The Presidency

• Roles
  • Chief of State: National Symbol
  • Head of Government: ‘CEO’
  • Other countries separate
    • We combine, but "tether"...to Congress, Courts, People

[audio extra: NPR story 5/1/04, "Presidential Power", requires RealPlayer]
[audio extra: NPR story 2/22/06, "Defining the President's Power", requires RealPlayer]

• Constitutional Power
  • Expressed: Constitution
  • Delegated: Congress
    [web extra: PBS NewsHour 1/2/06: "Power & Precedent"]
  • "Inherent" power: ...just 'cuz...
  • Not all powers are clear: e.g., national emergency

Constitutional/Legal Sources of Power

• Appointments (“Patronage”): approx. 5000...
  • White House & Executive Branch
  • Ambassadors
    [web extra: Council of American Ambassadors]
  • Federal judges and Justices
• Executive Branch
  • White House Staff
    [web extra: washingtonpost.com: The Bush Administration, requires Macromedia Flash]
  • Executive Office
  • Cabinet
  • Vice President

Political and Other Sources of Power

• Elections: mandate
• Political Party: loyalty
• Groups: support
• Media: convey message
• Public Opinion: leadership
• Popularity: ‘interim election’

Organization

Vice President,
[audio extra: NPR story 7/24/00, "The Vice Presidency"]
White House Office,
Executive Office of the Presidency

Organization: Limits

• Cabinet: “Marrying the natives”
• White House Staff: advisors become 'yes' people, shielding president from bad news
  [web extra: The Future of Freedom Foundation: "no" people?]
  [web extra: Elizabeth Dole: "The President doesn't want any yes-men..."]