Chapter 14: The Presidency Flashcards
(125 cards)
0
Q
Unified government
A
The same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress
1
Q
Divided government
A
One party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
2
Q
Gridlock
A
The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government
3
Q
Electoral college
A
The people chosen to cast each state’s votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect a representative or senator.
4
Q
Pyramid structure
A
A presidents subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff
5
Q
Circular structure
A
Several of the president’s assistants report directly to him
6
Q
Ad hoc structure
A
Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters
7
Q
Cabinet
A
The heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government
8
Q
Bully pulpit
A
The president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public
9
Q
Veto message
A
A message from the president to congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced by within ten says of the bill’s passage
10
Q
Pocket veto
A
A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns
11
Q
Line-item veto
A
An executive’s ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
12
Q
Legislative veto
A
The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power
13
Q
Impeachment
A
Charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives
15
Q
Lame duck
A
A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection
16
Q
Who is the chief executive in a parliamentary system and how are they chosen?
A
The prime minister
they are chosen by the legislature
stay in power as long as their party has majority or their coalition holds
17
Q
Who tends to be outsiders: Presidents or Prime Ministers?
A
Presidents
want to be away form the mess in Washington
18
Q
True or False: The preisdent most often chooses MoCs to be part of the cabinet
A
False
can’t have sitting members hold office in exec
19
Q
True or false: Prime ministers most often choose members from parliamnet
A
true
this is how they exert control over Parliament
20
Q
Do presidents have guaranteed majorities in the legislature?
A
no #dividedgovernment
21
Q
True or False: when the US has unified government, the pres can often get a lot done
A
false still lots of inability to get things done
22
Q
True or False: americans say they don’t like divided government
A
true
23
Q
True or false: Divided governments do about as well in passing important laws, conducting important investigations, and ratifying significant treaties
A
true
24
Q
Why do divided governments tend to produce as much important legislation as unified ones?
A
unified gov isn’t real [lots of intraparty issues]
constitution set up-pres and Congress rivals for powerrrrrrrrrrrr and in policy-making
25
When is there [actually] unified government?
when the same ideological wing of the same party has control over both branches of gov
ex. FDR LBJ
26
How could we fix gridlock?
change the constituion to be parliamentary
| vote in MoCs that always agree with the Pres on everything
27
Do people split tickets on purpose?
maybe
| research is unclear
28
True or false: gridlock needs to of a system of representative democracy
```
Trueeeee
system causes delays
instensifies deliberation
forces comp
requires creation of broad based coalitions
```
29
True or false: gridlock is a necessary consequence of direct democracy
falseeeeeee
| direct dmeocracy is about efficiency and minimizing fuss
30
True or false: the framers only feared monarchy
falseeeee
| anarchy
31
Did ALexander Hamilton want a strong executive?
yes
| ger wanted an elective monarchy
32
Who wanted the executive like we have now?
Wilsonnnnn
33
What were the concerns of the framers over the presidency?
President could use militia to overpower state government
others didn't want him to become a tool of the senate
didn't want him to stay in office forever because he could like bribe perople
34
True or false: the framers thought elections would be thrown to the House of Representatives all the time
True
35
Why doesn't Congress elect the president?
Congress could dominate an honest or lazy prez
| or a scheming prez could dominate congress
36
What did the framers would think would happen with the electoral college?
people would vote for like their favorite kids and their would be no majority and of course the House of Representatives would decide
37
How many terms can the president serve?
two
| 22 amendment
38
True or false: people were originally hostile to parties
true
| remember Washington's farewell address
39
What were the important things the national gov had to do early in history?
like currency and debt
| hang out with England and France
40
With the first presidents what was most important in appointments?
community status
| partisanship rose up but community opinion was super important
41
Can a president's likeness appear on a coin or currency at any time?
no ,only after death
42
How did Jackson's vetoes differ from earlier presidents?
they were not just based on constitutionality also policy
43
True or false: jackson made for a strong presidency
true
| however, Congress reasserted power after
44
Who really stepped up the use of presidential powers-- especially implied ones?
Lincoln
45
Up until the new deal (from Lincoln minus WIlson and Rooselevlt) what characterized the presidency?
a negative force
| just in opposition to Congress
46
In the past, when was the presidency powerful?
