REVIEW TOPIC #6

THE PRESIDENCY

CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

FINANCING CAMPAIGNS• Federal money• The politics of accepting federal

funds• Costs will be $1bn+

1999 QUESTION Public monies are used to help finance which

of the following campaigns?I. PresidentialII. CongressionalIII. GubernatorialA. I onlyB. II onlyC. I and II onlyD. II and III onlyE. I,II, and III

Answer: A

VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CHOICES

• Silence the haters• Bring in a group

otherwise ignored

1999 QUESTION When selecting a vice-presidential candidate, a

presidential nominee is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who

A. Has significant personal wealthB. Adds balance and appeal to the nat. ticketC. Comes from the same ideological wing of the

party as the PresD. Can serve as the most important domestic

policy advisor to the PresE. Can effectively preside over the Senate

Answer: B

ELECTORAL COLLEGE• Consititutional• Largely winner-take-all• Plurality or “low point wins”• Dictates attention of

candidates

2002 QUESTION Which of the following is a result of the electoral

college system?A. The winner of the presidency often lacks a

majority of the pop. VoteB. Candidates focus on one-party states in which

they can win most of the electoral votes.C. The House of Reps frequently chooses the Pres

from the top three candidatesD. Candidates focus on the states with the largest

populationsE. Campaign spending increases because

candidates emphasize television advertisingAnswer: D

PRESIDENTIAL POWERS

NATIONAL SECURITY/FOREIGN

POLICY

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

• Avoids this nonsense • Growth• Non-military Pres. tend to be

most hawkish (Polk, Lincoln, Bush II)

DEPLOY TROOPS

• Implied• Congress’ role• War Powers Act (more to

follow)

NEGOTIATE TREATIES

• Pres. only (simplifies things)

• Senate confirmation (WWI)

Ha! This is a gag picture. Treaties with Russia are as sacred as Bill Clinton’s wedding vows

APPOINT AMBASSADORS

• Senate’s role

• Key countries vs. spoils of war (read: elections)

The Mighty State of Micronesia, where the seat of government resides on the island of Yap (seriously)

2002 QUESTION The Pres can do which of the following

without seeking the consent of either the House or the Senate?

A. Ratify a treaty

B. Appoint ambassadors

C. Appoint district court judges

D. Deploy troops

E. Declare war

Answer: D

WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

• Congressional consultation• 60 day limit• Constitutional?

1994 QUESTION The War Powers Resolution (1973) was designed toA. Allow the Joint Chiefs of Staff to advise the Pres during

period of conflictB. Allow Congress to suspend certain civil liberties during

times of warC. Require a congressional declaration of war before

allowing military forces to be used overseasD. Assure congressional involvement in decisions

committing military forces in hostile situations overseasE. Ensure funding for military operations lasting more than

60 days

Answer: D

EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS (informal power)

• Between heads of state

• Approval?• Non-

controversial… mostly (Vietnam peace)

• May need Cong. funding

“I’m telling you, Abby, the secret is to ACT like a king without actually using the word.”

1994 QUESTION

Which of the following is true of an executive agreement made between a US Pres and another head of state?

A. It does not require Senate approval, but may require congressional allocation of funds for implementation

B. It does not require congressional funding because the Pres can use the power of the purse to raise implementation funds

C. It has more legal force than a treatyD. It is binding on all succeeding Presidents and

CongressesE. It has been used extensively to end armed conflicts

CONT’D

Answer: A

LEGISLATIVE

• S of U• Convene and adjourn• Veto

“I look more presidential this way. Also, you can’t tell how big my ears are.”

ADMINISTRATIVE

• “Faithfully execute the laws”… but what if he didn’t?

• Nominations, by the thousands

True story: I didn’t know John Roberts was bald until I found this photo.

JUDICIAL

APPOINT JUDGES

• Senatorial courtesy• Conf. battles• May be most lasting

impact

I have no idea what the hell is going on here. This was Mr. Benson’s cartoon.

SELECTION OF JUDGES

• Role of Justice Dept.

• Diverse in some ways, very homogeneous in others.

Bored? See if you can figure out how many of these guys are still on the bench…

EXECUTIVE BRANCH/CHIEF

EXECUTIVE• Controls one whole

branch

• Size?

CABINET

• Advisors• Composition of the cabinet?

Kennedy vs. Lincoln• Size?• GW

1999 QUESTION Cabinet members often do not have a dominant

influence on presidential decision-making becauseA. Cabinet members generally maintain close independent

ties to CongressB. Cabinet members generally view their position only as a

stepping-stone to further their own political ambitionsC. Cabinet members are not permitted to disagree publicly

with the PresD. Presidential goals often conflict with the institutional

goals of individual cabinet level agenciesE. Only half of all cabinet members can be members of the

Pres’ party

Answer: D

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

• Post WWII• For. Pol. and military (left

hand and right hand)• Advisor• Members

“Dick, if you put that tack on my chair I’m going to Judo chop you in the neck.”

COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS

• 3 members

• Symp. to Pres.

