Chapter 11 - The Presidency Section 1 - The Double Expectations Gap Presidential Promises and the Powers of the Office

Since the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, the publics perception is that the power of the president has greatly expanded. However, the presidents powers are limited by the Constitution. In addition, the Twenty-second Amendment limits the president to a maximum of two terms. Voters can respond to presidents who do not meet their expectations by failing to reelect them. The Gap between Conflicting Roles The president is now viewed as more than just an administrator of Congresss laws; therefore, he or she must act at times as an effective high-level lawmaker. On the other hand, the president must appear at times to be above politics and to be a unifier. If the president does not properly balance these two roles, his or her effectiveness can be diminished. Head of State Presidents serve as a symbol of the hopes and dreams of the people of the United States in their role as head of state. Presidents act in ceremonial roles (greet foreign dignitaries, attend important functions, and so on) to reinforce the dignity and symbolism of the presidency. Presidents symbolically represent what is best about the United States. Head of State The President Comforts a Nation President George W. Bush made this statement after the space shuttle Columbia exploded in 2003. Listen for clues that show he was acting as head of state when he gave this speech. Head of Government As the head of government, the president performs a number of important duties: Defining the nations policy agenda (the issues that Congress and the public want discussed and acted upon)

Developing political support to get the laws passed to address the issues on the policy agenda Making sure the government works Leading his or her political party

Section 2 - The Constitution and the Presidency Selection of the President The framers of the Constitution did not want the voting population or Congress to choose the president. They decided that an electoral college would choose the president. The electoral college is a group of people selected for the purpose of choosing the president. When voters cast a ballot for president, they are actually voting for a group of voters pledged to one candidate or another. Term of Office The presidents term of office is 4 years. The 22nd Amendment limits the president to two terms. The 25th Amendment describes the process to be followed if the president becomes disabled and the vice president takes over. Qualifications and Pay To be president, a person must be: A natural-born citizen of the United States At least 35 years old A resident of the United States for at least 14 years

Some groups want to remove the requirement that the president must be a natural-born citizen. The annual salary of the president is about $400,000.

Presidential Succession The Constitution provides that if the president dies or is removed from office, the vice president will take over. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 establishes the order of succession after the vice president if the president dies or is removed from office. The 25th Amendment states: If the president or vice president and a majority of the cabinet say the president is unable to serve, then the vice president takes over. If the reports are contradictory, then two-thirds of Congress must agree before the vice president takes over.

Removal of the President Article II, Section 4, of the Constitution says the president may be removed if convicted of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Two presidents have been impeached, but neither was convicted: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. There are two steps to the removal of a president: 1. After an investigation, the House votes to impeach the president. A majority vote is required. 2. The Senate then conducts a trial on the House charges. A two-thirds majority vote is required for conviction. Section 3 - The Constitutional Powers of the President Chief Administrator Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution authorizes the president to execute laws. The president is the chief administrator and is held responsible for the agencies of the national government and the carrying out of national policy. The president, with the approval of the majority of the Senate, appoints heads of executive departments. As a group, they are known as the presidents cabinet. Commander in Chief The president is the commander in chief of the entire military establishment, but Congress has the power to declare war.

Although Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon did not ask Congress to declare war during the Vietnam conflict, they did commit the military to act in that struggle. Congress passed the War Powers Act of 1972 to limit the presidents power to send troops overseas. This act has not been tested. Chief Foreign Policy Maker The president is the chief foreign policy maker because he or she can make treaties (formal agreements with other nations) with the agreement of two-thirds of the Senate. The president can extend recognition to other countries and make executive agreements with heads of other nations. The president appoints ambassadors and receives ambassadors from other nations. Legislative Powers The president uses the State of the Union Address to present his or her policy agenda to Congress every January. The president can call Congress into session and adjourn it. The presidential veto sends back bills to the House and Senate. Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses, but that is difficult to achieve. The line item veto allowed the president to cut items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire bill. The U.S. Supreme Court declared this veto unconstitutional. Presidential Vetoes, 19332006 The Vice Presidents Tie-Breaker Role The vice president may cast a tie-breaking vote when the Senate is evenly divided. In 1993, Vice President Al Gore voted to break a tie that allowed President Bill Clintons first budget to pass. In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney voted to break a tie that allowed President George W. Bushs first budget to pass. Executive Orders Presidents can make laws by issuing executive orders (rules or directives that have the force of law).

Executive orders clarify how laws passed by Congress are to be carried out by executive agencies. Presidents tend to issue many executive orders during crises. Example: President Franklin Roosevelt issued an order to hold Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II. Judicial Powers The presidential power to appoint judges for life can have a long-term effect on the courts. Example: the Supreme Court became more conservative because of appointments by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. The Senate must approve these appointments and has blocked some controversial appointments. Court Decisions and the Power to Pardon Presidents cannot try to influence judicial decisions and must be careful not to criticize judicial decisions openly. The solicitor general decides which court cases are appealed to the Supreme Court and can file briefs to try to influence the final decision. Presidents also have the power to pardon, or free, people from punishment for a crime, even if they were not convicted. Section 4 - The Evolution of the American Presidency The Traditional Presidency Historians call the period from the founding of the United States to the 1930s as the era of the traditional presidency. During this era, presidents generally followed the narrow powers given to them in the Constitution. They were comfortable with this narrow authority because of the countrys rural nature and limited government. The presidency was viewed as an administrative office and subordinate to the will of the Congress.

The Modern Presidency From the 1930s to the present, presidents have taken a much more active role in government as a result of: The huge growth in size and complexity of the United States The Great Depression and the election of Franklin Roosevelt to the presidency President Roosevelts New Deal programs (passed by Congress), which greatly increased the size and complexity of the government Growth in the Role of the President Americans now look to the president and Congress to regulate the economy, solve social problems, and provide inspiration. The trend toward more U.S. involvement in foreign affairs has given the president more power on the world stage. U.S. involvement in the cold war with the former Soviet Union and in undeclared wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf increased the power of the president. An Imperial Presidency As the responsibilities of the presidency have grown, some worry about an imperial presidency. Under an imperial presidency, Congress has little power to stop or influence the president. Fears of an imperial presidency were fueled by events such as Watergate. In Watergate, the administration of President Richard Nixon was accused ofillegal searches and wiretapping. The Presidency Today Concern about the growing imperial nature of the presidency has increased attempts to check the presidents power. Congress has gotten much more aggressive about investigating the actions of the president. The media have stepped up their investigation and reporting of presidential actions. The Supreme Court has held that presidents are not immune from civil lawsuits while in office.