Chapter Focus

Chapter 12: The Presidency

1. Explain the differences between the positions of president and prime minister. PRESIDENT: Part of executive branch Appoints cabinet from anywhere; usually people who are experts in certain areas. These members cannot serve in the legislative while being a member of the cabinet. Two 4 year terms max May have an opposing party in the legislative branch (divided government) PRIME MINISTER: Part of legislative branch Appoints cabinet from Legislative branch; members in the cabinet also serve in the legislative branch. Stays in power as long as he or she has the support of the party Will always have a majority in the Legislative branch since the majority party elects the PM

2.

Discuss the approach of the Founders toward executive power. The Founders feared anarchy and monarchy equally, so it was hard to develop the leader of their country. There were originally ideas about a council that would check presidential actions or an elective monarchy, but, eventually, they turned to a single president with significant powers. In the Constitution, the powers were listed broadly. This was the first leader of this type, and many were afraid that the president would be corrupt, using his or her power to constantly be in power or take over significant state governments; however, this did not happen. There could have been drastic outcomes to this new position, but it was the best at the time and the best today. Eventually, the Electoral College would be established, electing the President.

3.

Sketch the evolution of the presidency from 1789 to the present. In the beginning of the Presidency, parties were dirty; people were still apart of these organizations, but many people frowned upon them for doing so. Eventually, they became quite common in society as we see now with the Republicans and Democrats. In the beginning, the Presidency was a simple and modest job; Presidents at this early stage did not want to make too much commission, nor did they want to be too tyrannical or pushing, so the veto power was not used a lot. This idea of a simple, non-conflicting presidency was changed by Jackson when he became president. Jackson was more of an imperial ruler, ruling with an iron fist. He used his power more than any of his predecessors, using the veto power 12 times. He lashed out at policies he did not like , and he showed Congress that they could not pass legislation that went against his ideas. The next decade or so Congress, not the Presidency, dominated the political spectrum. This was a partisan era, known as the Era of Good Feelings; however, this changed with the Civil War and Lincoln. He used his powers with an iron fist like Jackson, using them in the drastic state of the union. Congress began to edge over the President until around the New Deal period of the 1930s. Since this time, we have had strong Presidents.

4.

List and describe the various offices that make up the office of the president. There are various offices that make up the office of the president. There are, of course, the general staff workers such as the secretaries and the secret service who help the President with the desk side and protective side, respectively. These are general White House Workers. There are then the members of the Executive Office who are appointed by the president. These members make up the national principle agencies, which are the Office of Management and Budget, the CIA, the CEA, the Office of Personal Management, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives. Finally, there is the Cabinet, which meets together and discusses affairs and matters. There are 15 important governmental departments. The President appoints the heads of these departments.

5.

Review discussions of presidential character and how these relate to the achievements in office of various presidents.

It is important how a President runs office because it shows what the can do. Every person is different, so, naturally, every president is different. Many of our presidents are judges based on their personalities such as Eisenhower who brought a military style to the White House. The personality of the President determines how well he or she can be liked by the public, which in return transforms into power because the higher the approval ratings the more you can get done. 6. Enumerate and discuss the various facets--formal and informal--of presidential power. The President has various powers. Explicitly stated in the Constitution are the powers to do the following: i. Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces, ii. Commission officers of the armed forces, iii. Grant reprieves and pardons for all federal offenses except impeachment, iv. Convene Congress in special sessions, v. Receive ambassadors, vi. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed, vii. Wield executive power, and viii. Appoint officials to lesser offices The President shares other duties with Congress such as making treaties, appointing ambassadors, appointing judges, and appointing high officials. Furthermore, the president and all of Congress can approve legislation. There are also other informal powers such as the pocket veto, introducing troops into an area without declaring war, issue executive orders, etc