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Politics Paper 3 > 3.4 Interpretations and debates on US Presidency > Flashcards

3.4 Interpretations and debates on US Presidency Flashcards

1
Q

2

Give an example of Bill Clinton failing to achieve his aims

A
  • Failed to fulfill campaign promise to end discrimation against gay people in military
  • Compromise policy ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ satisfied neither side
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1
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Give an example of Bill Clinton achieving his aims

A
  • Supported trilateral trade bloc with Canada and Mexico
  • Won bipartisan support in both House and Senate for NAFTA Implementation Act 1993 (ratification deadline had expired)
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2
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2

Give an example of George W Bush achieving his aims

A
  • Sought No Child Left Behind policy to expand equality of opportunity
  • No Child Left Behind Act 2001 increased funding for federal education by $13.5bn
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3
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3

Give an example of George W Bush not achieving his aims

A
  • Promised FP with no nation building
  • Invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq would seek to create liberal democracies
  • National crisis of 9/11 changed entire agenda
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4
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1

Give an example of Obama achieving his aims

A
  • Obamacare - expanded healthcare insurance
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5
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1

Give an example of Obama failing to achieve his aims

A
  • Failed to close Guantanamo Bay
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6
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1

Give an example of Trump achieving his aims

A
  • Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - $2trn tax reductions
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7
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1

Give an example of Trump failing to achieve his aims

A
  • Failed to fully build Mexico-border wall
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8
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1

Give an example of Biden achieving his aims

A
  • Appointed Black female SC justice (Ketanji Brown Jackson) in 2022
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9
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1

Give an example of Biden failing to achieve his aims

A
  • Continued construction of Trump wall
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10
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2

Describe an imperial presidency

A
  • Overly powerful presidency due to unused or ineffective checks and balances from other branches
  • President may evade congressional checks through issuing executive orders
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11
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2

Describe an imperilled presidency

A
  • President struggles to excercise constutional powers due to overly-effective checks and balances
  • ‘lame duck’
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12
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3

Describe a formal ‘lame duck’ President

A
  • Period between November Presidential Election and January inaugration
  • Either lost re-election or new President elected after end of 2-term limit of incumbent
  • Lost electoral mandate, so excercise essentially no constitutional powers
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13
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2

What determines whether a presidency is imperilled or imperial

A
  • The factors that determine the relationship between the President and Congress/SC

Essentially the same as ‘describe the argument that the President is the most powerful branch of government’, but add in a greater consideration of how these factors (e.g. electoral mandate) change over time

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14
Q

3

Give examples of the imperial presidency under Obama

A
  • Executive orders of DACA and DAPA for immigration reform
  • commutation of Chelsea Manning sentence
  • used recess appointments following Congress’ refusal to ratify some of his nominations
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15
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1

Give an example of the imperial presidency under Trump

A
  • Claimed executive priviledge several times to protect information from January 6 Committee
16
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2

Give examples of the imperial presidency under Biden

A
  • used ‘drawdown authority’ to provide military assistance for Ukraine
  • used veto 10 times
17
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3

Give examples of an imperilled presidency under Obama

A
  • Congress refused to pass immigration reform bills
  • SC ruled extension to DACA and DAPA policy was unconstitutional - USA v Texas 2016
  • SC struck down Obama use of recess appointments in 2014
18
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2

Give examples of an imperilled presidency under Trump

A
  • Trump had to divert $3.8bn of defence budget spending to fund border wall after House refusal to fund project
  • Bipartisan agreement in Congress led to override of Trump’s final veto during formal ‘lame duck’ period
19
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2

How does the policy focus of the President generally change throughout their term

A
  • Years 1-2 - domestic focus
  • Years 3-4 - FP focus
20
Q

3 - (3) (4) (3)

Describe the argument that Congress controls FP, not the President

A
  • Constitution grants significant powers
    • Treaties, appointments subject to Senate confirmation
    • Presidential power in aid or troop deployment subject to Congress willingness to allocate funding
    • difficult for President to enact controversial FP, especially during divided government
  • FP shaped by public opinion
    • Congress more responsive to public opinion due to shorter election cycle
    • especially prevalent during election year where Congress members more concerned with re-election than placating President’s contoversial FP
    • accentuated by media focus which shapes opinion
    • President may therefore request congressional support to increase legitimacy
  • Checks power through Committee system
    • committees investigate issues with influential recommendations e.g. Benghazi
    • expertise of Senate Foreign Relations Committee makes it more confident in challenging President’s FP
    • approval or rejection of funding proposals puts pressure on President
21
Q

