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Chapter 13, 14, 15 Study Guide Ch. 13 Chief of state- the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation. The President of the United States both reigns and rules the country. Chief executive- vested by the Constitution with “the executive power of the United States”. The powers are immensely broad in both domestic and foreign affairs. Chief administrator- head of administration of the Federal Government. The President directs an administration that employs 3 million civilians and spends something on the order of $1.6 trillion a year. Chief diplomat- the main architect of American foreign policy and the nation’s chief spokesperson to the rest of the world. What the President says is heard in the country and around the world. Commander in chief- the nation’s armed forces. All the power in the nation’s military arsenal are subject to the President’s direct and immediate control. Chief legislator- the main architect of its public policies. The President sets the overall shape of the congressional agenda. Chief of party- the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch. Much of the real power and influence wielded by the President depends on the manner in which he or she plays this critical role. Chief citizen- President is excepted to be ‘the representative of all the people.” In a since, he is working for the public interest. Interrelated Nature of Presidential Roles- All the terms above, the President must do simultaneously. The way he acts plays a role in his power and how people look at him. Formal Qualifications- a President must be a “natural-born citizen” and at least 35 years old. On top of that, he must have lived in the United States for 14 years. The President’s Term- before 1951, the Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms the President might serve. Today, they serve a 4-year term, which after that they can serve 4 more years and that’s all. Pay and Benefits- President salary is fixed by Congress at $50,000. After the Presidency, he receives a lifetime pension of $143,800 a year. The Constitution and Succession- if the President dies then the Vice President becomes the President. If they are both to die, a list of successors, starting with the Speaker of the House, will be designated President. Presidential Disability- if the Congress sees that the President is not doing his duties to the best of his ability, the Congress declares the Vice President will become the Acting President. When the President is well again, his position will be restored to him. The Vice Presidency- they preside over the Senate and help decide the question of presidential disability. As in the Constitution, the Vice President is basically a “President-in-waiting.” Importance of the
Office- in history, the vice president is little more than a low status
position. So far, no President has upgraded the Vice President to the true role
of an “assistant president”. The election of 1800- the first two political parties were the Federalists and the Democratic-Republican. The 1800 election brought elements of party nominations for vice and president, nominations of candidates for party ticket and automatic casting of electoral votes. The 12th Amendment- made certain there would never be another fiasco like the 1800 election. “The Electors… shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice President.” The role of Conventions- the character of elections had a downfall in the mid-1820. In the 1832 election, both major parties turned to national convention as nominating devices. Extent of Control by Law- there is no mention in the Constitution on the subject of presidential nominations. Conventions are largely used for political parties and choosing delegates. Convention Arrangements- a committee meet is held in Washington DC to set the time and place for a convention. They pick large cities to bid for the honor and look for financial return to local business. The Apportionment of Delegates- it is the delegates who cast the votes that will nominate the party’s presidential candidate. Today they use “formulas” to choose delegates but awards and what they have done. Selection of Delegates- state laws and or party rules pick delegates in each State. They take place within the political party. Presidential
Primaries- election at which a party’s voters choose party organization
delegates and express preference among various contenders. ¾ of all delegates
come from States that hold presidential primaries. Evaluation of the Presidential Primary- primaries are vital because they are a major part in deciding the presidential nominating contest. They tend to democratize the delegate-selection process. Caucuses and Conventions- for those States that do not hold presidential primaries, national conventions are chosen in a system of caucuses and conventions. They meet in local caucuses at precinct level and sometimes in district conventions. The Convention
Setting- they meet in a huge auditorium with flags, bunting and party symbols.
The floor is jammed with rows of chairs and placards mark the seating reserved
for each State’s group of delegates. The Final Sessions-
names of nay contenders are offered. Each contender makes a nominating speech
and are voted on. The Electoral College Today- the electors are chosen at-large in every State and by popular vote. They are excepted to vote for their party’s candidates for President and Vice President. Flaws in the Electoral Collage (Major Defect)- electoral votes are distributed among the States regardless of population. Popular vote doesn’t determine who is President all the time. The Second Major Defeat- nothing requires the electors to vote for the candidate favored by the popular vote. They are excepted to vote for the candidate who carries their State and their party. The Third Major
Defeat- it is possible that the contest will be decided in the House of
Representatives. This is serious because House members can be so divided a
candidate cannot be decided or a strong third-party could make a decision last
until inauguration day. Direct Popular
election- do away with the Electoral College system altogether. Each vote would
count equally in the national result and the winner would always be the majority
choice. The National Bonus
Plan- would keep much of the Electoral College system, especially
winner-takes-all. A national pool of 102 electoral votes would be awarded to the
winner of the popular vote contest. Ch. 14 The Changing View of
Presidential Power- often called “the most powerful office in the world.”
