the executive

• what are the presidential powers in the constitution?

  • calling special sessions of congress
  • signing or vetoing legislation
  • appointing federal justices
  • receiving ambassadors
  • making treaties
  • granting pardons
  • giving the state of the union address
  • commander-in-chief
  • executing laws
• what are informal sources of executive power?

  • electoral mandate - those who win majority can usually get more through
  • national events - bush gained popularity due to the way he dealt with 9/11
  • the vice-president and cabinet - Biden's popularity of huge importance to obama's foreign policy
  • executive orders - Muslim travel ban
• what are powers of persuasion?

  it is when the president must bargain with those around him to get his way - has more persuasive power when he is popular - explains why informal sources of power are so crucial for a president
• what is an example of successful power of persuasion?

  Obama being able to pass PPACA - Obamacare - in 2010 due to it being a key piece of his campaign in 2008
• what is an example of unsuccessful power of persuasion?

  Trump campaigned on removing Obama care yet could not get his new replacement bill through congress. Can partially be seen as due to lower electoral mandate
• what is EXOP?


  the executive office of the president - it consists of those staff and bodies which immediately surround the president and help him carry out his duties
• when was the national security council established?

  1947
• what is the role of the national security council?

  to coordinate military, foreign policy, and security information and policy for the president

  briefs the president daily
• when was the office of management and budget established?

  1970
• what does the office of management and budget do?

  it advises the president on the budget and oversees federal department spending
• what are the factors affecting presidential relationship with congress?

  elections - congress elected more frequently, have to look to constituents as well as president - veto override of 97-1 9/11 victims bill in 2016

  sep of powers - dependant on C for money, war, leg ect. - trump failure to repeal obamacare

  persuasion - president popular - easier to persuade congress - obama failed to get congress to act on gun shootings

  divided gov - obama failed to get immigration reform through divided congress

  pres action - exec orders usurp congressional role - obama limited immigration reform
• what are the factors affecting presidential relationship with SC?

  appointments - presidents can shape SC to reflect own ideology - Bush replaced sandra day o'connor (centralist) with samuel alito (conservative)

  judicial review - supreme court struck down DAPA

  media - justices tendency to speak out about political events, causing tension - alito spoke out against Synder v Phelps in 2011
• what are the factors affecting presidential power?

  • presidential popularity - more popular = more likely to be successful in policy
  • election cycle - mid-terms might deliver divided government makes passing legislative agenda more difficult
  • national events - crises can have a hugely limiting effect on president - derail agenda by prioritising response to event e.g., sandy hook 2012, hurricane maria 2017
• what are the traditionally imperial powers of a president?

  • executive orders and agreements
  • signing statements
  • pardons
• how is the role of the commander in chief checked by congress?

  through congress's power to declare war. However, have not done so since 1941 yet USA has been involved in numerous conflicts since then
• what does the president's ability to act in foreign policy depend on?

  national circumstances. Congress still controls purse strings - e.g., congress ending vietnam war by withdrawing funding.
• what is an imperilled presidency?

  a president which is weak due to changing circumstances. President unlikely to be imperial for duration of presidency.
• what are the presidential controls?

  • choice of cabinet secs
  • ability to negotiate treaties
  • executive agreements
  • recognise countries
  • NSC
  • us armed forces
• what are congressional controls?

  • power of the purse
  • power to declare war
  • approval of cabinet members
  • approval of treaties
• when was EXOP created?

  1937
• example of a member of national security council helping coordinate military policy

  susan rice interviewed as Obama's NSA in the aftermath of the benghazi attack
• example of white house office supporting the president?

  stephen miller defending trump's actions in a 'state of the union' interview with jake tapper
• example of OMB helping with presidential policy

  Trump's OMB director Mick Mulvaney commented that a 'good shutdown' might be need in 2017
• exam of a Biden pardon?

  Betty Jo Bogans - possession with intent to distribute cocaine. - April 2022