Beruflich Dokumente
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06 page 1
7.27.06
President – Why have one?
Locke:
- lawmakers should not additionally be law enforcers
- laws need perpetual execution and oversight
- no need to have the legislative branch constantly in session
- executive prerogative
President Roles: Whast the public Expects
- symbolic president
- managing crises
- providing policy leadership
- managing the economy
- managing the government
- the global president
Constitutional Powers, Article II
- Chief Administrator: faithfully execute those laws! Appoint officials
- Chief Legislator: idea man, State of the Union, veto power:
o Less when more of Pres party in congress
o Less public support means less vetoes
o Varies according to presidential resources and the political
environment
- Chief Diplomat: Negotiate treaties, Receive ambassadors
- CommanderinChief: direct wars, appoint officers
Constitutional powers, Article II
Chief of State: exercise executive power:
- pardons
- represent the US
- Appoint judges
Congress and the president
- Whos in charge?
- Congress can override a presidential veto with 2/3 vote in both houses
- Only congress can appropriate money
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- Important presidential nominateions must be confirmed by the senate; “advice
and consent.” What does that mean?
Impeachment and trial of pres
Hous e impeachment senate – trial
- formal accusation - sentae sits as tiral court
- treason, bribery, high crime, - chief justice presides over the
misdemeanors trial of a president
- articles of impeachment list - 2/3 required to vote for
charges conviction and removal from
- if articles are adoptd by a office
majority vote
The Exercise of presidential power
- Honeymoon: lot’s of power
- Activist?
o taft (narrow): must have specific grant of power or justly implied power in
order to act.
o TR: act accordingly unless forbidden by law
- The power to pursuade
Chief legislator
- presidential leadership
- patronage
- party
- persuasion
- veto power
- appointment power
- public opinion
White House Staff
- Provides president with advice on multiple policy domains
- Monitors the operations of executive department and agencies
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- Evaluated the performance of key executive officials
The National Security Council
Created in 1947
Puposes
- to advise the president on national security matters
- to coordinate domestic, foreign, and military policies
Composition:
- President
- Vice president
- Secretary of Stae, defence, and treasury
- Director of national security council
Office of management and budget
- created by the budget and accounting act of 1921
- Functions:
o Reviews budgets and legislative proposals for all federal departments and
agencies
o Prepares the presidents annual budget proposals
Max Weber;s characteristics of bureaucracy
- chain and command
- division on labor
- specification of authority
- goals orientation
- impersonality – he loves us, but he’ll fail us
Independent Regulatory Commisions
( don’t answer directly to president, can make laws that are nto politically popular)
- regulate specific sectors of society
- commissioners appointed by president and confirmed by senate for fixed
terms
- staggered terms
- commissioners cannot be removed, except for cause
- political insulated
- Federal reserve, FCC, SEC
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Regulatory Agencies inside cabinet departments
- FDA (HHS)
- OSHA – occupational health and safety , labor
- IRS – treasury
Independent Agencies
- Headed by administrators who are appointed by president and confirmed by
senate.
- Independent executive agencies have narrower mandates than a cabinet
department
- They generally perform a service function, not a regulatory one.
- Heads can be removed by president
- Independent in that they report directly to the president and not to a cabinet
official
- EPA, CIA NASA
Government Coporations
- perform services that the provate sector has not been able to adequately carry
out (they are not profitable)
- charge for services
- Postal serviced, TVA, Amtrack.
Policy Making
- When congress passes a law that creates any kind of federal agency,
department, or commission, it delegated some part of its powers.
- In law, congress sets guidelines and leaves it to the agency to work out the
details
- How agencies execute congressional wishes is called implementation.
Agency rulemaking
- announce in the federal register
- hold hearing regarding proposed regulation
- conduct research on economic and environmental impacts
- solicit “public comments.”
- Consult with higher officials
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Public or political servants?
- spoils system: based on partisan affiliation
- merit system
- civil service reform act (1883) {pendleton act}
- patronage reduced
- too much job security?
Texas: The plural Executive Branch
1876 constitution created:
- governor
- lietenant governor
- secretary of state
- comptoller of public accounts/ treasurer
- commissioner of the general land office
- attorney general
Texas constitution:
Requirements for governorship
- impeachment
o iniated by house with trial in the senate
o james “Pa” Ferguson memoved from office in 1917. his wife, “Ma” later
served two terms as governor