What are two contradictory expectations that Americans have about the presidency?
They want a good powerful president, but they don’t want to have more power to do the good.
Make a list of whom you believe are the ten best presidents in history and briefly explain why.
Eisenhower - worked against segregation and helped prevent the cold war from escalating
Harry Truman - Helped the economy and ended Japan’s involvement in WW2
Woodrow Wilson - Pushed a lot of legislation and created the league of nations.
James Monroe - Slow slavery’s expanse w/ the missouri compromise and prevent more colonization with the monroe doctrine.
James Madison - Helped America succeed in the war of 1812
Thomas Jefferson - Bought the Louisiana Territory
George Washington - Set some pretty good precedents as president.
Abraham Lincoln - Emancipation Proclamation & Gettysburg Address
Teddy Roosevelt - National Forest protection and national projects.
FDR - New Deal and economic policy.
Outline the procedure for removing a president from office.
Impeachment: house can impeach on a majority vote on “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”. Senate would have an impeachment hearing.
What were the concerns that the founders had about the presidency?  How did they allay those fears?
The presidency having enough power to effectively be a monarchy. They put checks and balances in place.
Describe two ways in which the power of the president has expanded from its constitutional base.
America has increased in prominence on the world state and presidents expand their responsibilities and political resources.
List the differences between a president and prime minister.  In your opinion which would be more effective?
President is separate from legislation and has more direct control over foreign policy. Prime minister is more of a head of legislator and sets the national agenda. The PM is in control of the majority and therefore has less deadlock with differing political ideas. IMO prime minister seems more streamlined as there is less chance of gridlock b/c there is never a majority party discrepancy, but checks and balances might not be as strong.
According to the text, summarize the recent (50 years) of presidential power/leadership, provide example.  Discuss and evaluate the different leadership styles.
It has shifted heavily as time has passed. Leadership throughout the 50 years has seen a wide variety as every president puts their own flavor on what is means to be in the oval office.
What is the cabinet and what does it do?  How is their role similar and/or different from the Vice-President?
They are a group of presidential advisors not mentioned in the constitution that provide advice in their area of expertise. They all aid to serve the president, but the advisors have very specific topics.
List and explain the function of three major policymaking bodies of the Executive office.
National Security Council - committee that links the president's key foreign and military policy advisors.
Council of Economic Advisors - three member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy
Office of Management and Budget - composed of handful of politically appointed and more than 600 career officers and its major responsibility is to prepare the president's budget.
What is the difference between hierarchical organization and a wheel and spokes system of the White House management?  Choose one and explain why in your opinion it would be the best?  Which way is the school system organized?
Hierarchical - Chief of staff at the top, whose job and that of the president's time and interests are protected.
Wheel and Spokes - Many asides have equal status and are balanced against one another in the process of decision making.
Make a list of four first ladies and how they have influenced the presidency.
Betty Ford - Breast cancer awareness along with her advocation for the equal rights amendment.
Eleanor Roosevelt - Fought for women’s rights, civil rights, and the new deal. She was also the first chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission
Rosalynn Carter - She was an advocate for mental health issues and was a real advisor to the president.
Hillary Clinton - She fought for women’s and children’s issues and became a junior senator in her husband’s second term.
List the four options the president has once Congress passes a bill.
Sign it, making it a law
Veto it, sending it back to congress
Let it become law after 10 working days by not doing anything
Partial, line item, veto, cancels specific provisions of a bill
What is the difference between a veto, a pocket veto, and a line item veto?  How effective has the veto been throughout history?
Veto is just straight up saying no and a ⅔ congress vote can override it
Pocket veto is when congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president who can just let it die by not signing or vetoing.
Line Item veto is when you can veto certain parts of a bill.
Explain what is meant by the term presidential coattails.  Compare the coattail effect from the general elections and midterm elections, what trends present themselves?
Voters cast ballots for congress candidates of the same party as the president because they support the president.
What are the two indicators of public support for the President?
Approval in the polls and mandates in presidential elections the perception that the voters strongly support the president’s character and policy.
What is an electoral mandate?
Permission granted to a political leader or winning party by the constituency to govern and act on their behalf.
What is meant by the president’s honeymoon period?  What legislation skills would prove most effective during this time?  Provide examples.
first 100 days, congress is usually more receptive and media is more cooperative.
