Democracy Under Pressure

1
Democracy Under Pressure

• Chapter 13
• The President

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The President

• The paradox of the Presidency
• A president makes decisions that may affect the
  future of more than 6 billion people in the world
• The presidency is both an institution and a
  person
• The institution was created by the constitution,
  custom, cumulative federal law since 1789 and the
  gradual growth of formal and informal tools of
  presidential power.

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The President

• The person is a human being, powerful yet
  vulnerable, compassionate or vain, ordinary or
  extraordinary.

4
The President

• The many roles of the President
• Chief of State
• Chief Executive
• Commander in Chief
• Chief Diplomat
• Chief Legislator
• Chief of the Party
• Popular Leader

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The President

• Chief of State
• Is the symbolic Head of State. He is also Head of
  Government who presides over the machinery of the
  executive branch.
• Is a ceremonial position in which the President
  receives heads of state and dignitaries from
  other countries

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The President

• Chief Executive
• Article II describes the power granted to the
  President.
• As head of Executive Branch the President earns
  400,000 w/ a lifetime pension of 157,000.
• The Executive Branch includes the Cabinet,
  Executive Agencies and Independent Regulatory
  Agencies.

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The President

• Commander in Chief
• Supreme Commander of all United States armed
  forces.
• Can send the military anywhere in the world
• Can authorize the use of nuclear weapons
• The Football or BlackBox must always be near
  a president.
• Demonstrates the principle of Civilian Supremacy
  - civilian control of the military.

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The President

• Commander in Chief (continued)
• Most of the wars or conflicts that the U.S. has
  been involved in since WWII, were the results of
  presidential decisions, not Congress.
• War Powers Resolution A law passed by Congress
  in 1973 in an effort to set a time limit on the
  use of combat forces abroad by a president.

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The President

• Chief Diplomat
• In this role the president
• Receives foreign ambassadors
• Appoint ambassadors
• Make treaties with other countries provided 2/3
  of the Senate approve (ratification)
• Can sign Executive Agreements (international
  agreements between the president and foreign
  heads of state that do not require Senate
  ratification.

10
The President

• Chief Legislator
• Reserves the right to veto Congress
• Helps shape American domestic policy
• May evoke Executive Privilege claim by
  presidents of an inherent right to withhold info
  from Congress and the judiciary.

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The President

• Chief of the Party
• He is the number one person of his party.
• He works to build and maintain his political
  party.
• Helps party members win key elections
• Helps link his partys influence across the three
  branches and levels of government.

12
The President

• Popular Leader
• He speaks for all of America
• Expected to be a teacher and educate the people
  about great public issues.
• Serves as a team captain to rally or inspire
  the nation in times of challenge or crisises.

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The President

• Presidential Succession whos in charge if
  something happens to the president. First five in
  order
• Vice-President
• The Speaker of the House (Congress)
• The President Pro Tempore of the Senate
  (Congress)
• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Treasury

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The President

• Tools of Presidential Power
• The Cabinet 15 Departments headed by Secretaries
  that provide the President with advise on key
  areas of society.
• The White House Staff provide a variety of
  functions gatekeeps of his time, essential part
  of his decision making process.

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The President

• The Executive Office of the President - This
  includes a variety of agencies that report to the
  president
• The National Security Council
• Domestic Policy Council
• Office of Management and Budget
• National Economic Council
• Council of Economic Advisors
• Office of the United States Trade Representative
• The Vice President
• Presidential Commissions