Chapter 7. The Presidency

Study

In contrast to the specificity with which the Constitution outlines the powers of the legislative branch, the powers of the presidency are vaguely described. The Framers designed the presidency so that power could flow to the executive in times of national crisis, but recede as the emergency faded. More than two centuries later, conflict persists over which institution has the power to make national policy.

For most of the nineteenth century, presidents typically played a small role in the day-to-day operations of government. Presidents spent much of their time overseeing the dispensation of federal appointments to fellow partisans. Many important decisions were delegated to cabinet officers who interacted as much with Congress as the White House. Throughout the twentieth century, presidents assumed greater administrative responsibilities, transforming the office in ways the Framers would scarcely recognize.

The modern presidency subsumes several roles. The president is both head of state and commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces. As such, the president's leadership in foreign affairs is unquestioned. Recent presidents have used their authority to make agreements with foreign powers and send U.S. troops into battle without congressional approval. The president has also assumed firm control of a vast national administrative apparatus. Congress has delegated many administrative functions to the presidency, including responsibility for drafting a federal budget. Finally, presidents have enhanced their legislative role, setting forth an agenda to guide the legislative branch and crafting political coalitions to see initiatives through the lawmaking process.

As their responsibilities increased, presidents acquired greater staff and resources. Nonetheless, the mismatch between the expectations and powers attached to the office remains the fundamental dilemma facing modern presidents. Successful presidential leadership requires careful deployment of organizational resources—be it the veto and other formal powers, personal prestige or administrative capacities.

Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should understand...

• how the role and power of the president has changed over time.
• the limitations on presidential power.
• the specific ways in which the president's veto power can affect legislative outcomes in the "veto game."
• the president's role in shaping and mobilizing public opinion.
• why Congress would delegate power to the president, and the limitations of this delegation.
• the origin and scope of the executive branch's role in the budget process.
• the organization and role of the White House staff.
• the role of communication in presidential politics.
• why Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton faced Congress in similar strategic situations and had such different political results.

Review Questions

1. Why did attention focus on President George W. Bush following the attacks of September 11, 2001? How did the public's and Congress's interactions with Bush early in the "war on terrorism" contrast with their earlier treatment of him in the domestic arena?
   



2. What are the powers granted to the president in the Constitution? What are the non-constitutional sources of presidential power? When were these sources of power first tapped?
   



3. What are executive orders? Executive agreements? What are the alternatives to using them?
   



4. How did the presidency of the 1800s differ from that of today? In particular, how did the president's interactions with his party and his cabinet change over time?
   



5. What are the tradeoffs between the collegial and chief-of-staff models of presidential staff organization? Which model seems to have predominated with recent presidents?
   



6. What is "going public?" What specific tools or resources are available to the president when he chooses to use this strategy?
   



7. How has the rise of cable television affected the president's ability to communicate with the public?
   



8. Why don't members of Congress go public as often as the president does? Why doesn't the president use this tactic on every issue?