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Powers Of The President Flashcards

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1
Q

Johnson’s quote on the power of the president

A

The only power i’ve got is nuclear and i’m not allowed to use that

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2
Q

List the formal powers of the president

A 
Proposing legislation
Signing bills into law
Vetoing legislation
Nominating executive branch officials
Nominating federal judges
Act as chief executive
Acting as commander in chief
Negotiating treaties
Pardons
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3
Q

What powers does the president have concerning legislation

A

Proposing
Signing
Veto

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4
Q

What is the president’s annual address to congress called

A

State of the Union

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5
Q

What appointment powers does the President have

Give 2 examples

A

Appointing cabinet members
Biden - Yellen (treasury), Garland (AG) Blinken (state)
Trump - Pompeo (state) Mattis (defence)
Obama - clinton (state)

Appointing federal judges inc supreme court
Obama - Sotomayor & Kagan
Trump - Gorsuch, Kavanaugh & Coney Barrett
Biden - Jackson

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6
Q

What foreign policy powers does the president have

A

Negotiating treaties

Acting as commander in chief

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7
Q

How is the Vice President elected

A

On the same ticket as the president

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8
Q

What happens if the vice presidency falls vacant

A

President nominates and then senate confirms with simple majority

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9
Q

What are the 2 main powers of the vice president

A

Holding the casting vote if there is a tied senate
Becoming president should president die, resign or become incapacitated eg
Johnson when Kennedy was assassinated
Ford when Nixon resigned

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10
Q

What does the phrase “institutionalised by useage alone” mean

A

Fenno’s quote about cabinet

Means used because it is used

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11
Q

What is the cabinet

A

Advisory group selected by the president to aid him in making decisions

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12
Q

Who makes up the cabinet and how are they appointed

A

15 executive department heads
Plus others the president designates eg US trade representative
Must be confirmed by senate

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13
Q

Give 3 reasons why cabinet meetings are important

A

Contains some of the most important people in the executive branch
All heads of executive departments are members
President always chairs the meetings
Some presidents hold frequent meetings (Reagan & Trump)
Can fulfill other functions eg engender team spirit/exchange info

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14
Q

Give 3 reasons why cabinet is not important

A

Article II vests all executive power in the president
No doctine of collective responsibility
Members are neither president’s equals or rivals
President often veiws members of the cabinet with suspicion (divided loyalty)
EXOP main source of advice giving to the president

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15
Q

Why do so few cabinet members come from congress

A

Have to resign from congress to take up role

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16
Q

Where else do presidents look when recruiting their cabinet

A

Former members of congress
State governors
Big city mayors
Academia

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17
Q

In what ways do presidents seeks to appoint a balanced cabinet - and does this work

A 
Race
Gender
Region
Age
Ideology

Not always - trumps cabinet was old, white wealthy men

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18
Q

What functions can cabinet meetings serve for the president

A

Engender team spirit
Promote collegiality
Exchange information
Debate/ promote policy esp on big ticket items