President power is so loose it is not even defined in the Constitution. How Presidents Power
Has Grown- media has helped bring the President to the people. The amount of
roles he plays is another big part in how he as grown. The Ordinance Power- grants certain powers to the President if they are Constitutional. The President must also have the power to authorize his subordinates to issue such orders. The Appointing Power- President names the most top-ranking officers of the Federal Government. The nomination is sent to the Senate for confirmation and if approved, is appointed the position. Executive order- is a directive, rule or regulation that has the effect of law. The Appointing Power- President names the most top-ranking officers of the Federal Government. The nomination is sent to the Senate for confirmation and if approved, is appointed the position. The Removal Power- Constitution does not say how to dismiss an official or what to do. If the President is corrupt and is not liked by the Congress, he can be impeached. The Historical Debate- the 1st Congress gave the President the power to remove any officer except federal judges. Congress tried to restrict the President’s freedom but was dismissed. Removal and the Supreme Court- the Supreme Court didn’t place limits on President’s removal power until 1935 when Wilson removed Frank Myer, postmaster. Congress has the power to set the conditions for which the President can remove people. The Power to Make Treaties- the Senate must give approval by 2/3s vote make a treaty. The President negotiates international agreements. Executive Agreements- are pacts between the President and the heads of foreign states. They do not require Senate consent and are done many times throughout a presidency. The Power of Recognition- the President acknowledges the legal existence of that country and its government. They accept the country as an equal nation but it does not mean they approve of their government or country. The President’s Dominant Role in Military Affairs- the President’s power as commander-in-chief is unlimited. Most of the Presidents delegate much of their command authority to military people Making Undeclared
War- it has happened on about 200 occasions. The Gulf War is an example of that
when President Clinton ordered 20,000 American troops into Bosnia. The War Powers
Resolution- the Constitution never intended the President to have so much power.
The Congress wants to President to obey them but he refuses. The President in the Legislative Field – The president is considered the chief of the party and chief citizen. The president can also check, delay or block actions by other branches. Power to Recommend Legislative – Because the president is the Chief of party and chief citizen, he can and usually does influence the Congress considerably. He has the power to “…recommend to their [congress’s] consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient…” Other Legislative Powers – The president has the ability to call for a special session of congress. He also has the ability to adjourn congress if the two houses become stuck on an issue, this has never occurred. Judicial Powers – The president is the only person who has the ability to give out pardons to criminals, or clear them of their crime. He also has the ability to grant a reprieve which shortens the sentence of the criminal reprieve – The president has the ability to grant a reprieve which shortens the sentence of the criminal Pardon - The president is the only person who has the ability to give out pardons to criminals, or clear them of their crime. For example, President Ford gave Nixon a pardon for his criminal acts regarding the Watergate Scandal. Commutation – This is the presidents power to reduce the length of a sentence or a fine put on the criminal. This is also known as a conditional pardon. Amnesty – This is the power that the president has to give pardons to a group of people. This was used most recently by President Cater to pardon Vietnam War draft evaders The Executive Office of the President – The first aides to the president were actually hired and paid by the president. Not until 1857 did congress finally pay salary for the first aid of the president’s The White House Office – This is where the oval office and the cabinet room are. The west wing is closed to all visitors and the east wing is where tourists are allowed. The white house is also known as the nation’s “nerve center” The National Security Council – Most of the president’s foreign affairs are first closely consulted with the National Security Council (NSC). It will meet the president’s call and advise him in all domestic, foreign, and military matters that bear on the nation’s security The Office of Management and Budget – Or the OMB, is the largest and, after White House Office, the most influential unit in the Executive Office. This office deals with the federal budget. federal budget – This is a financial document, a detailed estimate of receipts and expenditures, an anticipation of federal income and expenditure for the next fiscal year The Office of National Drug Control Policy – This is the newest major office in the executive offices. Established in 1989, it dramatizes the nation’s concern over drugs The Council of Economic Advisers – This committee is made of three of the nations leading economists who are chosen by the president and consented by Congress. This is the president’s main source for the nation’s economic trends and helps the president prepare for the annual economic report to the congress. Other Units in the Economic Office – Other major offices are the Office of Policy Development, which deal with domestic matters; the Council on Environmental Quality, which aids the president with all states of the environment; the Office of United States Trade Representative, who advise the president with foreign trade matters; and the Office of Administration, this is the housecleaning agency who help with most of the other issues. The Cabinet – This is the informal