John Edwards '08: "Health Care“http://www.factcheck.org/video/YouTube_-_John_Edwards_-_quotHealth_Carequot_Television_Ad_-_Iowa_WMV.wmv

Edwards: When I'm president, I'm going to say to members of Congress and members of my administration, including my Cabinet, "I'm glad that you have health care coverage and that your family has health care coverage. But if you don't pass universal health care by July 2009 - six months - I'm going to use my power as president to take your health care away from you."

Edwards: There's no excuse for politicians in Washington having health care when you don't have health care.

I'm John Edwards and I approve this message.

The American Presidency

THERE is an idea, which is not without its advocates, that a vigorous executive is inconsistent with the genius of republican government. The enlightened well‑wishers to this species of government must at least hope that the supposition is destitute of foundation; since they can never admit its truth, without at the same time admitting the condemnation of their own principles.

Energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high‑handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy. . . .

A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government. --Alexander Hamilton, “Federalist #70”

• Eric A. Posner: “Although the Constitution gave some significant powers to Congress, including the power to appropriate funds and to declare war, Hamilton’s formulation ensured that the president had dominant authority over foreign affairs.”

• John Yoo: “The White House has declared that the Constitution allows the president to sidestep laws that invade his executive authority.” He condemns critics “who seem to believe that the Constitution created a system of judicial or congressional supremacy.”

Hamilton’s Supporters

Foreign Policy Powers under the Constitution:

The Exception to Congressional Dominance?

Foreign Policy Powers under the Constitution

President:

1. Commander in Chief

2. commission all officers

3. receive ambassadors

President and Senate:

1. appoint ambassadors

2. make treaties

Congress (conditional veto):

1. impose duties… to provide for the common defense

2. regulate commerce with foreign nations

3. establish a rule of naturalization

4. regulate the value of foreign coin

6. define & punish piracies & felonies committed on the high seas & offenses against the Law of Nations

7. declare war, grant letters of marque & reprisal, & make rules concerning captures

8. raise & support armies9. provide & maintain a navy10. make rules for armed forces11. provide for calling forth the

militia to repel invasions12. prescribe training of militia13. exercise exclusive jurisdiction

over forts, arsenals, etc.14. make all laws which shall be

necessary and proper

http://pollkatz.homestead.com/files/approval-long_files/zzzBUSHINDEX_21801_image001.gif

The Imperial Presidencyby Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

• Growth of presidential power has been fairly gradual, and most has been concentrated in the areas of military and foreign affairs. – George W. Bush on Iraq & Social Security

• Presidential power grows in times of crisis and shrinks in time of calm.

• But it always grows more than it shrinks.

Take Home Lessons

The Imperial Presidency

• Control over Information • Executive Privilege • Commander-in-Chief• Mexican War• Civil War• Emancipation Proclamation• Andrew Johnson Impeachment

• Spanish American War• World War I• Treaty of Versailles• League of Nations • Permanent Crisis• Great Depression• World War II• Cold War Cult of the Presidency

The Imperial Presidency

The Revolutionary Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Policy Impoundment • Selective Enforcement • Legislation by Executive Order• Pocket Veto • Perpetual and Universal Privilege• Police Powers of National Government• War Powers Act• Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act • Secret Wars in Laos and Cambodia• Watergate • Threatened Impeachment & Nixon Resignation

Growth of Presidential Power: Technology & the Constitution

• The Framers’ fear of unified power.

• Secrecy and dispatch.

• One voice.

• Chief bureaucrat.

Presidential Preference and Position on the Electoral College

Politics 262

November 2004

Actual & (Expected) Values

Pro-EC Anti-EC

Pro Bush 7

(2.67)

1

(5.33)

8

Pro Kerry 0

(4.33)

13

(8.67)

13

7 14 21

Chi-square = 17.06. Probability that Presidential Preference and Position on Electoral College are unrelated is less than 0.001%.

Hypotheses?

Hypotheses?

• Leaving the Electoral College alone is the “conservative” thing to do.

• The Electoral College is justified by its results, and it gave us President Bush.

Electoral College Biases

Electoral College Biases

• Small sates have a mathematical over-representation because they get at least three electoral votes regardless of how few people live there.

• States with low voter turnout get protected in terms of influence because the electoral college makes voter turnout irrelevant.

• States (especially large states) where either candidate might win become the key battlegrounds and gain disproportionate influence as both sides pour in massive resources.

Electoral College Biases

• The system of representation in the contingency procedure is a huge departure from the currently accepted principle of one-person-one vote.

• For what it's worth, a different set of states are disproportionately powerful in the nomination phase of the presidential campaign.

Source: http://theelectoralcollegesucks.com/

Take Home Lesson

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/

Mr. Maps

Mark Newman, Department of Physics and Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan

Social Welfare Policy

• It reflects our political culture: individual self-reliance trumps equality.

• It reflects our political parties: the policies of each party reflect the interests of the core constituencies they represent.

• It reflects the strength of business interest groups: most welfare programs pay private businesses to service the poor rather than giving money to the poor or having government provide the services directly.

• It reflects the general distribution of power in society: vastly more welfare dollars actually flow to the non-poor than to the poor.