Unit IV Lesson 2

Growing Power of the President

Or Can He?...

Essential Question:• What are the institutions and

policy-making processes of the national government?

• What are the links between the branches of the national government, political parties, interest groups, public opinion, the media, and state and local governments?

Unit I

“Separation of Power”

“Checks and Balances”

2014

2001-2009“Ratify”

216

2001-2009

Executive Agreements- Contracts between the President and another nation that are identical to treaties but do NOT

require Senate approval (NOT mentioned in the U.S. Constitution)

Executive Agreements

Executive Agreements

WWII

Executive Agreements

Treaties

“Domestic Policy”

From 1940-1989, the U.S. entered into 759 treaties and into 13,016 executive agreements

“Foreign Policy”`

“Foreign Policy”

“Domestic Policy”

Executive Orders – Instructions issued by the president that carry the same legal authority as laws but bypass the

Legislative Branch (NOT mentioned in the U.S. Constitution)

* Carry out (enforce) laws passed by Congress “Executive Orders”

“Law”

“Executive Order” “Law”

The Legislative Process

“Executive Order”

http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/obama-subjects.html

1832009-2014

“The Emancipation Proclamation”

Executive Order 215

“Executive Order”

Executive Order 9066

World War II

“Domestic Policy”

“Foreign Policy”

“Military Policy”

Yesterday: There is still one more formal (constitutional) power of the President that

we haven’t talked about yet and it’s a biggie…

The President is the “Commander-in-Chief” (leader) of the nation’s armed forces

“Commander in Chief”

“The President shall be Commander-in-

Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the

Militia of the several States, when called

into the Service of the United States”

Article IArticle II

2009- Conducted 390 drone strikes killing more than 2,400 people

War in Iraq

1941

Because the president’s powers are “vague” (unclear/broad) and because of Legislative and Judicial inaction presidential authority has

expanded drastically since ratification of the Constitution (ex. Deploy troops without Congress, issue executive orders, sign

executive agreements, etc.)

“The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the

Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the

several States, when called into the Service of the United

States”

Article II Section 2

Unconstitutional

Impeach

Checks and Balances

American foreign policy is directed primarily by the:

A. House of Representatives

B. Senate

C. President

D. Individual States

Since World War II, Presidents have relied more heavily on negotiating executive agreements rather than treaties, as a result of which of the following?

A. Executive agreements are less cumbersome to finalize than treaties

B. The Cold War made it difficult for the President to make treaties with communist countries

C. The office of the President has been weakening in the years following WWII

D. The Senate refuses to discuss foreign policy with the President

Which of the following statements BEST describes the prevailing view of the power of the president

today?

A. The president is primarily an administrator carrying out the will of Congress

B. The president is the voice of the nation but cannot take any important action without the approval of Congress

C.The president has great authority domestically but very little power internationally

D. The power of the president has expanded drastically both domestically and abroad since ratification of the Constitution

Uncertainty over the limits to presidential power is caused primarily by the fact that:

A.The Supreme Court has never ruled on a case concerning limits to presidential power

B.States continue to cede more power to their governors that the national government gives to the president

C.The constitutional definition of those powers is broad and unspecific

D.Constitutional amendments have greatly increased presidential powers over the last 100 years

Homework!!!

Textbook Pages: 329, 333-334,339-341, 557

Graphic Novel Pages: 45-46