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The Presidency: An Impossible Job?
Dr C Harlen, University of LeedsWhite House photo in public domain
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Recent Presidents Have All Failed in Some Way
• Military problems: Johnson, Nixon, G.W.Bush
• Economic problems: Nixon, Ford, Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush
• Misconduct in office: Nixon, Clinton
• Lack of policy knowledge: Reagan
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Potential Explanations for Failure
• Faulty selection process
• Poor judgment of electorate
• Overly difficult job
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Selection Process: Lengthy and Expensive
• Candidates announce 1 year before primaries
• Increased use of primaries instead of caucuses.
• Frontloading of primaries
• End of reliance on public funding
• These factors restrict who runs
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Does the Public Make Inappropriate Choices?
President’s current roles: foreign policy, work with Congress to pass legislation.
Overall: 25 of 44 presidents had Congress
experience (57%) versus 2 out of last six (33%)
Governors mainly. Qualified to be president?
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Powers of the President Alone as Head of State
• Slight similarities with governor’s role
• Commander in chief vs. control of state national guard.
• Represents government.
Government of California photo in public domain
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Powers Involving Work with Legislature
Common
• Powers of appointment.
• Passing legislation with approval of legislature.
Different
• Making treaties as head of state (+ 2/3 Senate approval)
• Governors often control issues public care about most
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Powers of President Alone as Head of Government Not Involving Foreign
Policy• Granting reprieves and pardons
• Convening State of the Union Address
• Ensuring laws are faithfully executed
• Wielding ‘executive power’
• Appointing officials
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Is the Job Too Demanding?
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Jimmy Carter: Beginning and soon after presidency
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The Secret to Looking Younger: Leaving the Presidency!
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President as Head of State and Government Creates High Expectations!
Source: U.S. National Portrait Gallery education use allowed
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Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain
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Head of State Role Creates Great Expectations
‘The president we get is the country we get...’
Novelist E.L. Doctorow, 2004
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Presidents Can Also Use the Historic Presidency
As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain
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Compared with Prime Ministers
• Less assured support in legislature usually.
• Less unified cabinet.
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Presidents’ Party Often Doesn’t Control Both Branches of Congress
1951 Truman D D D53, 55 EisenhowerR D R
1961 Kennedy D D D1965 Johnson D D D1969 Nixon R D D1974 Ford R D D1977 Carter D D D1981 Reagan R D R1989 G.H.W.BushR D D1993 Clinton D D D1995 Clinton D R R2001 G.W.Bush R R Varied2003 G.W.Bush R R R2007 G.W.Bush R D D2009 Obama D D D
11, 13 Obama D R D
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Challenges of the Presidency: Managing the Government
• Over 3 million civilian employees, 1.4 million active military.
• 7,000 political appointments alone (a government of strangers).
• No collective responsibility of cabinet.
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Conclusion
• Presidents do not necessarily have or need congressional experience
• Inflated expectations of the president problematic.
• President heads large organisation with no guarantees of loyalty.
• Lack of success not surprising.