Unit 3 academic

Unit 3 - Academic

The Executive Branch

Day 3.1: What is the basic makeup of the branch according to Article II?

Bell Ringer:

1. Take 3 minutes to go over Chapter 13.

Agenda

1. Bell Ringer

2. Quiz

3. Go over quiz

4. Notes

5. Review

Day 3.2: How did our earliest presidents shape the office?

Bell Ringer

1. What are the various titles the president holds?

2. Who is currently the vice-president, Secretary of State and Defense?

3. Name a check the legislative and judicial branch has over the executive.

Agenda:1. Bell Ringer

2. Finish earlier notes.

3. Reading – cover Presidents Washington through, but not including Jackson.

4. In you notes, write down 3 important accomplishments of each prez and three things that support if they are weak or strong.

5. Compare

6. Discussion.

I. Presidency

A. Constitutional Qualifications for Presidency

1. Article II, Sec. 1, and : the president must be-a. native bornb. resident for 14 yearsc. 35 years old

d. Informal “Requirements”:i. White, Male, Protestant (except one) ii. All manner of professions, but mostly political ones (former state

governors, for example)

2. Article II, Sec 1: term: four years3. Amendment 22: re - elected once, can serve less than 1/2 of

the previous term4. Amendment 25: If the president dies, resigns or is

impeached and convicted, the following will be president:a. vice president b. Speaker of the Housec. President Pro Tempore of the Senated. Cabinet in order formed: State

B. Duties1. Head of Government

a. Manage domestic affairsb. Workings of the federal government. c. The president can issue - executive orders: binding force

of law upon federal agencies but do not require congressional approval.

d. Commander-in-Chiefe. Veto Lawsf. State of the Union – propose legislationg. Federal judgesh. Ambassadorsi. Treaties

2. Head State – As head of state, presidents often perform many ceremonial functions, which usually result in favorable press coverage.

3. Head of Party

a. The Bonds of Party - The psychological bond of being in the president’s party

a. Slippage in Party Support - Presidents cannot always count on party support, especially on controversial issues

b. Leading the Partyi. Presidents can offer party candidates support and

punishment by withholding favors.ii. Presidential coattails occur when voters cast their

ballots for congressional candidates of the president’s party because they support the president.

C. Character or Manner of Ruling1. Passive:

a. Relies on advisorsb. Pass the blame to themc. Doesn’t like a lot of info

2. Active:a. Makes most decisionsb. Takes the blamec. Policy wonk (likes to read and know a lot)

3. Negativea. Dislikes the presidencyb. Accepted it out of reluctancec. Hates the “limelight”d. Socially introverted.

4. Positive:a. Loves “pomp and circumstance.”b. Enjoys attention of the presidency. c. Socially extroverted.

D. Washington

1. Established precedents

2. Dignity and honor of the presidency.

3. Supremacy of federal government and executive branch (Whiskey Rebellion).

4. Foreign affairs – a. Neutrality Act

b. Peace with Jay’s Treaty with Britain

E. Adams and Jefferson1. Adams

a. Elected by the House of Representatives because no one received a majority.

b. Believed in a strong federal governmentc. Loose constructionist – build on the Constitutiond. Passed the Alien and Sedition Acts to silence critics

2. Jeffersona. Popular among peopleb. Strict constructionist – do only what the Constitution says.c. Slashed the size of the government – fiscally conservatived. Liberal when it came to rights.e. Made the LA Purchase reluctantlyf. Sent navy to fight pirates in north of Africa.g. Embargo Act made him unpopular.

F. General Trends

1. Presidents become unpopular over their term (usually).

2. Politicians become more moderate overtime (usually).

3. Perspectives on Presidential Powera. Through the 50’s & 60’s a powerful

President was perceived as good.

b. From the 70’s on, presidential power was checked and distrusted by the public.

1. Jackson - Democrata. South Carolina says no to higher tariffs

i. President threatens to invade SCii. Congress compromises with lower tax

b. Indian Removal Acti. Supreme Court says it is unconstitutionalii. President says “who cares” and removes them anyway.

c. Vetoi. Says no to 2nd Bank of the USA, over Congress’s objectionii. Vetoes more bills than all previous presidents combined

2. Tyler - Whiga. Called “His Accidency”b. Congress thinks he is a joke.c. He vetoes many laws so his Cabinet quits and the Whig party kicks him out.

3. Polk - Democrata. Controls all decisions of Mexican Warb. Is jealous of his generals (they are Whigs)c. Works so hard he gets sick and cannot run again.

G. Manifest Destiny Presidents

H. Abraham Lincoln - Republican

1. Led us during Civil War.2. Suspended habeas corpus.3. Arrests government officials who want to

secede to South.4. Arrests reporters who sympathize with the

South.5. Declares martial law in some places. 6. Raises military without permission from

Congress.7. Figures he can do it because the country is

mostly Republican.

I. Weak Presidents

1. Andrew Johnsona. Southern, racist, and democrat

b. Accidental president.

c. Would not reconstruct the South the way Congress wanted.

d. Impeached, but not removed.

2. Ulysses S. Granta. Civil War hero.

b. Failed to reconstruct the South or protect blacks.

c. Trusted corrupt friends too much.

J. Modern Presidents

1. Teddy Roosevelta. Environmentalistb. Food and Drug inspectionsc. Panama Canal

2. Woodrow Wilsona. WWIb. Failed League of Nations

3. FDRa. New Dealb. Elected to four terms.c. WWIId. United Nations

4. Trumana. Used atom bomb to finish WWII.b. Fought as underdog to win election in 1948.c. Continued the New Deal.d. Sent troops to fight North Korean communists.

5. Eisenhowera. Brought back troops from Korea.b. Peaceful, prosperous era.c. Tried to ignore Civil Rights, but had to send troops to Little

Rock to protect black students who attended white school.

