The institution of the Presidency is made up of what 3 components?
1. the role of president
2. the powers at his/her disposal
3. large bureaucracy at their command
3 Requirements for the President
natural born citizen
at least 35 years old
must have resided in the U.S. for at least 14 years
Twenty-Second Amendment
limits presidents to 2 terms of office
What are the 2 roads to the White House?
1. elections
2. succession/impeachment
Impeachment
political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law
What are the steps taken to impeach a president?
1. the House votes for impeachment
2. the Senate tries the President w/ Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding
3. 2/3 vote by Senate removes the President from office
What 2 presidents have been impeached?
Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon
Watergate
the scandal surrounding a break in at the Democratic Natl Committee HQ in 1972 and the cover up of White House involvement, leading to the impeachment of President Nixon
25th Amendment
permits the Vice President to become acting president if the Vice President and cabinet decide the president is disabled; outlines how a recuperated president can reclaim the job
Plural Executive
Dividing responsibility for various areas of power or else as a functioning committee
What does enlarging the power of the presidency expand for the president?
presidential responsibilities
political resources
What views about the power of the President changed between the 50s/60s and the 1970s?
In the 1950s and 60s strong presidents were favored, but the 1970s the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal heightened distrust in the large scope of presidential power.
What two jobs does the Vice President have?
leader of the Senate
breaks ties in the Senate
Cabinet
a group of presidential advisors not mentioned in the Constitution; every President has had one; composed of 13 secretaries and an attorney general
National Security Council
committee that links the President's key foreign and military policy advisors
Council of Economic Advisors
advise the President on economic policy
Office of Management and Budget
performs both managerial and budgetary functions
Hierarchical Organization
the organization of the President's staff that puts the Chief of Staff at the top
Wheel-and-Spokes
system in which aides have equal status and are balanced against one another in the process of decision making
Chief Legislator
this Presidential title emphasizes the executive's importance in the legislative process
Veto
constitutional power of president to send a bill back to Congress w/ reasons for rejecting it
Pocket Veto
veto in Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the President who lets it die by signing or vetoing it
Line Item Veto
allows governors to veto particular portions of a bill
What are the President's 3 most useful resources?
party leadership
public support
legislative skills
What are the 3 parts of the President's resource of party leadership?
party bonds
slippage in support
leading
What are 4 legislative skills of the President?
bargaining
personal appeals
consulting w/ Congress
setting priorities
What does public approval give to the President?
Leadership, not command
Electoral Mandate
the perception that the voters strongly support the President's character and policies
The President has the leading role in what 2 policies?
Domestic and foreign
Executive Agreements
agreements that do not need ratification by the Senate; generally noncontroversial
What are 2 examples of an executive agreement?
SALT I
Vietnam peace agreement
What are the 5 roles of the President in terms of Nat'l Security?
Chief Diplomat
Commander in Chief
War Powers
Crisis Manager
Working with Congress
War Powers Resolution
passed in reaction to American fighting in Vietnam/Cambodia requiring the President to consult w/ Congress prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension; viewed as unconstitutional
Legislative Veto
the ability of Congress to pass a resolution to override a presidential decision
Crisis
a sudden, unpredictable, and potentially dangerous event requiring the President to play the role of crisis manager
"The 2 Presidencies"
commentator reference to a president's domestic polic and national security
What is the greatest source of influence a President has?
Public support
"Honeymoon" Period
fleeting phenomena in which the public affords new occupants of the White House only a short grace period before they begin their descent in the polls
"Bully Pulpit"
implication that presidents can persuade/mobilize the public to support their policies
Press Secretary
serves as conduit of information from the White House to the press