Personality or war
47
From Eisenhower to Reagan, who often took the lead in setting the legislative agenda?
Congress
48
True or False: generally, congress proposes, the presidents disposes, and the two struggle it out
true
49
Powers of the president alone
```
serve as commander in chier
commission officers of the armed forces
grant reprieces and pardons for deferal offenses (expect impeachment)
Convene Congress in Special sessions
receive ambassadors
take care that laws are faithfully executed
wield executive power
appoint officials to lesser offices
```
50
Powers of the President That are shared with senate
make treaties
| appoint ambassadors judges, and high officials
51
Powers of the President shared with Congress in general
approve legislation
52
Does the list of presidential powers look impressive?
ig intrepreted alone and narrowly, nope
53
What did Woodrow Wilson say a president needed to do to succeeed?
obey Congress and not die
54
What is one of the most elastically interpreted phrases in the Constitution>
duty of "take care that the laws be faithgully executed"
55
Where is greatest source of presidential power found>
oublic opinion
56
rule of propinquity
power is wielded by people who arei n the room when a decision is made
57
What are the three degrees of propinquity?
White House Office, Executive Office, and the cabinet
58
Do members of the white house staff need to be confirmed?
no
59
Evaluation of Pyramid Structure
orderly flow of info and and decisions
| may isolate prezzzz
60
Evaluation of Circular Method
pres gets info but there may confusion and conflict amongst others
61
Evaluation of ad hoc structure
flexibility and less bureaucratic inertia
| can cut prez off from gov officials who are responsible for things
62
where are members of senior white house staff usually from?
campaign (sometimes exprets)
63
are special assistants to the prez high status?
nope
64
Is access to the president important?
yesss
| influence policy and things like that
65
Executive Office of The Pres
agencies report directly to the President
| members may be bffs with hhim or her
66
Principal agencis in the executive office
```
Management and Budget
National Intelligence
Economic Advisers
Personal Management
US Trade Representatives
```
67
What is the most important agency in the Executive Office?
```
Office of Management and Budget OMB
look at figures in Budget
studies the executive branch
looks at ways of getting better info
reviews proposals
more than 500 people
nonpartisan in past
```
68
Do the president and cabinet meet all the tiem?
nope
| they used to
69
Who are cabinet members?
generally heads of major executive departments
70
What does the age of agencies affect?
protocol
71
Who appoints/controls more members of the Cabinet prez or PMs?
prez
| has to make up for separation of powers
72
Are cabinet members more representatives of the president to the agency or of the agency to the prez?
agency to the president
73
What are the advantages of making appointments?
reward friends
74
What are the differences and similarities between an executive and independent agency?
similarity: can appoint to both
executive- serve at pleasure of pres, removed at discretion
independent- fixed terms of office, can only be removed for cause
75
acting appointee
holds office until senate acts on nomination
76
Where do cabinet officers and deputies come from?
like think tanks and wherever
some prior fed experience
generally alternate between public and private sector #revolvingdoor
in past, strong political followings of their own, now, expertise.administrative exp
need to recognize politically important groups regions and organizations
77
Why is there tension between White House staff and department heads?
```
politics comes into appointments and heads of organizations adopt organizations ideas
staff- extension of president
deaprtment- expert knowledge
president wants this- staffer
be quiet youth- cabinet
I have an idea - cabinet
prez is bust - staffer
```
78
Does personality plat a role in explaining the presidency?
```
yes
Eisenhower- organized
Kennedy- bold
Johnson- deal maker
Nixon- intelligent, suspicion
Ford- chatty
Carter- detail personality outsider
Reagan- broad picture
HW Bush- hands on manger
clinton- informal
Bush- tight ship
```
79
Does the president need to rely on presuasion?
yes
80
What audiencse does the prez aim persuasive powers at?
wash DC leaders and politicians
party activists- partisan grassroots want pres to like roll out their agenda
the public
81
True or false; to avoid messing up, presidents tend to speak less
true
82
Why wouldn't a MoC support the president?
most secure in seats
don't need to fear bosses
can't reward or penalize MoCs
83
Are Congress members affected by prez pop?
yess
in passing lefislation
more popular, more stuff gets done
but this is just correlational (after all, big v small bill)
84
Is it easy to predict presidential popularity?
