Chapter 13 GOV

What is the National Security Council? Do modern presidents rely on it more or less than presidents did in the past?

A presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president.

What are signing statements and how do modern presidents use them to affect enforcement of the law? After criticizing George W. Bush's use of signing statements, did President Obama abandon the practice?

Announcements made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law. In 2013, for example, President Obama signed a bill containing a provision requiring the president to notify Congress before transferring any prisoner from Guantanamo Bay. In his signing statement Obama declared that the provision was unconstitutional and ignored the legislation.

Why is the president's state of the union message important?

Began to rely on this provision in order to become the primary initiator of proposals for legislative action in Congress and the most important single participant in legislative decision making, as well as the principal source for public awareness of national issues.

What was the War Powers Resolution? And why was it passed? Has the WPR restrained presidents as it was intended?

Designed to restore its role in military policy. Presidents, however, have regarded the resolution as an improper limitation on the inherent powers of the presidency and have studiously ignored the provisions of the War Powers Resolution.

How are executive agreements different from treaties?

Does not require Senate approval.

Who in our government can declare war?

Giving Congress the power to declare war.

What is the traditional role of First Spouse?

Greeting foreign dignitaries, visiting other countries, and attending important national ceremonies. Some first spouses, however, have had considerable influence over policy.

How did US v Nixon define its scope?

In United States v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over the tapes.5 Te president complied with the order and was forced to resign from office. The United States v. Nixon case is often seen as a blow to presidential power, but in actuality, the Court's ruling recognized for the first time the legal validity of executive privilege, though holding that it did not apply in this particular instance.

Which president was the first to effectively use mass media techniques? What did he call these radio addresses? What issue (s) was he trying to drum up support for?

In his famous "fireside chats," the president's voice could be heard in every living room in the country, discussing programs and policies and generally assuring Americans that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was aware of their difficulties and working diligently toward solutions

When the president infers powers from the "rights, duties and obligations of the presidency" these are called _______ powers.

Inherent powers

What does the Office of Management and Budget do? What Office is it a part of?

Its roles in preparing the national budget, designing the president's program, reporting on agency activities, and overseeing regulatory proposals connect the OMB to every conceivable presidential responsibility. Part of the EOP agency.

Treaties have to be approved by what part of our Congress?

One is the executive-congressional agreement. For this type of agreement, the president will submit the proposed arrangement to Congress for a simple majority vote in both houses, usually easier for presidents to win than the two-thirds approval of the Senate that is required for a treaty.

What is the power of pardon? Who did your book mention that President Ford pardoned in 1974?

Power over all individuals who may be a threat to the security of the United States. Gerald Ford when he pardoned Richard Nixon in 1974 "for all offenses against the United States which he...has committed or may have committed."

When the president uses his diplomatic power recognize other countries he is continuing the tradition Washington established. What country did President Obama restore diplomatic relations with in 2015?

President Obama restored American diplomatic ties with Cuba, which had been severed by President Eisenhower in 1961 after the United States' relations with the Castro regime deteriorated

How long does he have to decide if he will veto it or sign it? If he does neither when the period expires, what happens?

Presidential veto that is automatically triggered if the president does not act on a given piece of legislation passed during the final 10 days of a legislative session. Congress does not have the option of overriding the veto but must reintroduce the bill in the next session.

Powers given to the president by the Constitution (such as to make treaties and grant pardons) cannot be revoked by Congress and are called ______ powers.

Specific powers granted by the Constitution to Congress (Article I, Section 8) and to the president (Article II). Military, Judicial, Diplomatic, Executive, Legislative.

What is the cabinet? Is the cabinet a constitutional institution? How is our cabinet different from England's? How do cabinet members get their jobs?

The Cabinet is the traditional but informal designation for the heads of all the major federal government departments. The Cabinet has no constitutional status, unlike in Great Britain and many other parliamentary countries, where the cabinet is the government, the American Cabinet is not a collective body. Each appointment must be approved by the Senate, but Cabinet members are not responsible to the Senate or to Congress at large.

What is executive privilege?

The claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president.

What is a president's veto power, and how can it be overridden?

The president's constitutional power to turn down acts of Congress; a presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.

What is the president's role as commander-in-chief?

The role of the president as commander of the national military and the state National Guard units (when called into service).

The vice presidency exists for what two purposes? What is the main value of the vice president as a political resource to his president? Who would become president if both the president and VP were killed?

To succeed the president in case of death, resignation, or incapacity, and to preside over the Senate, casting a tie-breaking vote when necessary. The main value of the vice president as a political resource for the president is electoral. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 establishes an order of succession, beginning with the Speaker of the House and continuing with the president pro temp ore of the Senate and the Cabinet secretaries.