Ch+8+The+Presidency+-+Definitions,+Text+Notes,+Class+Notes+&+Connecting+Theory+to+Reality

Definitions
The power the president has to appoint 6,000 positons such as ambassadors or judges of the supreme court. 1,125 of them must be approved by Senate. If the Senate does not approve of the selection, the president may not appoint them.
 * appointment power**
 * Articles of Impeachment** - A series of charges pressed against an elected official to begin the impeachment process, which gets drafted by the house of representatives, then the US Senate is required to convict.
 * Bully pulpit** - This term stems from President Theodore Roosevelt's reference to the White House as a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word "bully" as an adjective meaning superb/wonderful. Roosevelt also had political affiliation with the Progressive Party, nicknamed the "Bull Moose" party. It got the moniker when Roosevelt ran for President as its candidate in 1912, after declaring himself as "fit as a bull moose."
 * Cabinet -**Part of the "unwritten Constitution," it was first established by George Washington and includes federal departments such as state, defense, etc. The cabinet is made up of advisers to the president. There are currently fifteen cabinet members.
 * Chief executive-** the president of the USA or in general head of a government
 * Commander-in-Chief**- //is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces.// //Often times the president of the United States is given this title in times of war.// //This role is somewhat ambiguous and often leads to disagreement about presidential authority to wage war.//
 * Council of Economic Advisors-**an executive agency responsible for providing economic advice to the President. It is a part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, and provides much of the economic policy of the White House. The Council's three members are nominated by the President and approved by the SEnate.
 * executive agreement-** formal agreement that is like a treaty but does not need Senate approval
 * Executive Office of the President**- Established by FDR in 1939 in order to help the president oversee the executive branch of bureaucracy. This provides the president with a general staff. the most important members of the EOP are the National Security Council, the Council of Economic Advisers, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of the Vice President, and the U.S. Trade Representative.
 * Executive Agreement-** A formal government agreement entered into by the president. This is used especially when dealing with highly sensitive arrangements with foreign nations because this does not require the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.
 * Executive order-** //An order signed by the president that has the effect of law, even though it is not passed by Congress. An example of an executive order includes President Clinton's order legalizing the abortion pill, RU486.//
 * Executive privilege** - refers to the assertion made by the President or other executive branch officials when they refuse to give Congress, the courts, or private parties information or records which have been requested or subpoenaed, or when they order government witnesses not to testify before Congress. The assertion is based on the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers, is always controversial, subject to interpretation, and often litigated.
 * impeachment-** Impeachment is the process in which a government official is put up on trial for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The process begins when the House passes "articles of impeachment" with a 50% vote. When the articles pass the official has been impeached. The Senate can then tries and convict the official of their wrongdoings and remove them from office.
 * Imperial Presidency-**a U.S. presidency that is characterized by greater power than the Constitution allows.
 * Inherent powers -**//Inherent powers are assumed powers of the president not specifically listed in the Constitution. Inherent powers come from the president's role as chief executive.//
 * line-item veto**-the power to take out part(s) of a bill without having to veto the entire bill.
 * Louisiana Purchase-** 1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory by President Jefferson from France
 * National Security Council -** used by the President for considering national security and foreign policy matters
 * New Deal-** Was a series of programs intorduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. These programs were initiated in an effort to bring the U.S. out of the Great Depression. The New Deal is considered a bold and controversial package of programs there were introduced by a president quickly after being inaugurated.
 * Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-** the largest office within the executive branch. Its main use is to give advice to the president on range of topics relating to federal policy, management, legislative, regulatory, and budgetary issues.
 * pardon**-the power a president has to excuse someone in jail for commiting a crime.
 * patronage-** jobs and special favors given out to supporters of a candidate for support
 * pocket veto**-when a bill is sent to the president and he doesn't sign it within 10 days ot the adjournment of Congress. ultimately the bill is vetoed.
 * riders:** an additional provision attached to a bill under the consideration of a legislative assembly
 * Senatorial courtesy** - refers to the practice of consulting home-state senators on a nomination. The Senate rarely confirms presidential appointments if the nominee's own senators disapprove.
 * trial balloons:** information sent out in order to observe the reaction of an audience. In politics trial balloons often take the form of an intentional news leak to assess public opinion.
 * Twenty-Fifth Amendment: ** it established procedures for filling vacancies in the office of president and vice president as well as providing for procedures to deal with disabilities of the president
 * U.S. v. Nixon (1974): **stated that there is no real executive privilege
 * veto power-**the power to deny a bill
 * War Powers Act: ** passed by congress in 1973, the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a 60-day period in peacetime, unless congress gives explicit directors stating otherwise
 * Watergate:** general term for a series of political scandals during the presidency of Richard Nixon, that began with five men being arrested after breaking and entering into the Democratic National Commitee headquarters at the Watergate hotel complex in Washington DC
 * White House staff**: includes the personal assistants to the president, senior aides, their deputies, and assistants with professional duties. Though their power is derived from their relationship with the president, they have no independent legal authority. Staff facilitate the smooth running of the executive branch. They also try to keep the president from making any mistakes.

