1. The Presidency, The Media, and the Bureaucracy
The Executive Branch and the Media

2. Presidential System v. Parliamentary

3. Presidents v. Prime Ministers
Presidential System - President
An American invention
Win an election/voted into office
Cabinet is chosen from outside of Congress
Presidents are not necessarily party loyalists/elites
No guaranteed majority in Legislature (Congress)
Parliamentary System – Prime Minister
Common in Democracies
Chosen by the legislature themselves
Cabinet is selected from the parties that chose the Prime Minister
Prime ministers are party elites (also a member of Parliament)
Guaranteed majority in the legislature (Parliament)

4. Divided Government
Because the presidential system has no guaranteed majority in the legislature, there can be a divided government
Divided Government = one party that controls the White House and another controls one or both houses of Congress
Our government has been divided more than 20 times since the 1950s
The belief is that divided government causes partisan bickering and gridlock
Gridlock = the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of government

5. Is Policy Gridlock Bad?
Divided governments produce as much important legislation as unified ones
Unified governments aren’t even unified all the time – Congress and the President would need to be the same ideological party to be truly unified
The only way to fix gridlock would be to change our system to a parliamentary system and have a prime minister that has the ability to decide laws
A lot of Americans like the idea of someone being able to block a policy or law that they do not agree with
Gridlock is a necessary consequence of a representative democracy

6. Critical Thinking Questions
Comprehension – Summarize
What is policy gridlock and what is one of the causes?
Evaluation – Opinion
What is your opinion on policy gridlock? Is it a bad thing, good thing, does it even matter?

7. The History of the Presidency and its evolution
founders
The 1st Presidents and The Jacksonians
Some were worried that the “commander in chief” could overpower state militias or citizens
Helped influence the 2nd amendment
Worried about the peaceful transition of power
Also worried about how the President would be elected
didn’t want a quasi-parliamentary system because Congress might be able to control the President
but voters would not be informed enough
= electoral college
Washington set the precedent of the peaceful transition of power – stepped down after 2 terms
The first four President’s established the legitimacy of the Presidency
The country changed during Jacksonian era – the relations between the President and Congress change
Jackson was a popular military war hero
He vetoed bills based on policy instead of just on constitutional grounds
Set the precedent for future President’s to do the same

8. History of the Presidency Continued
Reemergence of Congress
Post-new Deal Presidency
The Presidency was viewed as a negative force against Congress until the New Deal
The Presidency then becomes a source of initiative and leadership
After the 1930s, Congress started responding to the Presidency, not the other way around as it was before the New Deal
Post-Jackson – the Presidency for 100 years was the subordinate branch of government – to Congress
The only Presidents during this time that exerted more power were Lincoln, Polk, and Cleveland

9. Qualifications to be President
35 years old
Natural-Born US Citizen
Sorry Arnold Schwarzenegger
Resided in the US for 14 years

10. The Presidency and the Constitution
The constitution gives the following powers to the President – Expressed Powers
Commander in Chief
Commission Officers of the Armed Forces
Grant Pardons
Convene Special Session of Congress
Receive Ambassadors
Execute the Laws
Executive Orders/Power
Appoint Officials and Judges
Make Treaties
Approve or Veto Legislation

11. Informal Powers of the Presidency
Executive Agreements/Orders – the Constitution states Executive Power, but does not specify
Media – Bully Pulpit (continued later)
“Agenda Setter” – the issues they discuss become paramount
ie. school lunches under Obama
Meet with World Leaders
Crisis Manager
International Coalition Building
Foreign Policy and Diplomacy
Party Ties – Policy Leadership
Symbolic President – head of state, image is important
Controlling the Bureaucracy

12. Crash Course – Presidential Powers

13. Executive Action – Critical Thinking Assignment
Read the Howell Article on the website “Executive Power – A Robust Presidency”
Write a summary of the article and analyze the pros and cons of executive actions on our country. Use current examples to support your analysis (1 page long)
Read pages (stop at Power to Say No); Skim through chapter 12 on The Media, focusing on pages

14. The Power to Persuade
Persuasion can help the President establish more power
They are the ceremonious head of state and the commander in chief
They have 3 audiences
His fellow politicians and political leaders – most important audience
Party activists and officeholders throughout the country
The general public
President learns quickly that everything they say will be scrutinized by the media and thus the general public
Instead of impromptu remarks (which could get them in trouble), Presidents usually make formal speeches – the use of the bully pulpit
Bully pulpit = the president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American Public
More recently, Obama has used social media and other platforms to persuade