What is an executive agreement and how does it differ from a treaty?
Executive Agreements are made directly between the president and another head of state. A treaty must be approved by ⅔ of the senate.
How was the framer’s intent of the Commander in Chief's role different from its current practice?
The president was expected to be a moral leader and to focus on foreign policy, not quite the military leader he is now.
What was the main provisions of the War Power Resolution?
A check on the president’s power to declare war w/o congress’s consent.
Why is the President more equipped to handle a crisis than Congress?
He can make vital decisions quickly whereas congress takes forever to pass stuff.
What are the “two presidencies”?
There are two focuses the president has, domestic and foreign policy.
What is the difference between the president as head of state and head of government?
Head of State means he is the chief public representative of America, but head of govt. means he is the head of the party or the executive branch.
Rank the past ten presidents in terms of their ability to garner public support (1-10, 10 being the best).
Obama 		-	9
George W Bush	-	2
Bill Clinton	-	8
H.W. Bush	-	3
Ronald Reagan 	-	7
Jimmy Carter	-	5
Gerald Ford	-	6
Richard Nixon	-	1
Lyndon Johnson	-	4
John F. Kennedy	-	10
What is the bully pulpit?  Which president has used this the most effectively?
Bully Pulpit is a term for the white house that is a platform for which to advocate an agenda. Teddy Roosevelt used it effectively enough for him to name it himself.
Provide examples of how and when the President mobilizes the public.
To build support for war, like what they should’ve done for Vietnam, but Johnson didn’t really think about that.
What is the role of the president’s press secretary?
To be a spokesperson for the US administration.
In what way(s) are the press biased in their coverage of the president?
News in fundamentally simplified and overblown to catch as many viewers/readers as possible. They also have a desire to keep the public interested and may create a bias to attract more views.
In what way(s) is the institution of the president undemocratic?
It neglects the people votes specific to each law or order that he passes.
How does the presidency increase and decrease the scope of government.
Their choice of legislation or executive orders that are passed can change the overhead the fed. govt. has.








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22nd Amendment
2 term limit
Impeachment
Senate vote to remove president from office
Watergate
Scandal with Nixon that ended with his resignation when he was about to be impeached.
United States v. Nixon (1973)
8-0 vote that set an important precedent about the presidency
12th Amendment
Refined the electoral college method


25th Amendment
Sets up the VP (and the rest) in line to be president if he dies.
Pentagon Papers
Secret DOD study of US involvement in Vietnam
Executive privilege
Power that lets the executive branch resist subpoenas on the grounds of national security
Inherent powers
Reasonable powers that aren’t outlined but are important to do their job.
Imperial presidency
The modern presidency and that it was uncontrollable and exceeded the constitutional limits
Chief executive
The president is the head of the executive branch and makes major decisions
Cabinet
Close advisors to the president, experts in varying fields.
NSC
Nation Security Council, advises the president on national security and foreign policy.
CEA
Council of Economic Advisors
OMB
Office of Management and Budget
Circular structure
Many people can interact with the president, like low advisors and assistants
Pyramid structure
Heirarchical structure limiting interaction with the president to high up advisors
Acting appointments
Temporary filling for an employee on leave.
Independent agencies
agencies that exist out of the federal executive departments.
Chief legislator
President has control over the passing of a bill and he can lobby aswell
Divided government
One major party in the executive branch and another in congress.
Unified government
One party through executive and legislative branches.
Executive orders
Order passed by the executive branch that has the power of law
Veto
Refusal of signing a piece of legislature that requires a ⅔ vote to pass over a veto.
Pocket veto
Not doing anything to the bill, neither vetoing or signing, that vetoes it
Line item veto
Vetoing a certain clause of a bill
Clinton v. New York City (1988)
Said presidents couldn’t do a line item veto.
Presidential coattails
President of one party supports other candidates in the same party for their election
Chief Diplomat
Presidents’ head role in foreign affairs
Commander in Chief
Presidents use of power during war time.
War Powers Resolution
Prevents President from declaring war w/o congress’s consent
Legislative veto
Legislature can overturn a veto with a ⅔ vote
Crisis
sudden and potentially dangerous event requiring the president to be a crisis manager
War Powers Act (1973)
Another name for war powers resolution
Lame duck
Final time in the presidency, where you can pass unpopular legislature.