Text Notes, Class Notes
Informal Powers of the President: -Executive Agreement: an agreement with countries that doesn't need congress approval. -Patronage: the power of assigning people to executive positions based on their connection to the president and their past support of him. -Executive Orders: Enforced orders by the president that don't need congress approval to go into effect and can make a new policy.Example: Harry S Truman ordered an end to segregation in the military while Lydon B Johnson ordered an end to segregation through out the entire country as a national policy. War Powers Act ~The president can order troops into combat for 60 days, with a 30 day extension given by congress for the removal of the troops. This is done far less often historically than the other method of going to war. ~the president must inform congress when he does this. Formal powers of the president ~appointment ~convene congress ~treaties *must be senate approved ~veto ~military powers*can only send troops for 90 days max, without senate approving an extension. ~pardon - when the president leaves office he has an opportunity to restore rights and privileges of citizenship to a person whose been charged or convicted of crime. Example- Carter provided amnesty to all men who fled or went into hiding in order to avoid being drafted to Vietnam. The Cabinet Department of State, Department of Treasury, Department of defense, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of health and human services, Department of housing and urban development, Department of transportation, Department of Energy, department of education, Department of veteran affairs, Department of Homeland security. Each department head has access to the president 1) Vice President 2) Speaker of the House of Representatives 3) President pro tempore of the Senate 4) Secretaries of State, Treasury, defense... etc
 * Presidential Succession Act (1947) (should something happen to the president)

~Lincoln's Questionable Acts: -suspended writ of habeas corpus -expanded size of US army -ordered blockade of Southern points -closed the US mail system
 * Incremental Expansion of Presidential Powers: (1809-1933)


 * Rules of Succession**

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 that stated the order of succession after the vice president: The Twenty-fifth Amendment - 1967 - was added to allow the president to appoint a new vice president if the post were vacant. A simple majority of both houses of Congress was needed to approve the nominee.
 * Speaker of the House
 * President Pro Tempore of the Senate
 * Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and other Cabinet heads in order of the creation of their department


 * Informal Powers of the President**
 * Executive orders
 * Executive agreements: treaties with other nations
 * Patronage
 * Power to persuade

~ Examples of past executive orders -Internment of Japanese Citizens 1942- President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the removal and internment of Japanese American citizens to camps. -Don't Ask, Don't Tell 1993 - President Clinton signed on this to settle the disputes over gays in the military. -Integration of Armed Forces 1948 - President Harry Truman signed this ahead of the rest of America. - Stem cell research 2007

Instances in which the approval rating goes up: Instances in which the approval rating goes down:
 * Presidential Approval Ratings**
 * A successful war
 * Domestic attacks ( due to rallying around the flag)
 * Election/re-election
 * Personal scandal
 * Good economy
 * Losing/protracted war
 * Midterm of president
 * Political scandal
 * Bad economy

Presidential Leadership and the Importance of Public Opinion The President has the authority to make more than 6,000 appointments to his administration. Only 1,125 require the Senate to approve of. He also technically appoints more than 75,000 military personal. Although Congress gets to make the laws, the president has the power to enforce the laws. He sets the policy agenda for the nation. Congress can reject the nominees but by doing so they will mess up relations between them and the president.
 * political leaders travel all over the world to publicize views, gain personal support, and support for future administrative programs.
 * presidents have the best chance of convincing Congress to follow his policies when his pulic opinion ratings are high.
 * presidents normally have the highest approval ratings at the beginning of their terms.
 * The Appointment Power**

Connecting Theory to Reality
After the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the approval ratings for George Bush soared as our citizens rallied around the flag. The people of the United States placed their trust in the president to augment our nation's security, to aid those in crisis, and to apprehend the terrorists that attacked us. As years went by, however, Bush's ratings fell very low due to an apparently losing, protracted war in Iraq. These events in Bush's presidency clearly illustrate how easily approval ratings can fluctuate.