Presidency

Question 1

What constitutional roles does the President have?

outlined in Article 2, Sections 1-3

Answer 1

They are:
Chief Executive: Makes policies, control of bureaucracy, cabinet, budget and agencies such as CIA appointments
Commander in Chief: Control of Armed Forces
Head of State: Appointment of ambassadors, Emergency Powers
Chief Diplomat
Chief Legislator

Question 2

Explain the term ‘imperial presidency’

Answer 2

A president that abuses their powers and their dealings with Congress

Question 3

Is the modern president too powerful?

Answer 3

No because:
Congress have the power to impeach a president if necessary
Congress have the power to override a presidential veto if necessary
Congress have the power of the purse
Congress have the power to approve nomination and ratify treaties.

Question 4

Is the US Bureaucracy too powerful?

Answer 4

Yes because:

Question 5

What is the role of the Vice President?

Answer 5

The Constitution doesn’t discuss the role of the Vice President

Question 6

What are the methods of presidential persuasion?

Answer 6

Through people like:
The Vice President (presiding officer of the Senate, they have a foothold in Congress)
Party Leaders in Congress including the Speaker, Minority & Majority, Party Whips &Committee Chairs.
Cabinet Officers

Question 7

Is the modern president too powerful?

Answer 7

Yes because:
The executive has grown and the bureaucracy has increased as well.
Increasing use of the media and the popular mandate of a separate election enable the President to have a high public profile
They use powers that aren’t in the Constitution e.g. Power of persuasion/bargain
The emergency powers can help to stretch his constitutional powers
The role of Commander in Chief has grown over the years

Question 8

What is the President’s ‘Cabinet’?

Answer 8

Made up of 15 Executive Departments

Their role is to advise the President

Question 9

How important is the Cabinet?

Answer 9

They aren’t important as:
Presidents will rarely be swayed by cabinet decisions
They rarely meet up
There is no doctrine of collective responsibility
They have a problem of divided loyalty as well as a lack of proximity and access to the President
The president has EXOP (Executive Office of the President)

Question 10

What are the President’s informal powers?

Answer 10

Executive Agreements:
Presidents have deployed troops without making declarations of war
Executive Orders:
Signing Statements: Sign a bill into law and then state the parts that he approved and the parts he didn’t.