A PRESIDENT CAN . . . A PRESIDENT CANNOT . . . Chapter Study OutlineIntroduction Although recent presidents have encountered numerous political troubles, the institution of the American presidency has grown in power and prominence over the past century. Designed as a “unitary” office, the presidency possesses a capacity for quick decision and action. In the twentieth century, a strong executive emerged and was institutionalized in American national politics as the power of the president, the office of the presidency and the executive branch, and popular expectations for strong presidential leadership all increased. Even though the framers anticipated that Congress would be the predominant branch of government, contemporary presidents wield formidable formal and informal resources of governance. 1. The Constitutional Basis of the Presidency What was the character of the presidency that the Constitution established? How did the process of presidential selection help to define this character? How have changes in presidential selection affected presidential leadership?
2. The Constitutional Powers of the Presidency With what types of constitutional powers is the president endowed? How have these powers changed over time?
3. The Rise of Presidential Government What was the president’s role during the era of legislative supremacy from 1800 to 1933? How did Franklin Roosevelt transform the power of the presidency and facilitate the rise of presidential government?
4. Presidential Government With the locus of policy decision making shifting from the Congress to the executive branch, how is presidential government performed and legitimated? What are the formal resources of presidential power? What are the contemporary political bases of presidential government? And how do presidents lead the expanded administrative state?
5. Presidential Power: Myths and Realities Must presidential power increase during times of emergency? Are presidents better guardians of the public interest than Congress? Is the presidency a more democratic branch of government than the Congress? That is, does the president have closer ties to the people than Congress does?
Which of the following powers does the president have?The Constitution explicitly assigns the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of their Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors.
What power does the president have as chief administrator?He is responsible for all federal departments, including cabinet departments, such as the State Department, and independent agencies, such as NASA. In his job as Chief Executive, the President is responsible for the administration of the many departments of the federal government.
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