Transcript November 18, 2005 Warm Up

Warm Up 3/31
 How has Obama changed in
these pictures? Why do you
think this changed occurred?
2004
2012
2014
2008
Answer
 The White House Effect

Rapid, pre-mature aging brought
on by the stress of being
President of the United States.
Objectives
SWBAT
 Identify the formal and informal
powers of the President
 Describe ways that different groups
can limit the power of the
President
Homework
 I’ve got the power worksheet
due tomorrow!
 Study for Exec quiz on
Thursday!
Roles Review!
Scenario #1
Scenario #2
Pres. Grover Cleveland in his 1st term
(1885-89) received a controversial bill
approved by the HOR & the Senate, he
chose to "reject" the bill.

In fact, Cleveland vetoed more bills in his
1st term than all preceding presidents
combined.
Which role was Cleveland playing?
Chief Legislator
Scenario #3
Scenario #4
President H. W. Bush delivers a
speech at the 1988 Republican
National Convention.
What role is Bush performing?
Chief of Party
Scenario #5
President Reagan appoints Sandra
Day O’Conner as the first woman
justice on the Supreme Court
Which role was Reagan performing
that day?
Chief Executive
Scenario #6
Scenario #7
Clinton put together the most racially
diverse & gender-balanced cabinet in
U.S. history. Members included Henry
Cisneros as Secretary of HUD, Jocelyn
Elders as Surgeon General, & Press
Secretary Dee Dee Myers.

Which role was Clinton playing when he
set up his cabinet?
Chief Executive
Scenario #8
President Reagan cut the budget
of eight federal agencies out
of fifteen during his first term, and
ten out of fifteen during his second
term.
Which role was Reagan performing
while making these cuts?
Powers of the President
WHAT DOES THE PRESIDENT DO?
Presidential
Responsibilities
 Rank the tasks in each group
from 1 (hardest) to 3
(easiest).

There is no correct answer! Use
your own judgment.
Presidential
Powers
Formal & Informal
Formal Powers
 Commander in Chief

Responsible for nation’s security
 Chief executive

Appoints heads of departments with
Senate approval
 Foreign Powers
Conducts foreign policy
 Makes treaties with Senate consent
 Appoints ambassadors

Formal Powers cont.
Judicial Powers
Appoints federal judges
 Grant pardons

Legislative Powers
Ensures laws are carried out
 Delivers State of Union Address
 Proposes legislation

What should the
president do?
During the Vietnam War, many
Americans fled the country to avoid
the draft. President Carter wanted to
allow them to come home without
having to arrest them for draft
dodging.
What presidential power can
Carter use to make this happen?
Pardon
Release from legal
punishment

Amnesty – a group
pardon for an offense
against the gov’t
Pardon
Which role was he performing when he pardoned
the draft dodgers?
State of the Union
Address
An annual event where the
President
reports on the status of the
country
 outlines the president’s
legislative proposals for the
upcoming year

Presidential Powers
 Read the excerpts from the
Constitution about the
president’s formal powers.
 Categorize and label the
following types of




Foreign Powers (F)
Judicial Powers (J)
Legislative Powers (L)
Executive Powers (E)
The Presidency
Informal Powers
Informal Powers
 Complete the background
reading to define POTUS’s 3
main informal powers
 Then describe an example of
the president using each of
these powers
How were internment
camps created?
Informal powers
Executive orders
 has the force of a law without
involving Congress
Obama recently signed an
executive order to
improve access to mental
health services for
Veterans.
How did Jefferson buy
the Louisiana territory?
Informal powers
Executive agreements
 like a treaty
power to make a pact with the
LEADER of a foreign government
 does not require Senate consent
Why was Watergate
important?
Informal powers
Executive privilege
 right of the President to refuse
to provide information that might
impact national security to
Congress or a court
Critical Thinking
Do you think the
President’s informal
powers give the executive
branch too much power?
Explain your answer.
Limiting Presidential
Power
Checks and Balances in
Action
Limitations by
Congress
Congress has checks on Executive:
 Veto override
 Power to confirm or reject treaties
and appointments
 Approve the budget
 Power to impeach
Limitation by Courts
 Judicial review (est. in
Marbury v. Madison)

Supreme Court has the
power to determine if
presidential actions are
or are not constitutional
Limitation by
Bureaucracy
Federal bureaucracy = all the people who
carry out the daily operations of the
executive branch; red tape
 Limits the president’s power by the
way they do their job
Failing to give information.
 Misinterpreting instructions.
 Not completing tasks properly or
efficiently

Limitation:
Public Opinion
Living up to people’s expectations
Without high ratings from the
public, the president:
Cannot carry out programs
Cannot be re-elected
http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx
Summary
 Have we allowed the President
to have too much power? Why
or why not?