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DE US Government > Unit 4: Presidency > Flashcards

Unit 4: Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

What are the qualifications for the office of the President?

A

At least 35 years old, lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years, and a natural born U.S. citizen.

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2
Q

How long is the term of office for the President?

A

Four years.

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3
Q

What is the limit on the number of terms a President can serve?

A

Two terms, as per the Twenty-Second Amendment.

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4
Q

Can a Vice President serve as President for more than two additional years?

A

Yes, if they succeed to the office.

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5
Q

How can a President be removed from office?

A

Through impeachment if found guilty of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

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6
Q

What is the role of the Vice President and the majority of the Cabinet in declaring a President unable to discharge their duties?

A

They can declare the President unable to discharge their duties as per the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.

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7
Q

What happens if there is a vacancy (death, impeachment, resignation) in the Presidency?

A

The Vice President succeeds to the Presidency and serves out the current term.

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8
Q

What is the line of succession if both the President and Vice President positions are vacant?

A

It progresses to Congressional officers and then to the Cabinet.

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9
Q

What happens if there is a vacancy in the Vice Presidency?

A

The President can appoint a replacement as per the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, who must be confirmed by a majority of both houses of Congress.

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10
Q

What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?

A

They serve as the President of the Senate and break tie votes.

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11
Q

How are Vice Presidents selected?

A

They are selected by presidential candidates to balance the ticket and broaden its electoral appeal.

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12
Q

What is the term of office for the Vice President?

A

They are elected to the same term of office as the President.

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13
Q

How have modern Vice Presidents been different from their predecessors?

A

They are more active and have been given more responsibilities by Presidents.

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14
Q

What is the Appointment Power?

A

President’s authority to appoint various officials.

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15
Q

Who can the President appoint?

A

Ambassadors, Cabinet members, heads of independent agencies, federal judges, U.S. marshals, U.S. attorneys, officers in the armed forces.

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16
Q

What is the process for confirming appointments?

A

Senate confirmation is required.

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17
Q

Can the President remove officials he appoints?

A

Yes, except for Federal judges.

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18
Q

What is a recess appointment?

A

Temporary appointment made during a congressional recess.

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19
Q

What is the power to convene Congress?

A

Ability to call special sessions of Congress.

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20
Q

What is the President’s role in negotiating treaties?

A

Can negotiate treaties, but they must be ratified by 2/3 of the Senate.

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21
Q

What are executive agreements?

A

Non-binding agreements made by the President without Senate approval.

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22
Q

Who decides which countries legally exist?

A

The President.

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23
Q

What is the State of the Union address?

A

Speech given by the President to recommend or influence legislation.

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24
Q

What can the President do with bills passed by Congress?

A

Sign them into law or veto them.

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25
Q

What happens if the President vetoes a bill?

A

It can still become a law if 2/3 of both houses of Congress vote to override the veto.

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26
Q

What is a pocket veto?

A

When a bill sits on the President’s desk for 10 days and Congress is not in session, it dies.

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27
Q

What is the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief?

A

Can conduct wars, commit armed forces to peacekeeping duties, military advisor missions, and small-scale conflicts.

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28
Q

What is required for large-scale conflicts?

A

Either a declaration of war or Congress’ expressed consent.

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29
Q

What judicial powers does the President have?

A

Can grant pardons for Federal criminal offenses.

30
Q

What does a pardon do?

A

Frees a person from punishment and restores all citizenship rights.

31
Q

What is a reprieve?

A

Delays punishment for a specified amount of time.

32
Q

What is commutation?

A

Reduces the punishment’s severity.

33
Q

What is executive privilege?

A

Right not to hand over documents or testify regarding confidential executive branch business. Limits are undefined, but it is not absolute.

34
Q

What were the factors that contributed to the growth of presidential power?

A

Skilled leaders, Jacksonian Democracy, crises, mass communication media

35
Q

What were the factors that contributed to the shrinking of presidential power?

A

Weak presidents

36
Q

What is the Stewardship theory of presidential power?

A

President can do everything not specifically outlawed by the Constitution or law

37
Q

What is the Taftian theory of presidential power?

A

President is strictly limited to powers granted in the Constitution

38
Q

What is the role of the Cabinet in the presidential establishment?

A

Secretaries who help the President make decisions and enforce the law

39
Q

What role do First Ladies play in the presidential establishment?

A

They use media attention to campaign for important issues

40
Q

What is the Executive Office of the President (EOP)?