6. Kennedya. New Frontier – help poor, lower taxes, space program.b. Bay of Pigs – failed to provide air support for Cubans that

were invading communist island.c. Cuban Missile Crisis –

i. Blockaded island to stop nuclear weapons from going in or out.ii. Soviets agree to take back weapons if we do the same in Turkey.iii. We promise to leave Cuba alone.

d. Assassinated in Dallas.

7. Johnsona. Continues Kennedy's programs.b. Signs Civil Rights bill.c. Creates “Great Society” to help poor, working class,

young, and elderly.d. Wins 1964 election by landslide, but is then bogged

down by Vietnam.8. Nixon

a. Pulls us out of Vietnam.b. Makes peace with China and USSR.c. Covers up Watergate scandal.d. Resigns.

9. Ford – pardons Nixon and is unable to bring the nation together politically or economically.

10. Carter – Southern governor that is an outsider. Bad economy and Americans taken hostage in Iran bogs him down.

11. Reagana. Brings hope to America – “Have pride in yourself.”b. Get things done without evil government.c. Cuts taxes and spends bug on military to scare USSR.

12. Clintona. Balances budget.b. Reforms welfare to work.c. Tax deductions to lower and middle class.d. Increases spending to education and crime fighting.e. Impeached because he lied under oath about Lewinsky affair, but not removed.

Bureaucracy

1. White House Staff

2. Cabinet

3. Civil Servants

4. Major Agencies

White House Staff

1. Close advisors, researchers, organize schedule.

2. Most work in Executive Office Building.

3. Closest work in West Wing.

4. Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Counsel, Communications Director.

Cabinet

1. 13 Departments

2. State

3. Defense

4. Treasury

5. Justice – Attorney General

6. Interior

7. Homeland Security

Civil Servants

1. Use to be Patronage or Spoils System (knew people to get job).

2. Pendleton Act eliminated patronage and made way for Civil Service System.

3. System= jobs, pay, and promotion depend upon testing, seniority, and professionalism.

4. 5 Characteristicsa. Specializationb. Hierarchyc. Explicit Rulesd. Impartialitye. Merit Promotions

Major Agencies

1. CIA

2. NSA

3. FBI

4. IRS

5. EPA

6. INS

Running the Government:The Chief Executive

• The Vice President– Basically just “waits” for things to do– Recent presidents have given their VPs

important jobs

• The Cabinet– Presidential advisors, not in Constitution– Is made up of the top executives of the

Federal Departments, confirmed by the Senate

Running the Government: The Chief Executive

Figure 13.1


• The Executive Office– Made up of several policymaking and advisory bodies– Three principle groups: NSC, CEA, OMB


• The White House Staff– Chief aides and staff for the president - some

are more for the White House than the president

– Presidents rely on their information and effort

• The First Lady– No official government position, but many get

involved politically– Recent ones focus on a single issue

Running the Government: The Chief Executive

• Principal Offices in the White House (Figure 13.2)

Introduction

• Classic conception of bureaucracy (Max Weber)– Hierarchical authority structure– Uses task specialization– Operate on the merit principle– Behave with impersonality– A well-organized machine with lots of working

parts.

The Bureaucrats

• Some Bureaucratic Myths and Realities– Americans dislike bureaucrats.– Bureaucracies are growing bigger each year.– Most federal bureaucrats work in Washington,

D.C.– Bureaucracies are ineffective, inefficient and

always mired in red tape.

The Bureaucrats

• Growth in Civilian Government Employees (Figure 15.1)

The Bureaucrats

The Bureaucrats

• Who They Are and How They Got There– Civil Service: From Patronage to Protection.

• Patronage: Job given for political reasons.• Civil Service: System of hiring and promotion

based on merit and nonpartisanship (Pendleton Civil Service Act).

• Merit Principle: Entrance exams and promotion ratings to find people with talent and skill.

• Office of Personnel Management: The federal office in charge of most of the government’s hiring.

The Bureaucrats

• Who They Are and How They Got There– The Other Route to Federal Jobs: Recruiting

from the Plum Book• Lists the very top jobs available for Presidential

appointment.• Presidents work to find capable people to fill the

positions.• Some plum jobs (ambassadorships) are

patronage.• Their most important trait is transience.

How Bureaucracies Are Organized

• The Cabinet Departments– 13 Cabinet departments headed by a

secretary– Department of Justice headed by Attorney

General– Each has its own budget, staff and policy

areas– Status as a cabinet department can be

controversial.


• Organization of the Executive Branch (Figure 15.3)


• Organization of the Department of the Interior (Figure 15.4)

Understanding Bureaucracies

• Bureaucracy and Democracy– Presidents Try to Control the Bureaucracy

• Appoint the right people.• Issue executive orders.• Tinker with the agency’s budget.• Reorganize an agency.


• Bureaucracy and Democracy– Congress Tries to Control the Bureaucracy

• Influence presidential appointments.• Tinker with the agency’s budget.• Hold hearings.• Rewrite the legislation or make it more detailed.


• Bureaucracy and Democracy– Iron Triangles and Issue Networks

• Iron Triangles: A mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees.

• Exist independently of each other.• They are tough, but not impossible, to get rid of.• Some argue they are being replaced by wider

issue networks that focus on more policies.

Figure 15.5



• Bureaucracy and the Scope of Government– Many state that this is an example of a

government out of control.– But, the size of the bureaucracy has shrunk.– Some agencies don’t have enough resources

to do what they are expected to do.– Only carry out the policies, Congress and the

president decide what needs to be done.

Unit 3 academic

Documents

party presidents

presidents party slippage

house president

head of party

previous presidents

unconstitutional president

powerful president

earliest presidents