Unit IV Lesson 3

Informal Powers of the President

Or Can He?...

Essential Question:

• What are the institutions and

policy-making processes of

the national government?

• What are the links between

the branches of the national

government, political parties,

interest groups, public

opinion, the media, and state

and local governments?

“Enumerated”

• Law Enforcement

• Treaties

• Pardons/Reprieves

• Appointments• Commander-in-Chief

2015

“Ratified”

2/3rds

2001-2009

“Ratify”

5

2001-2015

Executive Agreements- Pacts between a President and another

head of state that are nearly IDENTICAL to treaties but do NOT

require Senate approval and only last the duration of a

President’s term (NOT mentioned in the U.S. Constitution)

Executive

Agreements

Executive Agreements

Executive

AgreementsTreaties

“Domestic Policy”

From 1940-Present, the U.S. entered into 55 treaties and into 13,016 executive agreements

“Foreign

Policy”`

“Domestic Policy”

“Foreign Policy”

The Legislative ProcessUnit V

“Executive Order”

“Domestic

Policy”

Executive Orders – Instructions issued by the President that

carry the same legal authority as laws but BYPASS the

Legislative Branch (NOT mentioned in the U.S. Constitution)

* Carry out (enforce) laws

passed by Congress “Executive Orders”

“Law”

Unit I

“Executive Order” “Law”

Checks and

Balances

Unit I

“Separation of Power”

“Checks and

Balances”

2014

Since World War II, Presidents have relied more heavily on negotiating executive

agreements rather than treaties, as a result of which of the following?

A. Executive agreements are less cumbersome to finalize than treaties

B. The Cold War made it difficult for the President to make treaties with communist countries

C. The office of the President has been weakening in the years following WWII

D. The Senate refuses to discuss foreign policy with the President

Which of the following statements BESTdescribes the prevailing view of the power of

the president today?

A. The president is primarily an administrator carrying out the will of Congress

B. The president is the voice of the nation but cannot take any important action without the approval of Congress

C.The president has great authority domestically but very little power internationally

D. The power of the president has expanded drastically both domestically and abroad since ratification of the Constitution