A

Councils of advisors like the NSC and Council of Economic Advisors

41
Q

Who are the members of the White House Staff?

A

Administrative and personal assistants

42
Q

What is the role of the White House Chief of Staff?

A

Controls day-to-day access to the President

43
Q

Who are typically the President’s closest advisors?

A

White House Staff members

44
Q

Who Should Make Policy?

A

Presidentialist view: Constitution gives the Pres. broad discretionary powers. Congressionalist view: Pres. should execute Congress’ laws and nothing more.

45
Q

Which viewpoint do most presidents subscribe to?

A

Presidents mostly subscribe to the Presidentialist viewpoint.

46
Q

When does a president’s ability to make policy decline?

A

A president’s ability to make policy successfully tends to decline over time, bottoming out during the lame-duck period between the election and inauguration of a new president.

47
Q

What makes it difficult for presidents to make policy?

A

Divided government (different parties control the Presidency and Congress) & party polarization (parties in extreme disagreement) are difficult times for Presidents trying to make policy.

48
Q

What challenge may presidents face with civil service employees/bureaucrats?

A

Civil service employees/bureaucrats (who can’t be fired) may not cooperate with the President’s policies.

48
Q

What is the role of the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) in the budget process?

A

Through the OMB, the President is able to establish government priorities for discretionary spending programs.

49
Q

Who prepares the annual Federal Budgets?

A

The OMB prepares the annual Federal Budgets.

50
Q

What is the role of Congress in the budget process?

A

Congress makes changes to the budget, but the budget serves as the “blueprint” for what programs receive funding & how much.

51
Q

What limits the President’s control over the budget?

A

Two-thirds of the Federal Budget is mandatory spending programs (entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.; required spending).

52
Q

Why do budgets often have deficit spending?

A

Since entitlements are growing & popular (and raising taxes isn’t), budgets routinely have deficit spending, forcing the gov. to borrow money.

53
Q

What happens when the government borrows money for deficit spending?

A

The interest payments on the borrowed money become more mandatory spending.

54
Q

What power do presidents have in terms of regulation?

A

Presidents have the power to issue rules & regulations to executive agencies known as executive orders, which have the same effect as laws.

55
Q

What is the requirement for executive orders to be valid?

A

Executive orders are supposed to bear some relation to existing laws.

56
Q

Where are disputes over executive orders settled?

A

Disputes over executive orders must be settled in the Supreme Court.

57
Q

Why do most people want to avoid settling disputes over executive orders in the Supreme Court?

A

Settling disputes in the Supreme Court is a long, expensive, drawn-out process.

58
Q

What is the role of the President as Chief Legislator?

A

Presidents set Congress’ agenda with proposed bills.

59
Q

How can Presidents win support for their programs through patronage and party ties?

A

By doing official favors for influential people or seeking help from important members of their political party.

60
Q

What are some ways Presidents can win support through their style?

A

By playing up their ‘common man’ status or showcasing the grandeur of the office.

61
Q

Why is leadership important for Presidents to win support?

A

Americans respect strong, decisive Presidents and their confidence can be contagious.

62
Q

What is ‘The Power to Persuade’ and why is it important for a President?

A

It refers to a President’s ability to convince others to support their agenda, which ultimately determines their success or failure.

63
Q

What does it mean for a President to ‘go public’?

A

It means using the ‘bully pulpit’ to gain support from the people and put pressure on Congress.

64
Q

How has technology affected a President’s ability to ‘go public’?

A

Technology has made it easier to reach the public, but harder to capture their attention.

65
Q

When does ‘going public’ work effectively?

A

It works when Congress opposes a policy that is clearly favored by the American public.

66
Q

What typically happens to a President’s approval ratings over time?

A

Most Presidents start with high approval ratings during their ‘honeymoon period’, but ratings gradually erode due to divisive actions.

67
Q

What is the ‘expectations gap’ in relation to Presidential approval ratings?

A

It is the difference between what the people expect from the President and what the President can deliver, which grows over time and leads to falling approval ratings.

68
Q

What are some factors that can decrease a President’s approval ratings?

A

Scandals, bad economic conditions, and prolonged foreign policy crises/wars.

69
Q

What are some factors that can increase a President’s approval ratings?

A

Effective use of media (‘spin’), good economic conditions, foreign policy crises/wars (short term ‘rally effect’), and reelection campaigns.

DE US Government (11 decks)

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