Chapter 12: The Presidency

• 22nd Amendment

  Ratified in 1951; established limits on presidential terms to a maximum of two terms of office per president (maximum of 8 years)
• 25th Amendment

  ratified in 1967; established the vice-president to be acting president if the VP and cabinet determine that the president is "disabled"; outlines how a recuperated president can reclaim their job.
• Impeachment

  getting the president out of office called by the house and trial conducted by the senate; usually for grave actions of president.
• Legislative Skills of the President

  bargaining, moving fast, setting priorities; does not matter as legislative influence of the president is minimal if congressperson are uncooperative and fixed on catering toward their constituencies
• Bargaining

  when the president tries to persuade congressional members to pass their desired legislation. e.g. trading support on policies or providing benefits to select congressional members.
• Moving Fast

  when the president takes advantage of the beginning of their presidential term (honeymoon period) to quickly pass their legislation to congress in hopes of it passing.
• Honeymoon Period

  the first 100 days of a president; taking advantage of this period is called moving fast
• Setting Priorities

  when the president pushes specific important legislation proposals to congress before others (literally setting priorities on legislation) to set Congress's agenda and pass programs.
• Electoral Mandate


  when the public extremely favors a president and their policies, resulting in a more efficient congress and changing decision-making questions.
• Public Approval (of President)

  the main political resource that has the most chance of passing the president's legislative agenda onto congress. if the public approval of a president is low, congress tends to not follow the president's agenda.
• Party Leadership - Bondage

  representatives and senators of the same political party as the president form a psychological bond that makes it easier to pass the president's agenda through congress; note that presidents cannot always rely on this bond to pass legislative proposals.
• Party Leadership - Opposition

  representatives and senators of opposing political parties of the president have a "grudge" against the president and isn't very likely to push for presidential agenda; note that there are ways to get around this "grudge".
• Party Leadership - Slippage in Support

  lack of party unity in policies- particularly controversial ones- causes opposition in similarly alike parties of congressional members and the president. this opposition also stems from congressional members focusing on their constituents for re-election.
• Presidential Coattails

  voters who vote for congressional members in the mid-terms based on whether that member will support the agenda of the president. usually, these coattails don't do much to help the president.
• Chief Legislator

  when the president tries to influence and push their legislative agenda via legislative skills, vetoing, and taking advantage of party affiliation in congress. note that skilled legislative presidents do not always prevail implementing their agenda to congress
• Executive Order

  A rule/order from the president that acts as a law until overturned by either congress, the supreme court, or a new president who opposes that order; it does not require congressional action, but is usually destroyed after the president leaves office
• Executive Agreement

  an agreement between the president and a foreign nation/country that acts as a treaty without the formal procedure of senate ratification.
• Presidential Nomination

  when a president nominates a person to become either: a supreme court judge, presidential ambassador, or cabinet member. it requires confirmation from the senate.