15. Bully Pulpit and Presidential Persuasion

16. The Media and the Presidency – The Media’s Roles
Gatekeeper – The national media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long
Scorekeeper – They keep track of and help make political reputations, note who is “mentioned as a presidential candidate, and help decide who is winning and losing in Washington politics
Watchdog – Once the scorekeepers decide you are the one to watch, then they assume their watchdog role, giving close scrutiny to everything you do
Gatekeeper:
MSNBC Women's March
MSNBC Right to Life March
Scorekeeper:
Fox News Republican Primary
Fox News Democratic Primary
Watchdog:
CNN Hillary's s
CNN Trump's Star of David Tweet

17. Horse-Race Journalism
Coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than the issues

18. is the National Media Biased?
Go to each of the following big national media names and find at least 3 instances of clear bias in politics, preferably surrounding the Presidency:
Fox News
MSNBC
CNN
What makes these instances biased?
Do you think it will affect or affected the way people vote or how they view the Presidency?
Why is media bias such a big deal in American politics?
How can we teach others to be aware of media bias and to view politics from multiple perspectives?

19. Presidential Popularity
Goal is to convert popularity into Congressional support for the President’s preferred policies
Congress members used to ride the President’s “coattails” in order to help themselves, but that does not happen much anymore
Congress knows it is risky to oppose too adamantly the policies of a popular president
The problem is that Presidential popularity is hard to predict and cannot be controlled
Every president except Eisenhower, Reagan, and Clinton lost popular support between his inauguration and the time he left office

20. Power to Say No
Pocket Veto = A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within 10 days before Congress adjourns
If congress is still in session, a bill not signed automatically becomes law
Veto message = the message that the president sends to congress within 10 days of a bill being vetoed explaining why he will not sign it
Bill vetoed and delivered with a veto message can be overturned with a 2/3 vote in both houses – very rare
Line-item veto = most governors have the ability to get rid of some provisions of a bill without vetoing the entire bill – the President does not have this power

21. Executive Privilege
Constitution states nothing about allowing the President to maintain confidentiality, but the power has been assumed
The first time the confidentiality issue was looked at was with Nixon and Watergate in US v. Nixon – which decided that the President could be required to divulge info relating to a criminal prosecution
Nixon v. Fitzgerald – President cannot be sued while in office
Clinton v. Jones – President may be sued for actions taken before he took office

22. Does Executive Privilege Still Exist?
In groups of 4, research a recent example of when executive privilege (use of confidentiality or executive power) was used under one of the following Presidents
Clinton (ie. Lewinsky scandal)
Bush (ie. Guantanomo, waterboarding, etc)
Obama (ie. drone use, NSA surveillance, etc)
Was their use of executive privilege controversial?
Should they be allowed to use that executive privilege? Why or why not?
When you are finished researching, write a 5-6 point FRQ with a rubric (you must have at least one “describe” and 2 “explain” questions)

23. Executive Branch – The Bureaucracy
The office of the White House and other Federal Agencies

24. The office of the President and the White House
Pyramid Structure – Clear Chain of Command

25. Office of the President Cont.
Circular Structure – Assistants all report to the President
President
Assistant
Secretaries

26. Office of the President Cont.
Ad Hoc Structure – Multiple subordinates report to the President but on different issues
President
Cabinet
Committees
Task Forces
Assistants

27. Executive Office of the President
Reports directly to the President but are not in the White House.
Office of Management and Budget
Director of National Intelligence
Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
Office of Personnel Management
Office of the US Trade Representative

28. Heads of the 15 major Executive Departments

29. Executive Agencies
The head of these agencies answers directly to the President and can be removed at any time
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
Commission on Civil Rights
Energy Research and Development Agency
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Mediation and Conciliations Service
General Services Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Postal Service
Small Business Administration
Executive Office of the President

30. Independent or Quasi-Independent Agencies
Members serve for a fixed term and are more difficult to remove
Federal Reserve Board – 14 years
Consumer Product Safety Commission – 6 years
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – 5 years
Federal Communications Commission – 7 years
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – 6 years
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – 5 years
Federal Maritime Commission – 5 years
Federal Trade Commission – 7 years
National Labor Relations Board – 5 years
National Science Foundation – 6 years
Securities and Exchange Commission – 5 years
Tennessee Valley Authority – 9 years

31. Other Independent Agencies
Central Intelligence Agency
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Federal Elections Commission
National Archives and Records Administration
National Transportation Safety Board
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Securities and Exchange Commission
Social Security Administration

32. Departments and Agencies Jigsaw
Each Person must select one of the 15 Departments or one of the many Federal Agencies
Research your agencies using their .gov webpages and write a summary of their purpose
You also need to gather the following information:
Date created
Number of current employees
Current head of the department or agency
When you are finished researching, rotate and teach your classmates about the department or agency you were assigned.