Has God made a man uglier than Larry Summers? I think not.

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND

BUDGET• Budget prep

• Non partisan

WHITE HOUSE STAFF• West wing

• Daily aides (press, staff)

• Sycophants

Good show… Netflix it sometime (not now)

1994 QUESTION In selecting members of the White House staff,

Presidents primarily seek people whoA. Give the White House ideological balanceB. Are personally loyal to the PresC. Have extensive govt. experienceD. Will help the Pres develop a good working

relationship with CongressE. Can bring a nonpartisan perspective to policy

deliberationsAnswer: B

WHEEL AND SPOKES

• Equal status

• Efficiency

Get it????!!!

HIERARCHICAL

• Pretty much what the name implies

• Not all get to see the Pres.

Illuminati!

PRESIDENT AS LEGISLATOR

CHIEF LEGISLATOR

• Role of Pres. agenda

That’s a young Mr. Singh on the far right

SIGN A BILL

• If you don’t know this, you are in serious trouble. Like, you may get the first -2 in the history of the AP program

• Done by machine?• Can be a media event

Souvenir pens for everyone!!

VETO• Another one you

should know• Powerful threat• Overturn?

Rare shot of Coolidge awake (he slept 10 hours a day)

No line item veto

• Pres. can’t, some gov. can• Impact on budget?

POCKET-VETO

• If Congress adjourns within 10 days of submission of bill

• Political moveChester A. Arthur had 80 pairs of trousers. None with this sweet embroidery, though.

BECOMES A LAW WITHOUT SIGNATURE

• After 10 days if Congress is in session

No tie? What is this, Iran? Oh no, he’s got a flag pin. We’re cool.

1994 QUESTION All of the following statements pertaining to the

presidential veto are true except:A. Congress overrides fewer than 10% of presidential

vetoesB. A vetoed bill is often revised and passed in another

formC. Presidents often threaten to veto bills to increase their

leverage with CongressD. A Pres may veto part of a billE. Congress often places provisions the Pres wants into

a bill the Pres dislikes to make a veto less likely

Answer: D

EXECUTIVE ORDER (informal power)

• Law or not?• Cong. approval?• Rising pop.

Shockingly legal

PARTY AND PUBLIC SUPPORT

LEADER OF POLITICAL PARTY

• Naturally

• Pres. popularity and his party

I find this photo disturbing and confusing. Also, the President looks like a 14-year-old white kid with a crew cut.

APPROVAL RATINGS

• Historical trend• Influence on the Hill• Must use “political

capital” wisely

Not so different after all

HONEYMOON PERIOD

• What it is• Presidential

ambition• FDR and the 100

days

For real, though, it is nice to see a President that doesn’t look at his wife like she was his sister.

CRISIS

• It could have even saved Gerald Ford! (not really)

• Drawbacks?

RALLY EVENTS

• The flag and the bloody shirt

• Specific, dramatic, focused

ECONOMY

• Correlation

• Unfair

Think of it like jumping into a wave pool or cliff diving…

Lame Duck Period

• The time during which a president who has lost an election or has ended a second term is still in office before the new president serves.

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

• Constit.

• Written or spoken

• Love letter to the nation

Who would pass up a stage like this?

MEDIA AND POLITICAL AGENDA

• Press secretary• Pres Conf: the testing

ground• Bully pulpit

Look, I’m running out of crap to put up here, OK?

IMPEACHMENT• Indictment, not

conviction• House charges,

Senate tries• Majority and 2/3• Treason, bribery, high

crimes and misdemeanors

• Could apply to nearly anyone

Insert name here

1999 QUESTION Which of the following procedures results in the

removal of the Pres from office?A. The House and Senate vote for impeachment, and

the Supreme Court reaches a guilty verdict.B. The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate

conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdictC. The House and Senate both vote for a bill of

impeachmentD. Only the House votes for a bill of impeachmentE. A criminal court finds the Pres guilty of “high crimes

and misdemeanors.”

Answer: B

2002 Free Response Question2002 Free Response Question The concept of “divided government” in the

U.S. means that one political party can control the executive branch while another controls the legislative branch. This poses problems for the President in making appointments to federal offices.

a. Describe two problems that divided govt poses for the Pres in making fed appointments

b. Identify and explain two ways Pres’s try to overcome the problems described in a.

The concept of “divided government” in the U.S. means that one political party can control the executive branch while another controls the legislative branch. This poses problems for the President in making appointments to federal offices.

a. Describe two problems that divided govt poses for the Pres in making fed appointments

b. Identify and explain two ways Pres’s try to overcome the problems described in a.

2003 Free Response Question

2003 Free Response Question

Presidential approval ratings fluctuate over the course of each presidential administration.

a. Identify two factors that decrease presidential approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.

b. Identify two factors that increase pres. Approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.

Presidential approval ratings fluctuate over the course of each presidential administration.

a. Identify two factors that decrease presidential approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.

b. Identify two factors that increase pres. Approval ratings, and explain why each factor has that effect.