USA - 1 Branch Dominating Goverment Decision Making Flashcards
Power of appointment - dominating
the President is able to nominate public officials (e.g. a member of the Supreme Court) to be appointed if there is a vacant placement. These officials would be more likely to reflect the President’s own opinions.
An example of the Executive branch using this power is when President Joe Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. (2022)
What branch of government is the president?
The executive branch
Power of appointment limited dominance
the President can only suggest a candidate, and his choices require all branches to agree that the candidate is fully qualified for the position.
An example of this is that in 2020, President Trump nominated Judy Shelton as a candidate for the Federal Reserve Board but was blocked by the Senate after the majority believed she was not fit for the role.
Veto, dominating government
the president can prevent bills from being passed.
Evidence of this is that the senate sustained Biden’s veto on the control of air pollution from new motor vehicles in June 2023
Veto - not dominating
the presidential veto can be overruled and therefore the president is not fully in control and does not have the real final say.
Evidence of this is that after Trump vetoed a $740b bill to fund defence policy for a year, 2/3 of the senate voted to override the veto therefore Trump was not able to stop the bill from passing into law.
Executive orders - dominating
the President is able to issue directives on issues that they feel strongly about.
An example of this is when President Joe Biden issued an executive order to release documents on 9/11 to the public when this information was formerly classified by congress.
Executive orders not dominating
Congress and the Supreme Court is able to block any order if they deem it unconstitutional.
An example of this is when Trump’s travel ban was altered by the Supreme Court from 27 to 6 countries in 2017.
Commander in chief - dominating
the president is the main person in charge of the US army, navy, airforce and is responsible for selecting and replacing military officers.
Evidence of this is that Trump ordered a drone strike in Pakistan to kill the leader of the Taliban Akhatar Mansour in 2016.
Commander in chief - limited domination
congress has to approve the military budget suggested by the president before it goes through.
Evidence of this is that Congress recently passed the NDAA (National Defence Authorisation Act) worth $886 billion.
