American Government

"The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced. If the nation doesn't want to go bankrupt, people must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Article II of the Constitution grants the President broad but vaguely described powers

“The Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”

Other Powers Appoint heads of executive departments, dictate

foreign policy, create treaties, and make judicial appointments

Executive Privilege This is the right of the President and other

high-ranking executive officers to refuse to provide information to congress or a court. Nixon

Since George Washington served as President, the powers have greatly expanded In 1803 Thomas Jefferson Completed the

Louisiana purchase. Though he felt that the constitution did not grant

him the right to purchase land for the country he cited inherent powers to make the transaction.

We will be reading about the office of the president, in one large group.

After we will discuss how this problem of presidential power could be facilitated.

Abraham Lincoln also greatly expanded federal power (to the dismay of many)He suspended habeas corpus, jailed

opponents to the Union without trial, raised an army before gaining approval and blockaded southern ports. He cited that he had these powers to preserve

the Union Remember Habeas Corpus is the judicial

procedure that requires that you hear all charges against you prior to be placed in jail

Franklin D Roosevelt also greatly expanded federal power In order to combat the Great Depression, FDR

expanded the role of the federal government in the economy The New Deal is a prime example

FDR also expanded the power of the federal government with the creation of The Executive Office of the President (1939). The Executive Office includes The National Security Council, the Council of

Economic Advisors, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of National Drug Control Policy

National Security CouncilThe NSC is chaired by the President, it is the

lead advisory board in the area of national and international security. The other members of the council include the

Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, director of the CIA, and chair of the Joint Chiefs of staff

The Council of Economic AdvisorsThe Council of Economic Advisors is a White

House staff agency created to give the President advice regarding economic and fiscal policy.

Office of Management and Budget The director of the OMB is appointed with the

consent of the Senate and is responsible for the preparation of the federal budget. The OMB also oversees congressional

appropriations

Office of National Drug Control Policy The Office of National Drug Control Policy is

chaired by a director appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate. The head of the agency is responsible for preparing

recommendations on how to combat the problem of drug abuse. It also coordinates the policies of other federal agencies in this area.

VetoThe ability to deny the passage of a bill into

law Pocket Veto

This takes place in the last 10 days of a Congressional session. This is when the executive does nothing with the bill and lets it expire

Line Item VetoThis enabled the President to veto only

certain lines or items of a billThis was signed into law in 1996 In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled that this

law was unconstitutional

Congressional overrideA veto by the President may be overturned with

a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate

Other limitations includeThe ability to impeach a President, the Senate's

confirmation power, and the power of the purse. Impeachment is the listing of accusations against a

federal official of “high crimes and misdemeanors” for the purpose of removing that official from office for such misconductThe House of Representatives initiates an

Impeachment through a simple majority and the Senate tries the case.

Bully pulpitWhen the President uses the bully pulpit

they are taking advantage of their ability to use the office of the Presidency to promote a particular program and/or to influence Congress to accept legislative proposals

Using the bully pulpit effectively may lead to the President being looked at as an imperial PresidentAn imperial presidency refers to a time

when the President dominates the political and legislative agenda.