33. Government By Proxy
The federal government pays state and local governments and private groups to administer federal programs
Social security
Medicare
Environmental protection
DMV
Covered California
Many times federal grants contribute money to the state and local bureaucracies to do the federal government’s work

34. Bureaucracy and Federalism
In the past, bureaucracy was not as big as it is now
The size of today’s bureaucracy is due to the New Deal after the Great Depression
The wave of cooperative federalism after the 1930s came with the idea that the federal government was expected to play an active role in solving social and economic problems
Social Security Administration is created
Federal Income Taxes are established
9/11 and the War on Terror has caused an even bigger growth in the bureaucracy
Department of Homeland Security
Growth in NSA programs

35. The size and Power of the Bureaucracy
The number of employees only matters if those employees are given important tasks to do
The power of the bureaucracy depends on their discretionary authority
The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies not spelled out in advance by laws
Congress has delegated authority in 3 areas:
Paying subsidies to groups and organizations (ie: farmers, veterans, scientists, schools, hospitals)
Transferring money from the federal to state and local governments (grants)
Devising and enforcing regulations for various sectors of society (ie: food, prescription drugs, etc)

36. How do you get a job in a federal agency?
Federal civil service is designed to be based on merit – competitive service
You have to pass a written exam or meet certain education/professional criteria
Only 3% of employees are appointed on grounds other than merit
By the President
Confidential Security Clearances
Most bureaucrats find the jobs themselves, apply, take an exam, and get hired
Others are hired on a name-request basis
Filled by a person whom an agency has already identified – the buddy system – they are referred from a friend in the system
Civil Service Exams and Jobs
USAJOBS Website

37. How to Fire a Bureaucrat
Written notice 30 days in advance
Written notice must contain statement of reasons, with specific examples
Right to have an attorney apply to the charges
Right to appeal any adverse action to the Merit Systems Protection Board
The Board must grant the employee a hearing
Employee can appeal the Board decision to a US Court of Appeals

38. Constraints on the Bureaucracy
Much greater constraints than on private businesses, including:
Before adopting new rule, agency must give notice, get comments and hold hearings about it
Citizens have the right to inspect all government records except those that could harm national security
Before affecting the environment, must issue an environmental impact statement
Every part of every agency meeting must be open to the public except national security
Congress usually splits tasks between multiple agencies
Drug trafficking – Customs, FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, DoD
Causes the following behaviors:
Government acts slowly
Government acts inconsistently
Easier to block action than to take action
Citizens will complain of red tape
The complex rules and procedures that must be followed to get anything done

39. Crash Course

40. Multiple Choice Practice
Which of the following is a member of the White House staff?
Chair of the Federal Reserve Board
National Security Advisor
Secretary of Commerce
Ambassador of the UN
Attorney General
Which of the following describes the primary formal role of the Attorney General
Providing legal advice for the president and cabinet secretaries
Serving as liaison between the president and the Supreme Court
Serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Justice
Directing the Government Accountability Office
Persuading the Senate to confirm the President’s judicial nominees

41. Iron Triangles – Must Know!
The relationship between an agency, a committee, and an interest group
Eg. Department of Veterans Affairs, House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs, and veterans’ organizations (like the American Legion)
The department does what the committees want and get political support/budget appropriations in return
The committee members do what interest groups want and in return get votes and campaign contributions

42. Congressional Committees
Issue networks
Interest Groups
Media
Congressional Committees
Think Tanks
Universities
Bureaucracy
A network of people in interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media who regularly discuss and advocate public policies

43. Congressional Oversight
Authorization Legislation – permission to begin or continue a government program or agency
Appropriations – Legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency
Trust Funds – Funds for government programs collected and spent outside the regular government budget
Legislative Veto – The authority of Congress to block a congressional action after it has taken place (Supreme Court said this power is unconstitutional)
Congressional Investigations – issuing subpoenas, holding hearings, charging individuals

44. The 5 major problems with Bureaucracy
Red Tape – complex rules and procedures
Conflict – some agencies are working at cross purposes with other agencies (one tells farmers to be more efficient, the other gives subsidies for growing less crops)
Duplication – 2 agencies that do the same thing (Customs and DEA both try to intercept narcotics)
Imperialism – tendency of agencies to grow without regard to the benefits that their programs confer (too big for their own good)
Waste – spending more than necessary ($30000 toilet seat)

45. Controlling Bureaucracies

46. Multiple Choice Practice
In the process and structure of public policy making, “iron triangles” refer to
Bargaining and negotiating process between the President and Congress about the direction of domestic policy
Dominance of corporate power in setting the national policy agenda for economic expansion
Interrelationship among federal, state, and local government in the policy process
Networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process
Group of presidential advisers who formulate the president’s foreign policy agenda
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Holding hearings for review of an executive agencies activities
Assisting constituents with particular problems
Reporting campaign contributions to the FEC
Signing trade agreements with other countries without the input of the President
Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership