Howard Yin

January 22, 2016

AP US Gov
Pattersons Outlines
Chapter 12: The Presidency Outline
Over time, the presidency has become a more powerful office
Owes largely to the legacy of strong presidents + domestic and
international developments that have increased the need for executive
leadership
The modern presidential campaign is a marathon affair in which self-selected
candidates seek a strong start in the nominating contests and a well-run media
campaign in the general election
The president could not control the executive branch without a large number
of presidential appointees, but the sheer number of these appointees is itself a
challenge to presidential control
The presidents election by national vote and position as sole chief executive
make the presidency the focal point of national politics
Foundations of the Modern Presidency
I.
Brief
A. Over history, each of presidents constitutional powers has
been expanded in practice beyond the framers expectation.
B. Congress initially designated role with foreign policy
objectives with President overseeing implementation presidents
gradually took control of this
C. Constitution also vests executive power--> responsibility to
execute laws faithfully, as well as legislative authority (expected to be used in
a limited way)
II.
Changing Conception of the Presidency
A. Two features have enabled presidents to make use of
changing demands on government to claim national policy leadership:
national election / singular authority
B. Whig Theory holds that the presidency is a limited or
constrained office whose occupant is empowered to act only within the
confines of expressly granted constitutional authority (weak administrator)
C. Stewardship theory calls for strong presidency that is limited,
not by what the Constitution allows, but by what it prohibits
1. Presidents are free to act as they choose, as
long as they do not take actions denied them by law
III.
Need for a Strong Presidency
A. Congress ill suited with directing the thousands of programs
and hundreds of agencies (fragmented and can only act through negotiation)
1. Presidency is structured in a way that enables it
to regularly oversee govt activity + develop comprehensive
approaches to policy
2. Easier to undertake large-scale planning (final
authority rests with 1 person)
B. Strengthened by the expanded scope of foreign policy
1. Foreign policy requires singleness of purpose
and fast action
Choosing the President
I.
Brief History

A. Del
egates to
constitutional
convention of 1787
feared popular
election would be
too powerful, so
they devised the
Electoral College
B. Jac
kson championed
the national party
convention as a
means of
nominating the
partys presidential
candidate

II.

III.

IV.

(nominations previously made by party caucuses)

1. National convention was a means of
strengthening the link between the presidency and the people
C. New rules in 1968 gave party voters more control by requiring
states to select their delegates through either primary elections or open party
causes
Nominating Campaign: Primaries and Caucuses
A. Candidates for nomination have no choice but to start early
and run hard
1. Year before first contest in Iowa is a critical
period, called the invisible primary
2. No votes are cast, but it is time when
candidates demonstrate through their fundraising ability, poll standing,
and debate performance
B. Once state caucuses and primaries get under way, a key
success is momentum: a strong showing in the early contests that contributes
to voter support in subsequent ones
1. Nobody has an interest in candidates who are
at the back, advantage always rests with fast starters
C. Money is a crucial factor
The National Party Conventions
A. Despite the lack of suspense, the convention remains a major
event
1. It brings together delegates elected in state
caucuses and primaries, who approve a party platform and formally
nominate the partys presidential and vice presidential candidates
2. Serves as a time for party to heal any divisions
and to persuade the party faithful to rally
B. By tradition, choice for choosing vice-presidential nominees
rests with the presidential nominee
The General Election Campaign
A. Independents rarely win elections, but they can play a major
part in swinging the election and drawing votes away

B. Democratic and Republican nominees have a built-in

advantage and have a reservoir of votes (most people identify with either one)
C. Candidates strategies in general election are shaped by
several considerations
1. Importance of Electoral College votes is
magnified by the unit rule: all states except Maine and Nebraska grant
all their electoral votes as a unit to the candidate who wins the states
popular vote
2. As a result, candidates are concerned with
winning the most populous states and lack incentive to campaign in a
lopsidedly Republican or Democratic state
D. Candidates today rely particularly on the media--the Internet
and TV
1. Internet mostly used for fundraising and
organizing
2. TV used as a way to persuade fundraising and
organizing (accounts for most of their spending)
3. Nominees try to win over voters who are
undecided or wavering in their choice
Staffing the Presidency
I.
The Vice President
A. Assigned no executive authority; duties within administration
are determined by President
II.

