The Presidency Greatest Hits

How They Got There  Elections: The Typical Road to the White House Twenty-Second Amendment (1951) Term limits  Succession Twenty-Fifth Amendment (1967) Veep  Speaker of the House  President Pro Tempore  Secretary of State…  Impeachment Johnson and the Tenure of Office Act Watergate Clinton’s sex scandal 12.1

Vice President  Crap job  Constitutional powers Preside over Senate Tie-breaking vote  Recent VPs more involved in policy & diplomacy

Cabinet  Group of presidential advisors  Not mentioned in Constitution  14 secretaries + attorney general 1. State 2. Treasury 3. Defense 4. Justice (Attorney General) 5. Interior 6. Agriculture 7. Commerce 8. Labor 9. Health & Human Services 10. Housing and Urban Development 11. Transportation 12. Energy 13. Education 14. Veterans Affairs 15. Homeland Security

Executive Office  Consists of the following three + several other units that serve the president  National Security Council (NSC) Links the president’s key foreign and military advisors National Security Advisor Pres, VP, Sec. State, Sec. Defense, etc.  Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) Three members, appointed by Pres. Prepare annual Economic Report of the President  Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Prepares the president’s budget Review’s legislative proposals from the cabinet & other executive agencies

White House Staff  About 600 people  Includes chief of staff, congressional liaison people, press secretary, etc.  Top aides tend to be very loyal and shun the limelight  Different styles of dealing with staff Hierarchical Wheel-and-spokes

First Lady  No longer just a well-dressed homemaker Abigail Adams Edith Wilson Eleanor Roosevelt Hillary Rodham Clinton Michelle Obama 12.3

Party Leadership  Bonds of Party  Slippage in Party Support  Presidential Coattails

Congressional Gains/Losses for President’s Party in Presidential Election Years

Congressional Gains/Losses for President’s Party in Midterm Election Years

Electoral Mandates  Perception that voters strongly support president & his policies  Based on how well they do in election  Can be powerful symbol of legitimacy

Public Approval  Many people predisposed to support the president  Correlates with party identification  “Honeymoon” after taking office, often erodes  Approval often tied to performance in key policy areas, like economy  Influence in Congress depends of popularity

Presidential Approval

A president will usually have the most legislative success when a.he has persuasive powers with Congress and the public b.he presides over good foreign relations c.his party controls both houses of Congress d.he has strong staff support 12.4

A president will usually have the most legislative success when 12.4 a.he has persuasive powers with Congress and the public b.he presides over good foreign relations c.his party controls both houses of Congress d.he has strong staff support

National Security Policy The President’s Role

Chief Diplomat  Only the president may extend diplomatic recognition to foreign governments  Sole power to negotiate treaties  Executive agreements Usually routine, non-controversial  Negotiate between countries other than U.S. Carter mediated peace treaty between Egypt and Israel  Lead America’s allies

Presidents are generally thought to have advantages over Congress in conducting foreign policy because of the formal and informal powers of the presidency. 1.What are the formal constitutional powers of the President in making foreign policy? 2.What are the formal constitutional powers of Congress in making foreign policy? 3.What informal powers of the President contribute to the President’s advantage over Congress in conducting foreign policy?

1. Formal constitutional powers of the President in making foreign policy Commander-in-chief; power to commit troops Appoint ambassadors and foreign policy officials (National Security Advisor, Secretary of State) Negotiate/make treaties Recognition of nations Receive ambassadors and other public ministers

2. Formal constitutional powers of Congress in making foreign policy Declare war Confirm ambassadors Ratify treaties Power of purse in military/foreign policy Pass laws about foreign policy issues Regulate foreign commerce (including trade agreements)

3. Informal powers that give the president an advantage in conducting foreign policy Executive agreements Meeting with world leaders International coalition building Agenda setting Moral persuader Crisis manager Access to media Access to more information than Congress Recognized as global leader

 President as Commander-in-Chief may make short- term military commitments of troops  Congress never declared war in Korea or Vietnam  War Powers Resolution (1973) (Over Nixon’s veto) Presidents must consult with Congress when possible before using military force Must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops Must withdraw troops after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants extension Congress can pass resolution ending military participation, which cannot be vetoed Presidents have largely ignored War Powers

Conflicts between Congress and the President over war powers have their origin in the United States Constitution. In 1973 Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in an attempt to clarify the balance of power between the two branches of government. 1.Describe the primary constitutional conflict between Congress and the president over the decision to go to war. 2.Describe two provisions of the War Powers Resolution that were designed to limit the President’s power over war making. 3.Congress has other powers over war making. Other than the constitutional power you described in (a), identify and explain two other formal powers Congress has over war making.

Expansion of Executive Power Executive Signing Statements