The Presidency & JudiciaryI. Presidency

A. Rankings & Popularity

B. Qualifications & the Constitution

II. Roles/Functions

A. Administrative

B. Domestic Policy

C. Foreign Policy

D. Military

E. Symbolic

III. Judiciary

A. Qualifications & Constitution

B. “Job”

Key Terms

• Cabinet

• Pocket Veto

• Treaty-making

• Executive Agreement

• War Powers Act

• Pardon

• Judicial Review

Ranking The Presidents

#1 Abraham Lincoln (1861-65)

#2 Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

#3 George Washington (1789-1797)

Source: Ranking the Presidents, Ridings & McIver (1997)

Ranking The Presidents

Source: Ranking the Presidents, Ridings & McIver (1997)

Other Important Presidents:

#4 Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

#9 Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)

#15 John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

Ranking The Presidents

Source: Ranking the Presidents, Ridings & McIver (1997)

The Worst Presidents:

#32 Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

#41 Warren Harding (1921-1923)

#38 Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

Are you generally satisfied with the way things are going in the US at this time, or generally dissatisfied?

Generally Satisfied 25.4%Generally Dissatisfied 74.6%

Source: September, 2010 Student Survey at WSCC

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president in general?

Approve 37.3%No Opinion 29.4%Disapprove 32.5%

Source: September, 2010 Student Survey at WSCC

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling economic conditions?

Approve 29.4%No Opinion 29.4%Disapprove 39.7%

Source: September, 2010 Student Survey at WSCC

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling relations with other nations?

Approve 38.1%No Opinion 41.3%Disapprove 18.3%

Source: September, 2010 Student Survey at WSCC

Presidential Approval: Obama, Bush & Clinton

Source: Student Surveys at WSCC from 1998-2010

Sept, 2010 37% Approval RatingJune 2010 50% Approval RatingJan 2010 36% Approval RatingSept, 2009 39% Approval RatingJan, 2009 13% Approval RatingSept 2008 21% Approval RatingJan 2008 16% Approval RatingSept, 2006 24% Approval Rating Sept, 2004 30% Approval RatingSept, 2003 34% Approval RatingJan, 2003 51% Approval RatingSept, 2002 62% Approval RatingJan, 2002 79% Approval RatingSept, 2001 39% Approval RatingJune, 2001 18% Approval RatingJan, 2001 48% Approval RatingSept, 1998 31% Approval Rating

Qualifications & Constitution

Age 35

Birth Born in the USA

Residency Resident of USA for 14 years

Salary $400,000

Presidential Salary/Income Comparison

Obama = $400,000

Harrison Ford = $65 mill.

Angelina Jolie = $27 mill.

Aubrey McClendon (Oil Executive)

$112 mill. in 2008

Alex Rodriguez = $33 mill.

Lawrence Ellison (Oracle)

$556 mill. in 2009

Presidents & Constitution

Who was the first president to die while in office?

William Henry Harrison (1841)

Line of Succession to the Presidency

#1 Vice President

#4 Secretary of State

#5 Secretary of Treasury

#6 Secretary of Defense

#7 Attorney General

#3 President Pro-tempore of Senate

#2 Speaker of the House of Representatives

Constitution & Vice Presidency

1. The President nominates a new candidate.

2. The candidate must be confirmed by a majority vote in both the House and Senate.

If there is a vacancy in the Vice Presidency:

Role #1: Administrative

• The President appoints or nominates 3,000-4,000 people to administrative positions.

• Examples:

– Ambassadors to other nations

– Cabinet positions (most important set of advisors & policy-makers)

Obama Cabinet Officials

Secretary of State

Hilary Clinton

Secretary of Treasury Tim Geithner

Attorney GeneralEric Holder

Secretary of Defense

Robert Gates

Role #2: Domestic Policy

1. The President submits a proposed budget to Congress each year.

2. Presidents often propose legislation if someone in Congress sponsors it.

a) About 50% of all laws passed are first proposed by the President.

Three Options for the President

#1 Sign the Bill

#2 Veto the Bill

#3 Nothing

It becomes law.

Can be overridden by Congress.

If the President does nothing and 10 working days pass, the bill becomes law. If Congress adjourns within the 10 working days, it becomes a

Pocket Veto

Presidents & VetoesPresident Regular

Vetoes Pocket Vetoes

Vetoes Overridden

Washington 2 0 0

Jefferson 0 0 0

A. Jackson 5 7 0

FDR 372 263 9

Reagan 39 39 9 George HW Bush 29 15 1

Clinton 36 1 2

George W. Bush 11 1 4

Obama 0 1 0

Role #3: Foreign Policy

2. Negotiate Treaties

• 2/3 Majority vote in Senate is needed to ratify.

1. Presidents provide vision for overall US foreign policy.

Executive Agreement(Ensures Presidents Control Foreign Policy)

• Agreement between US President and another country, but doesn’t require Senate approval.

• Not binding for future Presidents.

Presidents & MilitaryGeorge Washington

Andrew Jackson

Dwight Eisenhower

George H.W. Bush

Bill Clinton

George W. Bush

Role #4: Military Leader

The President is “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and the Militia of the several states.”

BUT: Only Congress can declare war.

Military Leadership& War Powers Act

1. Congress declares war.

2. There is a crisis, the President may act alone for 60-90 days.

3. Congress specifically gives the President the authority to send troops into combat.

The President can send troops into combat if:

Text of Joint Resolution Authorizing Use of Force: 9/15/01

• “A) That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September, 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by any such nations, organizations or persons.”

Passed 96-0 in Senate and 420-1 in House of Representatives

Text of Joint Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force against Iraq. Passed 10/11/02

• “Authorizes the President to use the U.S. armed forces to: (1) defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.”

• It also directs the President to inform the Speaker of the House and the Senate President pro-tem within 48 hours of having used this authority.

• President must also report to Congress at least every 60 days on relevant matters.

Passed 77-23 in Senate and 296-133 in House of Reps

Role #5 Symbolic Leader

• President = Head of State

• The President has the power to pardon anyone convicted of Federal crimes.

– “…he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”

Role #5 Symbolic Leader

Obama Hosting A State Dinner Bush Throwing Out The First Pitch

The Judiciary

Selection process for Supreme Court Justices and Federal Judges:

1. The President nominates a candidate.

2. The US Senate must confirm the candidate by a majority vote.

Qualifications None.

The Judiciary

But, usually, they have a law background and are members of the President’s party.

The Judiciary

Judicial Review

The authority to declare laws or actions of government officials to be unconstitutional.

The Presidency & JudiciaryI. Presidency

A. Rankings & Popularity

B. Qualifications & the Constitution

II. Roles/Functions

A. Administrative

B. Domestic Policy

C. Foreign Policy

D. Military

E. Symbolic

III. Judiciary

A. Qualifications & Constitution

B. “Job”

Key Terms

• Cabinet

• Pocket Veto

• Treaty-making

• Executive Agreement

• War Powers Act

• Pardon

• Judicial Review