincoln ignored the decision in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case by outlining his personal views on slavery.

According to the textbook, Lincoln's plea for a new and explicit connection between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution made a struggle over _____________ inevitable.

The existence of slavery

Explain how Roosevelt's foreign policy was an expression of his stewardship theory of the presidency.

The stewardship theory means it was the president's responsibility to act proactively in the nation's best interest. In foreign policy, Roosevelt acted proactively to promote the United States as a world power rather than merely reacting to world events as they occurred. He regularly acted without Congress, either because he met resistance from members of Congress or because Congress was not acting quickly enough to suit him. Roosevelt was particularly strong in leading American foreign policy in Latin America and Asia.

Tariffs: Polk

Walker Tariff in 1846 (much lower and helped with several factions in the party, although there were Democrats in Van Buren's faction of the party who favored protectionism and were angered by the new tariff)

one of Teddy R's most important goals was to establish the reputation of the United States as a world power

World Naval Tour (a demonstration of the United States' capability to project power anywhere on earth)

The more Johnson veto'd... the more he annoyed the republican party so they decided to

a. punish the South b. defeat Johnson

James Polk's Legacy

achieved most of his goals except that of keeping the party together - received little credit for his successes - stepped on many toes (whigs) - Few presidents have come to office with so many big policy goals and managed to leave office having achieved all of them - helped define presidential power

Gettysburg Address

argued that war was justified as an attempt to preserve the "last best hope for the world"—democracy.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Teddy R

built the Panama Canal after a treaty was negotiated bc he started a revolution between the Colombians and the Isthmus

Teddy Roosevelt used three resources that are now seen as standard ones for presidents:

bully pulpit, media and his own personality

economic improvement: Polk

cautioned against any efforts to re-create the banking system bc the public credit was maintained even during a period of foreign war - said people are happy that banks are not fiscal agents of gov't

Lincoln's presidency is sometimes referred to as a

constitutional dictatorship

Panic of 1893

country was plunged into a severe economic recession - triggering event is generally considered to be the collapse of the National Cordage Company in May of 1893

Presidential Neutrality: Polk

declaring that no matter what happened, he would serve only one term in office - trying to keep everyone happy - used patronage only to balance party interests

Cleveland: opposed the idea of putting more silver money in circulation

endeared him to the biz community - alienated him from the rural/western wings of the Dem. party

"swing around the circle."

fiery speaking tour Johnson went on to promote his version of Reconstruction (often gave speeches drunk)

The Hepburn Act

gave the Interstate Commerce Commission the power to regulate railroad shipping rates (first significant step by the federal government to regulate private business) - Teddy R's effort to convince congress to pass this was a model of his new approach to policy leadership

Oregon Territory Dispute: Polk

he had no desire to go to war with the British (the United States was already at war with Mexico) - his negotiators agreed to the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which drew the border at the forty-ninth parallel. - this gave the United States what is now Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but it greatly angered many settlers (who felt Polk betrayed them by not pushing for more)

Polk's control of the budget

he reduced the power of other executive branch officials and, similar to Jackson, gave new strength to the presidency

Teddy's own personality

he was a showman, entertaining brand of charisma - rough rider image made him seem fun - energetic, unpredictable

main reason listed for Johnson's impeachment

his violation of a law passed in 1867, the Tenure of Office Act, which made it illegal for him to fire cabinet officials without the approval of the Senate - he suspended his secretary of war, senate refused to approve it, and he tried to hire a replacement anyways = impeached

Progressives

included people who advocated a broad array of economic, social, and political reforms - believed in the application of scientific principles to government - believed in the idea that political parties hurt government much more than they helped it - believed the gov't should o protect the weak from the strong (reduce power of economic titans) - civil rights - believed in strong, active executives

The Square Deal

it is the proper role of government to try to balance the interests of different factions in the country (e.g., business and labor, rich and poor, producers and consumers).

According to the textbook, TR benefitted by the fact that his presidency coincided with what development in the press?

it was TR's good fortune that his presidency coincided with the development of mass-circulation newspapers and popular magazines

administration of Ulysses S. Grant

one of the most corrupt presidential administrations in history (although Grant was not personally corrupt)

Lincoln's actions were made without legislative authorization

opponents: charged him with instituting a military dictatorship Lincoln: argued, and convinced the citizens of the North, that actions were necessary to save the democracy created by the Constitution (even it if meant violating the Constitution to save it).

Teddy viewed the president as

proactive, meaning that the president should be able to do anything not expressly prohibited by the Constitution

Open-Door Policy

proposed by Mckinley a way to make sure nations with a colonial presence in China, such as Britain, France, Russia, and Japan, did not prevent the United States from engaging in trade there

In re Debs (1895):

set an important precedent for the idea that the president has power to use the military domestically (this was a key factor in the World War II Japanese internment cases)

Teddy and Foreign Policy

stewardship theory - acted proactively to promote US as a world power - acted regularly without congress

Domestic Policy: Teddy R

stewardship theory - square deal - the hepburn act - conservation exec orders - Meat Inspection Act - the Pure Food and Drug Act

Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866

supported by all republicans and his veto was overturned

The Presidency Post-Abraham Lincoln:

the presidency suffered a decline in power and prestige, an era of congressional gov't

Mckinley's success

the victory in the war with Spain; actions taken to permanently make gold the standard of American currency; the annexation of Hawaii; the extension of the eight-hour workday for working men and women; and the passage of the naval expansion bill (which would make the United States a world naval power) laid groundwork for antitrust laws size of the White House staff increased

Bully pulpit

viewed the presidency as a platform from which to argue his case - tried to cultivate public opinion as a way to get the government to act - proactive, not reactive