Title: Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents
1Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents
- 100 male
- 100 Caucasian
- 97 Protestant
- 82 of British ancestry
- 77 college educated
- 69 politicians
- 62 lawyers
- gt50 from the top 3 wealth and social class
- 0.5 born into poverty
- 69 elected from large states
2Constitutional Qualifications
- Must be at least 35 years old
- Must have lived in the United States for 14 years
- Must be a natural born citizen
3Presidential Benefits
- 400,000 tax-free salary
- 50,000/year expense account
- 100,000/year travel expenses
- The White House
- Secret Service protection
- Camp David country estate
- Air Force One personal airplane
- Staff of 400-500
4Head of State
5Chief Executive
6Commander-in-Chief
7Chief Legislator
8Chief Diplomat
9Political Party Leader
10Presidential Power
- Difference between legal powers and power (which
is the exercise of influence). - Powers include the constitutional and legal
authority of the president - National Security Powers Commander in Chief,
make treaties executive agreements, nominate
ambassadors. - Legislative Powers State of the
Union--recommend legislation, convene/adjourn
Congress, veto. - Executive Powers to faithfully execute the law
nominate executive officials (and fire them). - Judicial Powers reprieves and pardons for
federal offenses appoint federal judges and
S.C. justices.
11Presidential Power
- How much power (not powers) do presidents have?
Depends on the political context in which they
govern something which they have little control
over. - Presidential power is the power to persuade--
presidents must often bargain in order to
persuade. Few things can be done alone. - Examples FDR, GW Bush.
- Viewed this way, power (influence) fluctuates
from president to president, and within
presidencies.
12The Constituencies of Modern Presidency
- The American People
- Their Party
- Executive Branch (the bureaucracy)
- Congress
- Foreign Leaders.
- All of these look to the president for
leadership. - May see things differently, however.
- A Presidents ability to persuade relates more to
things he cannot control (e.g. partisan division
of Congress), rather than things they can control.
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15The President the Public
- Public approval is an important resource for
presidential leadership. Where is Bush now? - Approval fluctuates with time.
- The honeymoon Approval generally highest early
during the term. - Generally declines over time.
- Approval levels typically reflect public
evaluation of the handling of important issues
(economy, war, etc.). - They are not a reflection of their feelings
regarding the presidents personality.
16The natural decline of approval over time
17Average approval during terms (1st term Bush)
18The President the Public
- The salient issues tend to be most important in
determining public approval. Priming. - Rally events help explain sudden upsurges in
approval as a result of a foreign policy event
involving the US. - Most approval rallies are short-lived, however.
- 9/11 would be an example of an enduring rally,
one that is not typical.
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20Presidential Effects on Opinion
- Presidents try to persuade the public to gain
support, generally, and for specific proposals. - How successful are they?
- It depends. Popular presidents are more likely
to be successful. - For a speech to work, the public must react
favorably, and then make it clear to Congress
what they want. - Presidential speeches designed to influence the
public have generally been unimpressive. - They rarely persuade the public.
21Presidents the Executive Branch
- As chief executive, President is charged with
overseeing vast federal bureaucracy. - Size of executive branch has increased
drastically since the 1930s. - Before 1939, presidents had little help in this
task. 1939- creation of the Executive Office of
the Presidency (EOP). Has 11 offices, incl - National Security Council
- The Council of Economic Advisors
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-- most
important.
22Presidents, White House Staff Cabinet
- The Cabinet includes department secretaries.
- Modern presidents rely less on their cabinet for
advice. - Cabinet secretaries have mixed loyalties.
- Must satisfy Congress interests.
- Hence, modern presidents have relied on EOP to
manage bureaucracy and their White House staff
for political and policy advice. - White House staff work directly for President.
- This might limit diversity of advice.
23Managing/Leading the Bureaucracy
- Despite their role as chief executive, modern
presidents have been frustrated leading the
bureaucracy. - Agencies often resist presidential leadership.
- Modern presidents have tools to help in task
- The appointment power. Changing agency
leadership can influence what agencies do. - Budgetary control. Using the carrot and stick of
agency resources, presidents request budgets. - Centralized management, through the OMB.
24Presidential Leadership of Congress
- Myth of strong presidents dominating Congress.
- Evidence suggests otherwise. Presidents are weak
relative to Congress, must bargain to persuade. - Presidents greatest influence what goes into
the legislative funnel (legislative agenda
setting). - 40 of legislative agenda are presidential
initiatives. - Rises to 50 during unified govt Only 25
during divided government.
25Presidential Leadership of Congress
- Most powerful legislative tool the Veto.
- Requires 2/3rds majority in both chambers of
Congress to pass bill over a veto. - Very difficult to override. Only 12 of vetoes
(since Eisenhower) have been overridden. - Even fewer overrides recently (see table).
- The Veto is a tool of minority presidents
(presidents during divided government). - Threat of veto important as well.
- Presidents can help shape legislation through
veto threats.
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273 Essential Leadership Resources
- 1. Political Party. Members of his party are
predisposed to support the president. - On average a member of the presidents party
supports the president about 70 of the time. - Has increased during polarized era.
- Much lower among the opposing party.
- Presidents have little impact on the number of
their partisans in Congress. - Presidential coattails-- uncommon, and disappears
by the midterm election.
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292006 GW Bush -30
-6
303 Essential Leadership Resources
- 2. Public Support can help the president persuade
Congress. - A necessary, but insufficient resource for
leadership. - Results are mixed, but most research suggests
only a marginal relationship between approval and
legislative support. - 3. Legislative skills. Some presidents are more
skilled than others. - Bargaining takes skill, understanding of process.
- Skilled presidents generally best at determining
an effective strategy.
31Presidential Legislative Strategies for Success
- Move quickly once elected.
- Take advantage of the honeymoon that follows
inauguration. - Legislative success usually comes early.
- Focus the agenda by setting clear priorities on a
few important items. - Understand the strategic situation. Many
presidents attempt too much, given context. - Consult with Congress, dont alienate them.