advisory body which is brought together by the president to serve his needs. The first cabinet was made of the secretary of the treasury, of the state, of war, and the attorney general Choosing Cabinet Members – The president is able to appoint fourteen people to cabinet positions. These people are then accepted by the congress Women and Minorities in the Cabinet\- To this point only thirteen women, seven African Americans, and four Hispanic have ever been cabinet members. FDR was the first to appoint a women to the first women to the cabinet The Cabinet’s Role – The secretaries all have two roles. One is that the secretaries are the administrative head of one of the executive departments. They also advise the president on foreign and domestic affairs Ch. 15 What is a Bureaucracy – This is an organization built on three principles: Hierarchical authority, job specialization; each bureaucrat has a defined job; and formal rules; they conduct operations according to established regulations and procedures. Bureaucrat – This is the word used to describe a person who is a bureaucrat. Each has defined duties and responsibilities. Major Elements of the Federal Bureaucracy – The federal bureaucracy is the major part of the government. It is made up of all the agencies. People. And procedures through which the federal government operates Administration – This is what acts on what the president says. There are three major branches of the executive administration, the executive office of the president, the 14 cabinet members, and a large number of independent agencies The Name Game – Departments are usually used to mean agencies. Agencies are often used to refer to any governmental body. Staff and Line – The Staff are support agencies which aid the president by furnishing advice. The line agencies perform the tasks for which the organization exists The Executive Departments and the Independent Agencies – These agencies were made to find the difference between public bureaucracies and private ones The Cabinet – At first there were only 3 departments of the cabinet: war, treasury, and state. The head of each department is known as the Secretary of that department. These secretaries are then helped by the deputy secretary who are named by the president and confirmed by congress What are the Independent Agencies –These are department set out from the other departments of the cabinet. It does not mean that they are not as important though Independent agencies - There are now 150 independent agencies in the US. On of the biggest is NASA. NASA is both closely related to the defense and transportation departments. Other independent departments are removed from the department system all together when they do not fit in with the other department’s area of decision The Independent Executive Agencies – This is where most independent departments are located. The main difference between the 14 cabinet departments and these is they do not have seats in the cabinet The Independent Executive Agencies - This is where most independent departments are located. The main difference between the fourteen cabinet departments and these is they do not have seats in the cabinet The Independent Regulatory Commissions – The biggest thing about these departments are that they are not under direct presidential control. There are only 10 departments like this today. quasi-legislative – This is the legislative-like powers the independent regulatory commissions have. They help spell out and enforce the laws made by congress quasi-judicial - This is the judiciary-like powers the independent regulatory commissions have. This is used when the departments use the powers that congress gave them to arrest/punish a person/. The Government Corporations – These departments are different because they were set up by congress to carry out business0like duties. The first of these was the First Bank of the United States in 1791, now there are over 50 of these departments like the post office, FDIC, etc The Civil Service – Over 90% of the federally employed bureaucrats live in the Washington area. Only 2,500 jobs in the Washington area are in a higher position The beginnings – President Washington knew that success would be in from those who he appointed into office. It was in 1801 though, when Jefferson formed most of the federal posts with men who were personally and politically against him The Spoils System – In 1820 there were too many people who held federal positions and so Jackson dismissed over 200 presidential appointees and almost 2,000 other officeholders Patronage – This is when positions in offices are given to supporters and friends. This was in wide use long before Jackson’s presidency The Movement of Reform – After some time people who came in and out of congress pressed for reforms. Congress did create a Civil Service but it soon went under due to lack of funding The Pendleton Act – This set up two categories of employment in the executive branch, the classified and unclassified service. This also gave the president the ability to places the federal agents in either one of the services. Civil Service Today – First it was formed to do away with the spoils system, but now it is tying to recruit and keep the best available people in the federal work force. Reorganization – This Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was passed by President Carter. This changed the Civil Service Commission with two new independent agencies, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit System Protection Board. Federal Employees and Party Act – The party act was created by the Labor-Management Act of 1947. This gave people the power to join unions and other groups like that. It also says that classified employees can not protest the system but they may vote as they want Pay and Benefit Issues – Equal opportunity for job advancement remains a problem in the federal bureaucracy. Although minority groups and women are well represented they do not hold near an equal number of jobs as white collared men do. |