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

A. Command center of the presidency-->provides President with

the staff necessary to coordinate the activities of the Executive Branch
B. White House Office serves president most directly; mainly
consists of Presidents personal assistants
1. Also skilled at developing political strategy and
communicating with the media, public, and other officials
III.
Cabinet and Agency Appointees
A. Heads of 15 exec departments constitute the presidents
cabinet
B. Appointed by Pres, subject to confirmation by Senate
C. As issues have increased in complexity, presidents have relied
more heavily on presidential advisors and individual cabinet members rather
than on the cabinet as a whole
D. Largest chief executive than of any other democracy
IV.
Large number of presidents appointees also pose a control problem for the
President
A. Number of bureaucratic agencies since Truman have doubled
B. Presidents problem is most severe in case of appointees who
work in the departments and agencies
1. Loyalty can sometimes be split between a
desire to promote the presidents goals and an interest in promoting
themselves
C. Lower-level appointees pose a different type of problem;
President rarely sees them
Factors in Presidential Leadership
I.
The Force of Circumstance
A. When conditions are favorable, the power of the presidency is
remarkable.
1. Problems for most is that they serve at a time
when conditions are not conducive to ambitious goals.
B. Presidential influence depends largely on circumstance-scarce resources, important problems surfacing
II.
The Stage of the Presidents Term
A. Conditions conducive to great accomplishments often come
during the first months in office--honeymoon period
III.
Nature of the Issue: Foreign or Domestic
A. Presidents have an edge in foreign policy issues, because
they have more authority to act on their own and are more likely to have
congressional support
1. Is recognized by other nations as Americas
voice in world affairs
B. Presidents acquire leverage in foreign and defense policy
because of their special relationship with the defense, diplomatic, and
intelligence agencies
C. Presidents domestic policy initiatives face stiffer opposition
than foreign policy efforts
1. Attempts at significant action in domestic policy
realm invariably activates contending forces
IV.
Relations with Congress
A. President does have significant ability in setting the national
agenda and directing attention, but not necessarily action

B. Seeking Cooperation from Congress

1. To get help from Congress, president must
respond to their interests. Presidents can cajole, but not force->Congress is a constituency that must be served if President expects
to have support from
2. Veto is as much a sign of presidential weakness
as it is a sign of strength
C. Benefiting from Partisan Support in Congress
1. Sources of division within Congress are many,
but no source of unity is more important to presidential success than
partisanship
2. Presidents are far more likely to succeed when
their own party controls Congress
D. Colliding with Congress
1. Gravity of impeachment action makes it an
unsuitable basis for curbing presidential action except in rare
circumstances
a) Congress-->responded
legislatively to what it sees as an unwarranted assertion of
exec power
V.
Public Support
A. With high presidential approval ratings, the presidents
leadership can be dismissed easily, but the reverse also applies
VI.
Events and Issues
A. Public support for president is conditioned by developments at
home and abroad
1. International crises tend to produce a patriotic
rally that builds support; public support tends to erode when crisis is
not resolved successfully or in a relatively short period
B. Economic downturns invariably reduce public confidence in the
president
VII.
The Televised Presidency
A. An advantage that presidents have in their efforts to nurture
public support is their access to the media, particularly TV
1. Only President can expect the networks to
provide free airtime to address the nation + he gets twice amount than
that of Congress
B. Going public-->President bypasses bargaining with Congress
and promotes his policies by appealing to the American public for support
Illusion of Presidential Government
No President can fully control his communicated image; national conditions
ultimately have the largest impact on a presidents public support
No amount of public relations can disguise adverse developments at home or
abroad
Because the publics expectations are high, presidents get too much credit
when things go well and too much blame when things go badly