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Section 7: Just how powerful is the president of
the united states?
Section 7: Just how powerful is the president of
the united states?
Presidential “Rules”
• 1. Move it or lose it -
• do everything early in your term
• 2. Avoid details
• keep only a few top priorities, if you try to do too much you get bogged down
• 3. Cabinets don’t get much accomplished, people do
• Give well designed responsibilities to Cabinet members and watch them closely
Why presidential power has grown
• 1. Champions of a stronger presidency have almost always prevailed
• 2. Provides unity - a single, commanding head
• 3. The US has become more industrialized and technological over time, thus people have demanded of it a more central role in life
• 4. The need for extraordinary, decisive action in times of national emergency
• 5. Congress has passed thousands of laws that expand the powers of the national government and delegates authority to the executive branch
• 6. Use of the mass media to attract attention
• 7. A more international world so easier to have one person dealing with other countries
Weak Presidency Arguments
• “Pitiless, helpless giant”
• Carter Arms Limitation with USSR not passed by Congress
• Reagan couldn’t try anti-satellite Arms
• Weak cont.
• Clinton health care plan ignored, House voted to impeach him
• Subordinates can leak info and undercut programs
Strong Presidency Arguments
• Strong Presidency: “Imperial Presidency”
• JFK and LBK - Vietnam without war declaration
• Bush Sr. - Saudi Arabia and First Persian Gulf War
• Strong cont.
• Clinton - Kosovo without war declaration
• GW Bush - Military tribunals and anti-terrorist laws
• Lame Duck Period
• Approval Ratings and mid-term elections
Presidents and their parties, Post WWII
• FDR - D
• Truman - D
• Ike - R
• JFK - D
• LBJ - D
• Nixon - R
• Ford - R
• Carter - D
• Reagan - R
• Bush - R
• Clinton - D
• Bush - R