nopeee it can be influenced by factors that people don't know about
85
Doe s popularity increase or decrease with time in office
decrease highest at the beginning
86
Presidential honeymoon
president's love affair with the people and Congress can be consummated
most popular
ex. FDR
87
How would you describe the presidential power of persuasion>
qimportant but limited
88
executive privilege
the right to withhold information that Congress may want to obtain from the president or his subordinates
89
Does a bill need a president's signature to become law?
no, if it isn't signed or vetoed in ten days and Congress is in session it becomes law
90
Does the president have the power of a line item veto?
nope
91
enhanced recission
cancel parts of a spending bill without vetoeing the whole bill
but unconstitutional
92
Can Congress often overturn vetoes?
no
93
What often happens to vetoed bills?
they are revised and passed
94
Does the Constitution say whether or not the president needs to divulde private communications?
nope
95
What is the basis for executive privilege?
separation of powers
MYOB Congress
statecraft confidential advice couldn't be obtained if it would be exposed to the public
no challenge for like 200 years
96
United States v Nixon
is a basis for executive privilege but no absolute immunity
still judicial processes
can't mess up court function
97
Impoundment of Funds
prez doesn't spend money allocated
98
Clinton Law suit
prez can be sued
other officials can't claim executive privilege in defense
weakened the officials with whom prez can speak
99
Budget Reform Act of 1974
President has to spend appropriated funds unless he tells congress what he doesn't want to spend and Congress is fine with it
if he wants to delat spending, he just needs to Congress (but Congress can say no)
100
What sources will a president use to put together a program?
intrest groups
aides and campaign advisers
Federal bureaus and agencies
Outside, academic, and other specialists and experts
101
Pros and cons of using interest groups to put together a program
pro: specific plans and ideas
weakness: narrow view of pub interest
102
Pros and cons of using aides and campaign advisers to put together a program
pro test ideas for political soundness
| con not too may ideas to test/not experienced in gov
103
Pros and cons of using federal bureaus and agencies to put together a program
pro know what is feasible for gov
reality princriple
con will propose plans that promote own agencies
don't know whether they will work
104
Pros and cons of using outside, academic, and other specialists and experts to put together a program
pro: many general ideas and criticisms of programs
con: won't know details of policy or what is feasible
105
What are the two ways to develop a program?
have a policy on everything
or
concentrate on a couple initiatives or themes and let others handle everything else
106
How do presidents assess opinion?
leak things and float ideas
107
What are the constraints a president faces in planning programs?
limit of time and attention span
unexpected crisis
fed gov and budget can only be changed marginally except in special cirumstances
108
Do presidents have to be selective about what they want?
yess
only so much politcal capital
have to be ready for crisis
109
What resources do the presidents have to devote most time to>?
economy and foreign affairs
110
Trustee approach
do what do what the public good requires, even with skeptical voters
111
Delegate model
do what your constituents want
112
What is another use of polls besides deciding on policy?
coming up with language to sell policies and explain it
113
What item has been on like every presidential agenda since hoover?
reorganizing executive branch
114
Why do presidents reorganize?
it easier to get something done by creating new agencies or reorganizing old ones than by abolishing programs or firing people or passing laws
115
When does Congress have to give permission for reorganization?
```
when it is for important ways of the larger Executive office or departments or agencies
#ReorganizationAct
wait nvm this is no longer valid
```
116
Does the president truly act as a president when they assume their power?
yes
117
Is the Vice Presidency a good vehicle to the presidency>
no
118
What is the Vice Presidency?
"an empty job"
119
What is the job of the VP?
preside over senate and vote in case of a tie but like Pres pro temp often presides
at best, adviser to Pres
120
What are the problems with having a secretary of state take over in line succession?
could choose own successor
121
What are the issues with having Speaker of Pro Temp?
may not have exec skill/ may be in opp party
122
25 Amend
Vp acting pres when pres is unable to do the stuff or VP and cabinet say they can't
if there is disagreement, congress decides
Vp nominates a new VP, who is confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress
123
How can a president be removed?
impeached offiver convicted by a 2/3 senate vote presided by Chief Justice
124
Independent Counsel`
investigated high ranking officials
125
How do presidents deal with political problems?
move it or lose it: do things early in term
avoid details: focus on priorities
cabinets don't get much done, people do dinf capable subordinates, give them clear jobs, and watch