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19
Q

What functions can cabinet meetings serve for cabinet members

A

Get to know collegues
Resolve interdepartmental disputes
Speak to the president

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20
Q

What is EXOP

A

Executive office of the the president

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21
Q

When was EXOP established and how big was it

A

1939 - 4 offices

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22
Q

Why has EXOP expanded so much

A

By 2017 comprised 12 office

Because the president must address many more policy areas

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23
Q

What are the 3 most important offices within EXOP

A

White House Office
Office of Management & budget
National security council

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24
Q

Who makes up the white house staff

A

Trusted aides and advisers

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25
What is the job of the white house office
Liaison between white house and federal bureucracy | Staff meant to act as neutral honest brokers not partisan policy makers
26
What is the job of the white house chief of staff
Door keeper of the oval office Decides for the president whom he sees, what he reads, who speaks to him Should act as someone who sometimes takes the blame for the president if things go wrong Potentially the most powerful person in the white house after the president
27
What is the office of management & budget
To advise the president on the allocation of federal funds in the annual budget To over see the spending of all federal departments and agencies To act as a clearing house for all legislative and regulatory initiatives coming from the president
28
What are the function of the NSC
``` Headed by national security adviser NSC coordinates information coming to the president from state department defence department CIA joint chiefs of staff US ambassadors ```
29
What is the EXOP
Umbrella term for the top staff agencies in the white house who advise the president
30
How many offices made up EXOP in 2017
12
31
What are the checks that congress has on the president’s power to propose legislation
Amend, delay or reject legislation
32
What are the checks that congress has on the president’s power to veto legislation
Override the veto by 2/3 majority in both houses
33
What are the checks that congress has on the president’s power to nominate executive officials and federal judges
Senate must confirm by simple majority
34
What are the checks that congress has on the president’s power to negotiate treaties
Senate must ratify 2/3 majority
35
Example of proposing legislation
2018 State of the Union - Trump proposed immigration crackdown, increasing nuclear arsenal and keeping guantanamo bay open 2021 and 2022 State of the Union - Biden proposed passing of Build Back Better Act
36
Example of signing Bills into law
Obama ACA March 2010 Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Jan 2009 Trump Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Dec 2017 CARES Act March 2020 - $2.2 trillion covid relief Biden The American Rescue Plan Act March 2021 $1.9 trillion covid relief Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & jobs act nov 2021
37
How can congress overturn an executive order and what might happen
Congress can pass a bill to block the executive order President might then veto that bill Congress can override veto with 2/3 majority both houses
38
How can supreme court override a presidential executive order
Can declare it unconstitutional
39
How many executive orders did obama make
276
40
How many executive orders did Trump make
220
41
In his first 100 days how many executive orders did Biden make
60 - 24 revoking Trump policies like travel ban
42
From Presidents Washington to Trump roughly how many presidential vetos have been used
More than 1500
43
How many vetos did clinton use
36
44
How many vetos did obama use
12
45
How many vetos did Trump use
10
46
Name an occasion when congress overrode a presidential veto
2016 obama vetoed justice against sponsors of terrorism act but congress overrode it
47
Give an example of a successful presidential veto
Clinton - Bankruptcy reform Act Dec 2000 | Trump - Driftnet Modernisation and Bycatch Jan 2021
48
What is a pocket veto
``` One used at the end of the legislative session - bills that have not been signed are simply lost This can not be overriden by congress George HW Bush used 15 Clinton 1 George W Bush, Obama, Trump used 0 ```
49
Name a secretary of state under obama
Clinton
50
Name a secretary of state under Trump
Pompeo
51
Name a secretary of state under Biden
Blinken
52
Name a Treasury Secretary under Biden
Yellen
53
Name the AG under Trump
Sessions
54
Name the AG under Biden
Garland
55
What else is important about Merrick Garland
He was obama’s choice for the supreme court in 2016 but his nomination was blocked by republicans who controlled the senate
56
Name judges nominated to the supreme court by obama
Sotomayor Kagan Garland (failed to be confirmed)
57
Name the judges nominated to the supreme court by trump
Gorsuch Kavanaugh Coney Barrett
58
Name judges nominated to the supreme court by biden
Jackson
59
Give an example of Where Roosevelt acted as commander in chief
2WW
60
Give an example of Where Truman acted as commander in chief
Korea
61
Give an example of Where Kennedy acted as commander in chief
Cuba
62
Give an example of Where Johnson acted as commander in chief
Vietnam
63
Give an example of Where Nixon acted as commander in chief
Vietnam
64
Give an example of Where Reagan acted as commander in chief
End of cold war
65
Give an example of Where George H W Bush acted as commander in chief
First gulf war
66
Give an example of Where George W Bush acted as commander in chief
Afganistan & Iraq
67
Give an example of Where Obama acted as commander in chief
Iraq, Afganistan, syria and Libya
68
Give an example of when Trump acted as commander in chief
Much less interventionist | Syria
69
Give an example of Where Biden acted as commander in chief
Withdrawal of troops from afganistan
70
Which branch of the legislature has power to declare war
Congress so NOT the president by themselves
71
How many times has congress declared war
11
72
When was the last time congress declared war
1941
73
Give an example of when Presidents have made war against other countries without Congress declaring war
George Bush Afganistan or Iraq | Johnson in vietnam
74
Give 2 examples of treaties negotiated by presidents
START - proposed by Reagan and signed by Bush in 1991 Chemical Weapons Ban - Bush 1990 New START - obama in 2011
75
What majority is required to ratify a treaty in senate
2/3
76
How many treaties has congress rejected in the 20th century and name one
7 Treaty of Versailles 1920 Comprehensive test ban treaty 1999
77
Examples of presidential pardons
Ford pardoned Nixon over Watergate Clinton pardoned 140 people on his last day including husband of a major donor Trump pardoned close associates Stone and Manafort

Politics US - New (5 decks)

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