11 The Presidency

President Barack Obama made healthcare a priority of his administration, but he recognized that the enactment of reform legislation would be a challenge.

The Presidency and Public Policy

Agenda Building

• No other figure in American politics is better positioned to influence the policy agenda than the president. Because the chief executive is always in the media spotlight, the president has a unique opportunity to direct attention to policy problems. The president can discuss an issue during a State of the Union address, identify a problem during a press conference, or give a major speech to focus attention on an issue.
• The president also has a number of spokespersons that can raise issues on behalf of the administration, including the vice president, members of the White House staff, and executive-branch department heads.
• Research on the role of the presidency in setting the policy agenda finds that the president has more influence in setting the domestic policy agenda than the agenda in foreign affairs. World events and media coverage of those events set the foreign policy agenda; the president just reacts. George W. Bush did not run for office expecting to fight a War on Terror, but after September 11, 2001, the fight against terrorism became the primary focus of his administration.

Policy Formulation and Adoption

• The president is involved in the formulation and adoption of a broad range of policies. Presidents propose legislation to Congress, sometimes drafting the actual bills in the White House or the executive branch.
• Measures that reach the president for signature often reflect a compromise negotiated between the White House and congressional leaders, especially when the opposition party controls Congress. Because the veto power gives the president a formal role in legislative policymaking, the president can influence policy formulation.
• The president has the authority to adopt some policies without congressional participation. Presidents make policy when they negotiate executive agreements or issue executive orders. Although Congress has the authority to cancel or repeal an executive agreement or executive order legislatively, the action would be subject to a presidential veto.

Policy Implementation and Evaluation

• As head of the executive branch, the president plays an important role in policy implementation. Congress frequently allows executive branch agencies a certain degree of discretion in implementing the nation’s public policies.

• The president also evaluates policies. The president can commission policy studies to identify weaknesses with current policies and then propose reforms.

Key Terms

Articles of Impeachment

a document listing the impeachable offenses that the House believes the president committed

Chief Executive

the head of the executive branch of government

Chief of State

the official head of government

Civilian Supremacy of The Armed Forces

the concept that the armed forces should be under the direct control of civilian authorities

Electoral Mandate

the expression of popular support for a particular policy demonstrated through the electoral process

Executive Agreement

an international understanding between the president and foreign nations that does not require Senate ratification

Executive office of The President

the group of White House offices and agencies that develop and implement the policies and programs of the president

Executive Order

a directive issued by the president to an administrative agency or executive department

Great Society

the legislative program put forward by President Lyndon Johnson

Honeymoon Effect

the tendency of a president to enjoy a high level of public support during the early months of an administration

Impeachment

a process in which an executive or judicial official is formally accused of an offense that could warrant removal from office

Inherent Powers

powers vested in the national government, particularly in the area of foreign and defense policy, which do not depend on any specific grant of authority by the Constitution, but rather exist because the United States is a sovereign nation

Lame Duck

an official whose influence is diminished because the official either cannot or will not seek reelection

Louisiana Purchase

the acquisition from France of a vast expanse of land stretching from New Orleans north to the Dakotas

National Security Council (NSC)

an agency in the Executive office of the President that advises the chief executive on matters involving national security

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

an international accord among the United States, Mexico, and Canada to lower trade barriers among the three nations

Office of Management And Budget (OMB)

an agency that assists the president in preparing the budget

Pardon

an executive action that frees an accused or convicted person from all penalties for an offense

Presidential Signing Statement

a pronouncement issued by the president at the time a bill passed by Congress is signed into law

Rally Effect

the tendency of the general public to express support for the incumbent president during a time of international threat

Reprieve

an executive action that delays punishment for a crime

War Powers Act

a law limiting the president’s ability to commit American armed forces to combat abroad without consultation with Congress and congressional approval

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons designed to inflict widespread military and civilian casualties

Discussion Questions

1. What role does the vice president play in American politics?

2. What does Richard Neustadt mean when he says that the power of the president is the power to persuade? How does the modern president use the media to achieve goals?

3. Do you favor repealing the Twenty-second Amendment (which limits the president to two four-year terms)? Why or why not?

4. How does the War Powers Act limit the president’s authority over military policy? Is the War Powers Act effective?

5. What sorts of contextual factors influence the role of the president in the policy process? In general, what role does the president play in the policy process?

Interactive Activity

Timeline: The Executive Order Over Time

Every president in U.S. history has used the executive order to make changes in the policies of federal agencies. Some orders have elicited changes of greater magnitude than others. In this timeline activity, you will examine some of the more significant executive orders throughout history and the effects they have had on American politics. For what purposes have presidents issued executive orders? Does this kind of lawmaking authority violate the constitutional principle of the separation of powers?

View Timeline

“Talking About American Government” Podcasts

Author Neal Tannahill discusses the most important concepts in this chapter

• Approval Ratings for President Obama, 2009
• Judicial Selection
• Bush Approval
• Presidential Popularity