• The Presidency

American Federal Government

My style: Professional Preppy

• Leadership styles– 2 Theories

• Clerk and Chief: Congressional power is primary; no power of independent Presidential action

• Energetic Executive: Executive power requires discretion, just as cops must exercise discretion when enforcing the law

That’s right, he can do whatever he wants

• Executive Orders– Nothing explicitly mentioned in Constitution

other than the vague executive powers clause– Examples

• Lend Lease Program• Japanese Internment Camps• Seizing Property during Wartime• Retaliation against OPEC

– Where does it end?

I don’t like your stinkin’ bill!

• Veto Power– Need 2/3’s override from Congress– Regular Veto and pocket veto– The demise of the line-item veto– New Era

• Threat of the Veto

Presidents who don’t play well with others

• The Presidential Record on Vetoes# of Vetoes # overridden

Truman 180 12Eisenhower 73 2Kennedy 12 0Johnson 16 0Nixon 26 7Ford 48 12Carter 13 2Reagan 39 9Bush 29 1Clinton 35 1

The Starting Point

• The Evolution of the Presidency– Constitutional Presidency (1787-1826)

• Executive constrained and limited

• Indirectly elected, so hopefully no partisanship (never happened)

• Article 2 - “The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America” (many interpretations)

Andrew Jackson beat the Presidency with his cane

• The Evolution of the Presidency– Politicized Presidency (1830-1912)

• Jackson made executive branch more assertive (i.e. veto for political purposes)

• Idea of a popular mandate emerges with expansion of voters

• President becomes responsible for the direction of the administration

FDR to Present: I’m the leader!

• The Evolution of the Presidency– Modern President (1932-Present)

• President portrays “national will”

• Media focus on most visible person

• New demands on government– Foreign Policy

– Economic Crises

– Some say this has gone too far?

Yes, the other two branches do still have some power

• An “Imperial” or an “Imperiled” Office?

• Separated Institutions Sharing Power– The power to persuade

– Grassroots support

– “going public” -- appealing over the heads of members of Congress

– Political Capital and “Bank Account”

– State of the Union/Honeymoons

– Decline in support over time

We know about abortion, but what about Angola?

• Measuring Presidential Success in Congress– The “Two Presidencies”

• Domestic Policy: Visible and public was very aware

• Foreign Policy: Not as visible and less knowledge of foreign affairs

– The impact of Vietnam– New Trend: Multiple Presidencies?

…and they’re not ALL interns

• The “Institutional Presidency”

– Growth of staff

• accrual of functions to the presidency

• way to control policy initiatives

• chief of staff function

Presidency

• 4 Types of Presidents– 2 Dimensions

– Passive versus Active• How much the individual used the Presidency to accomplish

• Legislatively active or defers to congress and advisors

– Positive versus Negative• View of the institution

• Vehicle to do good or a due burden