constraints on the President

• what does a president require to successfully pass legislation in Congress and when has this not been achieved?

  • support in congress
  • 2012 Sandy Hook elementary shooting -> Obama wanted to pass gun control legislation and the majority of the public supported this but Congress rejected it
• when is amending, delaying or rejecting the president's legislation less effective?

  during a unified government

  • Obama could pass legislation easily during 2009-10 (affordable care act)
• why is it difficult for congress to override a presidential veto?

  they need a 2/3 majority in both chambers
• what does having the 'power of the purse' mean?

  congress has to pass the federal budget and therefore fund the federal government
• what happens when congress cannot agree on the funding for the federal government?

  government shutdown
• how many appointments must be confirmed by senate?

  more than 1000
• what does the senate confirmation of presidential appointments encourage the president to do?

  • make appointments carefully
• what is judicial review?

  the process of by which the judiciary examines the actions of the executive branch to check that they are lawful - if they are not then SCOTUS declares them unconstitutional
• what is judicial philosophy?

  the balance of the SCOTUS is determined by how many of its justices are liberal and how many of them are conservative
• in relation to judicial philosophy, when are presidents more likely to receive favourable rulings?

  when the majority of SCOTUS judges share their ideology