1. Chapter 12- The Presidency: Leading the Nation

2. The Presidency Article II Powers of the Chief Executive Qualifications
Appoints officials
Commander-in-Chief
Sign/veto legislation
Grant Pardons
Chief Diplomat
Treaties,
Send/ receive ambassadors
Qualifications
35 years of age
Natural born citizen
14 year resident of U.S.
Limits
Two 4-year terms (22nd Amendment)
Impeachment (Article I)
Congress & the Courts (Acts & rulings)

3. The Presidency The Framers’ vision of the presidency
National Leadership
Administration of the Laws
Statesmanship in foreign affairs
Executive accountability
The presidency has become much stronger than the Framers envisioned
constitutional roles have expanded
Foreign policy role has expanded since the U.S. has become a world power

4. Foundations of the Modern Presidency
Asserting a Claim to National Leadership
Whig Theory- a limited or constrained Constitutional authority
James Buchanan- “My duty is to execute laws and not my individual opinions.”
Stewardship Theory- calls for an assertive pres. that is confined only at points specifically prohibited by law
Theodore Roosevelt- “bully pulpit”, challenged the power of business monopolies
FDR- felt he was permitted “to do anything that the needs of the Nation demand unless such action was forbidden…”

5. Foundations of the Modern Presidency
The Need for Presidential Leadership of an Activist Government
Foreign Policy Leadership
As sole representative of the U.S. the president can act quickly and speak authoritatively for the nation as a whole
Domestic Policy Leadership
Role has grown as the U.S. has gone from an agrarian to industrialized nation
Budget & Accounting Act of 1921
Executive Office of the President
Importance of the Cabinet has declined as the rest of the Executive Branch has grown

6. Executive Office of the President
Office of the Director of National Intelligence

7. Choosing the President
Toward a More “Democratic” System of Presidential Election
Electoral College
270 votes needed out of 538
Electors tied to state’s popular votes
House of Reps. chooses if no candidate receives a majority
Open Party Caucuses
Andrew Jackson ended the practice of nominating by Congressional caucus
Primary Elections
Used more extensively in recent decades

8. Choosing the President
The Campaign for Nomination
Momentum
Early “Mo” is a big factor
Early states vs. late states
disenfranchisement
Money
$20 million to $30 million to run an effective nominating campaign
Candidate with the most money wins most of the time
GW Bush nominating campaign in 2000
$ 75 Million
Choice of Vice President (running mate)
Nominee’s choice at the convention

9. Choosing the President
The Campaign for Election
Election Strategy
Electoral College/Popular vote
Media and Money
Television: Debates and advertising
About ½ spent on TV
Kennedy-Nixon 1st televised debate
Federal Funding
Matching funds
The Winners

10. Presidents who lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College
John Quincy Adams
Rutherford B. Hayes
Benjamin Harrison
George W. Bush
Election of 2000
Gore won the popular vote
Bush won Florida by 537 votes
The Supreme Court blocked a count of ballots in Florida
Bush receives 271 Electoral College votes, one more than the 270 needed

11. Electoral College Results- 2004

12. Presidential Voting by County- 2004

13. Electoral College Results- 2008

16. Presidential Election of 2012 Obama - 332 Romney-206

17. Staffing the Presidency
Presidential Appointees
The Executive Office of the President
The Vice President
The White House Office
Policy Experts
The President’s Cabinet
Other Presidential Appointees
The Problem of Control
Too many people to see much less control
Career bureaucrats dominate

18. Factors in Presidential Leadership
The Force of Circumstance
It’s the economy stupid
Accomplishments usually depend on circumstances outside their control
The Stage of the President’s Term
Honeymoon Period- 1st 100 days
Strategic Presidency
The need to move quickly on important issues while conditions are favorable
May run out of ideas, get caught up in scandal, or exhaust political resources

19. Factors in Presidential Leadership
The Nature of the Issue: Foreign or Domestic
Two presidencies theory
Broad powers to act as the “sole arm” of the U.S. when reaching out to other nations
More likely to get the backing of Congress on foreign policy issues

20. Factors in Presidential Leadership
Relations with Congress
Seeking Cooperation from Congress
Benefiting from Partisan Support in Congress
Colliding with Congress
To veto or not to veto…
G.W. Bush-
2 vetoes in first five years
700+ Signing statements
War Powers Act,
Impeachment
House of Reps. – Impeachment Charges
Andrew Johnson
William Jefferson Clinton
Senate- Impeachment Trial
0 presidents convicted

21. G.W. Bush had an 87 % success rate with Congress in his first year in office

22. Factors in Presidential Leadership
Public Support
Presidential Approval Ratings
Events and Issues
From 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina
Economy
The Televised Presidency
Scandal is the largest threat to the pres. ability to control the media
The Illusion of Presidential Government
Too much credit
Too much blame