Chapter 12
The Presidency: The Leadership Branch
Today executive power is far-reaching. Congress has delegated many emergency powers to the president, and the president has almost total control in national security matters. Television and the televised press conference have extended the speech-making powers of the presidency. The office of the president is indeed enormous. It is the heart of policy formulation in both domestic and foreign affairs. It is the office to which we look in time of emergency and crisis. This was
especially evident in the rallying of the American people behind George W. Bush after the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The president is no longer one person but an institution of people gathered about the president to aid him in the decision-making process. Although ultimate power still rests in the hands of one person, modern presidents have created a staff to cope with national and international affairs. This extension is the Executive Office with components that separately manage domestic policy, economic policy, national security (foreign affairs), congressional relations, and public relations.
The chapter presents a number of vexing questions. Do the qualities of personality and style that serve a candidate so well become stumbling blocks when the individual reaches the White House? Is the presidency equal to the jobs imposed upon the office? How can we make the office of the presidency work for democracy?
Part I — Glossary
CURTISS V. WRIGHT CASE - Supreme Court decision of 1936 that gave the president extensive, undefined powers in foreign affairs.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT - A cluster of staff agencies that assist the president.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET - Presidential staff agency concerned with budget and management.
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL - Presidential agency concerned with national security.
DIVIDED GOVERNMENT – Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency, the other both houses of Congress.
CABINET – Advisory council for a president, consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few others the president considers cabinet-level officials.
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM - A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president.
PRESIDENTIAL TICKET - The joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the Twelfth Amendment.
EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS- Agreements between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that do not require Senate approval.
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE - The right to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.
"TAKE CARE" CLAUSE - The constitutional requirement (Article II, Section 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws.
INHERENT POWERS - Powers that grow out of the very existence of government.
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS - The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.
IMPEACHMENT - Formal accusation against a public official, the first step in removal from office.
CHIEF OF STAFF- The head of the White House staff.
RALLY POINT - A rise in public approval of the president that follows a crisis as Americans rally "round the flag" and the chief executive.
Part II — Political Dialogue: The Clash of Issues and Ideas
1.Woodrow Wilson is reported to have said, “Only prudent athletes should run for the
presidency.” Would you agree? How would you lighten the burden of the presidency without diminishing the powers of the president?
2.Richard Neustadt writes, “the power to persuade is the power to bargain.” Cite examples of a president bargaining in order to secure the enactment of his program.
3.President Truman is identified with the quotation, “the buck stops here.” Is this a realistic description of the role of the president?
- Theodore Roosevelt referred to the White House as “a bully-pulpit.” Discuss the
meaning of this phrase in terms of contemporary politics and current issues.
5.Woodrow Wilson is associated with this quotation: “the president is at liberty, both in law and conscience to be as big a man as he can be.” Do you think that this is a good guideline for the modern presidency?
6.Warren Harding is associated with the quotation, “the White House is a prison.” Comment.
7.“The media destroy every hero ... they strip them naked.” Comment in relation to the presidency.
8.“... If it were left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I prefer the latter.” Comment.
9.David Halberstam in The Best and the Brightest advances the theory that we became deeply involved in the Vietnam War because presidential advisers (“the best and the brightest”) were almost unanimous in recommending escalation of that war. How can a president
get the most out of his advisers so that a major mistake is avoided? Should a
president deliberately choose advisers that are ideological and philosophical “opposites”?
10.Frequently it is said that Congress has reasserted itself. In fact, some scholars believe that it has shifted the balance of power too much in its own favor. Do you believe that the average American views Congress as an “equal among equals” in its relationship with the president?
11.Our historical experience as a nation abounds with examples of military and diplomatic initiatives taken by presidents without congressional support or approval. Can you suggest any restrictions on presidential power that would not endanger our national security?
12. In what ways did Hillary Clinton depart from the traditional pattern of "First Lady"? How
does Laura Bush differ from Hillary in her "First Lady" approach?
Part III — Political Science Today
- Review newspapers and periodicals to find examples of how President Clinton used the “bully pulpit” during his years in office. Also, try to find out why Clinton’s presidential rating remained relatively high during his 1998-1999 impeachment. Also, compare the media’s treatment of George W. Bush during his first term in office, especially after 9/11. Did the Bush "rally around the flag" support level fade during his first term? If so, why? If not, why not?
2.What factors do you believe are responsible for presidential “greatness” or failure? Despite the surveys of great presidents available in the chapter, which president do you believe was truly effective and why? Do most Americans want presidents who offer a vision of the future, who inspire them, who display political courage and daring? Or, depending upon the era, can the American people be satisfied with a president who preserves the status quo with few examples of dramatic policy proposals or changes? Research these questions carefully and come up with your own conclusions.
3.Because presidential actions frequently run contrary to congressional wishes, some political observers would like to see presidents act more like British prime ministers vis-a-vis the loyal opposition. For example, would it be advantageous for a president to intermittently meet with congressional leaders from the opposing party to answer questions. (Consider that the meeting might end up being conducted much like a televised press conference, given the broadcasting capabilities of C-SPAN.) A skillful president might be able to galvanize support for his programs among members of his own party as well as the opposition. On the other hand, the whole process could turn into a political disaster. What do you think would happen? What areas might be off-limits for such an open discussion?
A second idea to win support from the opposition would be for the president to select cabinet members from both parties to create an atmosphere of bipartisanship. What advantages and disadvantages might be attained with a bipartisan cabinet?
4.If you were president, how would you make sure that you were receiving accurate information and advice from your staff? In other words, would you prefer a loose advisory arrangement where a large number of close advisers and staffers could have access to you on a frequent basis? Or, in order to manage your time effectively, would you prefer trusting only two or three close advisers who in turn would screen out distractions and act as contacts for those wishing to see you directly? These few advisers would also pass on information to you, summarizing data and options from other executive officials. What are the merits or demerits of each approach from the perspective of running an efficient but knowledgeable presidency?
Research the management styles of Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. How well informed do you think each was/is?
- Is the current $400,000 salary for the president enough, given his responsibilities and roles?
Comment.
PART IV — Data Analysis
1.Presidents of the United States deliver an annual State of the Union Address where,before a joint session of Congress, they attempt to tell the legislators and the public what problems face the nation, how those problems might be resolved, and what the international position of the nation is at the time of the Address.
State of the Union Addresses differ from one president to another, from era to era as new controversies and issues enter and leave the national agenda. In order to understand some of these differences, compare President George Bush's 1992 Address with President Bill Clinton's Address in 1999 and George W. Bush's State of Union Address in 2002 and 2003. What differences existed in terms of policy emphasis, solutions, drama and idealism? Sources such as Facts on File and The New York Times should have complete transcripts of each Address.
2.The results of public opinion polls over the last fifty years indicate that a president's popularity can change substantially from year to year. Examine Figure 12-3 and answer the following questions:
•Which presidents experienced the most change in their approval ratings?
•What type of change in popularity generally occurs during a president's term(s) of office?
•Which presidents maintained the most consistent approval ratings?
•Which presidents had the highest ratings? Which had the lowest?
•What might cause the approval ratings to change? Do you think change is inevitable? Why/why not?
Part V — Test Answers
Data Analysis
- Each student may emphasize different aspects of the two addresses, so there is not one perfect answer.
- Eisenhower and Reagan; Truman and Nixon suffered the greatest popularity drops. But George Bush's precipitous drop in the year after the Persian Gulf War is comparable. Clinton’s popularity levels remained relatively high, despite his
impeachment trial.