Powers of the President

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  • Created by: Davny
  • Created on: 29-11-17 14:41
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  • Powers of the President
    • Propose legislation
      • State of the union address main way of doing this
        • Laid out in Article II
        • Happens annually in January or February
        • Examples
          • Obama 2010- announced support for small businesses and financial reforms
          • Trump 2017- repeal of Obamacare and infrastructure improvement
      • Can do it whenever they please through press conference and public events
    • Submit annual budget
      • Most important piece of legislation
      • Office of Management and Budget draws up federal budget for executive
        • Part of the Executive Office of the President
      • Budget is then submitted to Congress
        • Followed by lengthy bargaining process
      • Shows presidents priorities
      • Trumps made cuts to science, research, the arts and social welfare but increased homeland security and border security
        • Also similar to Obama's final year at $4.1 trillion
        • Environmental agency down 30%
    • Sign legislation
      • Most likely reaction
      • Bill signing ceremonies often held with interested parties being present
        • Obama 2010- Obamacare ceremony
          • Edward Kennedy's widow present
          • Marcelas Owens present
    • Vetoing legislation
      • Even treat of veto can be used to bargain
      • Washington to Bush Jr 1,000 vetos were used
      • Bush Jr and Veto
        • Only 64% success rate (third lowest of any president)
        • Took him 6 years to use it
      • Pocket vetos
        • Clinton, Obama and Bush Jr only used once
        • Bush Sr used 15 times
    • Act as Chief Executive
      • Established in first 15 word
      • Modern presidents have had EXOP and cabinet to help
      • Includes firing
        • James Comey 2017
    • Nominating executive branch officials
      • Includes all department heads, ambassadors, agency heads and members of regulatory commissions
      • Continues through presidency but most important for incoming presidents
    • Nominate all federal judges
      • Not just Supreme Court but that is the most important
    • Act as Commander in Chief
      • Particularly important between 1940s to 1980s
        • Cold War
      • Post cold war not as important until 9/11
      • Congress's checks
        • Constitutional says Congress must declare war but hasn't since 1941
        • President now asks them to authorise use of troops
        • Started to decline after passage of Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)
          • 'All necessary measures'
        • Power of the Purse main check, no money= no war
    • Negotiate treaties
      • Examples
        • Reagan- Strategic arms reduction
        • Bush Sr- Chemical Weapons Ban
        • Obama- Nuclear arms treaty with Russia
      • Senate's check
        • Must ratify by 2/3
        • Rejected 7 in 20th Century
          • Treaty of Versailles
          • 1999 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
    • Pardon
      • Used in varying frequencies
        • Obama- 212 times
        • Bush Jr- 189 times
        • Nixon- 926 times
      • Final day pardon
        • Clinton Jan 2001- 140 pardoned
        • Obama Jan 2017- 64 pardoned
      • Can also reduce sentence they feel are unfair
    • Head of State
      • Most clearly seen in times of tragedy
        • Mourner-in-chief/ comforter-in-chief
        • Weeks following 9/11
        • Hurricane Sandy 2012
        • Sandy Hook 2012

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