4 - (3) (3) (3)

Describe the argument that the President controls FP, not Congress

A
  • Formal/informal powers to bypass Congress
    • can deploy troops in active combat without congressional approval (do not declare war)
    • makes key appointments e.g. Director of CIA
    • Congress unlikely to refuse funding for already deployed troops due to fear of media backlash
  • SC confirms President’s powers
    • SC ruled that executive agreements hold same legal status as treaties
    • therefore Presidents increasingly using executive agreements which bypass 2/3 ratification by Senate
    • without fear of being deemed unconstitutional
  • President hugely influences legislative agenda
    • Congress deferential during national crises e.g. Patriot Act 2001
    • Committee recommendations can be ignored
    • power of veto e.g. Obama - Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act 2016
22
Q

3

Give an example of a Treaty rejected by the Senate

A
  • Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (1999) - ban nuclear weapon testing
  • 48-51 defeat
  • GOP controlled Senate
23
Q

1

Give an example of the President obtaining approval for military action

A
  • Iraq Resolution 2002 - authorised use of military forces against Iraq government for Operation Iraqi Freedom
24
Q

3

Describe the outcome of the United States House Select Committee on Benghazi

A
  • Terrorist attack against killed American diplomats and CIA contractors
  • Published 2016 (election year)
  • Criticised Secretary Clinton for failing to recognise inadequacy of secuirty measures
25
Q

2

Describe the USMCA

A
  • Successor to NATO
  • 2020, bipartisan Senate ratified by 89-10
26
Q

2

Describe the powers of the President derived from the Commander in Chief of the Army (with examples)

A
  • Conduct military action (not war) – e.g. drone strike on Qasem Soleimani (Iranian military general)
  • Hold power to move troops - all 21st C Presidents, including Biden, have moved troops to Mexico border
27
Q

3

How has the President’s powers over FP increased in recent times?

A
  • Development of modern weaponry (drones, cyber-attacks, nuclear weapons)
  • Decline of conventional war
  • Increasing usage of exec agreements/orders (e.g. Paris Climate Agreement)
28
Q

1

Give an example of a President bypassing congressional approval for military action (Clinton)

A
  • Clinton - bombing in Kosovo conducted without congressional authorisation
29
Q

2

Give an example of a President bypassing congressional approval for trade agreements (Trump)

A
  • Used executive order to pull the US out of TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership)
  • Signed exec order to renegotiate NAFTA
30
Q

4

Describe relations with Cuba under Obama and Trump

A
  • Obama - restored diplomatic relations with Cuba through presidential policy directive and exec order (e.g. lifting sanctions)
  • Trump repealed this
  • Re-designated Cuba as sponsor of terrorism in ‘lame duck’ period (Jan 2021)
  • Powerful over FP even when supposedly imperilled
31
Q

3 - (4) (3) (3)

Describe the argument that the rise of presidentialism has reduced federalism

A
  • Increasing use of informal powers that affect states
    • more executive orders to bypass Congress and states (‘rule by decree’)
    • states struggle to resist federal agency expansion, especially when popular
    • not subject to checks and balances in constitution
    • SC appeals are costly and timely
  • Increase in federal spending
    • increases due to economic crises, yet Presidents have continued change
    • e.g. IRA 2022
    • little consultation of states
  • Presidents hold extensive domestic platforms
    • enforced national policy in areas that contradict state rights
    • vagueness in constitution
    • e.g. Obamacare
32
Q

3 - (3) (2) (2)

Describe the argument that the rise of presidentialism has not reduced federalism

A
  • Constitution enshrines state powers
    • 10th amendment allows states to assume powers not explicitly granted to states
    • states challenge govt action on range of issues, even when President circumvents executive action
    • SC cases e.g. NFIB v Sebellius, Dobbs confirmed state rights
  • States have considerable power over restricting federal spending
    • may diminish federal programmes e.g. sanctuary cities
    • 9 states lack income tax
  • Growth of presidential action over states a temporary phenomenon
    • reactive to national crises, rather than attack on state rights
    • e.g. federal stimulus packages during COVID

Politics Paper 3 (34 decks)

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