The American President

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The American President

• How powerful is he?

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The Power to Persuade
The classic definition of Presidential power in
the United States is that of political scientist
Richard Neustadt. Writing in the 1970s, he
described presidential power in the United States
as "not the power to command, but the power to
persuade." In truth, the President has more
than a few constitutional and extra
constitutional cards to play.
I sit here all day trying to persuade people to
do things they ought to have enough sense to do
without me persuading them. Thats all the powers
of the President amount to. President Harry S
Truman
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The Power to Convene Congress
The President can call both houses of Congress
together in times of national crisis. Once a
year the President speaks to Congress and the
nation directly with his State of the Union
speech. This outlines the Presidents plans for
the year ahead. The President can use the State
of the Union address to go over the heads of
Congress and, hopefully, win public support for
his plans.
President Obama State of the Union Address,
February 2010.
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Commander in Chief
It is perhaps in foreign policy that the
Presidents powers are strongest. The President
becomes the Commander in Chief of the US
military, the most powerful force in the world,
the moment he is sworn into office. Only
Congress can declare war. But, the Commander in
Chief can initiate military action abroad
without a formal declaration of war. The
President can also make treaties with other
countries (subject to 2/3 of the Senate agreeing).
I'm a war president. I make decisions here in
the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with
war on my mind George W Bush
Current military campaigns are, of course,
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
freedom Afghanistan
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Patronage
Supreme Court Bush appointee, John Roberts.
Supreme Court Bush appointee, Samuel Alito.
US Ambassador to United Nations Bush appointee,
John Bolton. President Bush knew the Senate
wouldnt approve Boltons appointment, so he
appointed him while the senate was on holiday!
President Bush used his Presidential get out of
jail card to commute the jail sentence of
leading Republican Lewis Scooter Libby.
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Presidential Power since 9/11
The terror attacks of 11 September 2001 gave a
great boost to Presidential power, both
domestically and in terms of foreign policy
leadership. President Bushs poll ratings were
extremely high. His neo-conservative backers
Vice President Dick Cheney, leader of the House
of Representatives, Tom DeLay and party
strategist Karl Rove, believed they could
transform the Middle East with bold military
action, using Presidential authority to bypass
Congress and international treaties.
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George W Bush and Pre-Emptive Power
The President has stated a doctrine that he
can just make up the law and create whatever
other powers he wants on his own. Senator Russ
Feingold
If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we
will have waited too long The Bush doctrine
claimed a Presidential authority to pre-empt
hostile acts against the United States.
Determination of what constitutes such a threat
was in President Bushs view, solely a matter for
Presidential discretion.
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USA Patriot Act

• "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
  Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
  Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001
• Passed by overwhelming Congressional vote six
  weeks after 9/11, the Patriot Act allowed the
  Presidential office powers to
• Search suspects property at will
• Detain suspects indefinitely
• Undertake warrant less wiretaps
• Obtain traditionally privileged trial information
  on terrorist suspects

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Checks and Balances
Americas founding fathers were anxious to
prevent any one person becoming over powerful.
This is why they set up a system of separation
of powers between the Executive (President), the
Legislature (Congress) and Judiciary (Supreme
Court). This is usually referred to as checks
and balances. No branch of government can rule
without the other. In theory, if one part of
government attempts legislation which is
unconstitutional, one or the other can intervene.
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Veto Shuffle Iraq
Veto Shuffle
Bush vetoes Iraq bill
Speaker Pelosi on the presidential veto
The Constitution grants the President the
authority to veto acts of Congress. Unless
two-thirds of the members of each house votes to
override the veto, the bill does not become law.
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President Bushs vetoes

• The President has the power to veto legislation
  passed by Congress.
• President Bush didnt use his veto at all in his
  first term of office. But, into term two, as his
  popularity dipped and he became a lame duck, he
  was forced to use his veto on
• Stem Cell research
• Iraq War Funds Bill
• SCHIP
• Waterboarding

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Bush legacy Supreme Court
President Bush was able to appoint two judges.

• John Roberts
• Samuel Alito

Conservatives now, on paper, have a majority on
the Supreme Court, which could change the law on
issues such as abortion, the role of religion in
schools and gay marriage. Obamas two appointees,
both liberally minded, replace retired liberal
Justices.
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However.

• "The Supreme Court normally does not reverse the
  President during wartime. But this President has
  claimed a lot of power, much of it under the
  guise of the state of war that we're in against
  terrorists. And I think what the Supreme Court is
  saying is that you've gone too far.
• Stephen J. Wayne, Georgetown University

The Senate must always approve any Presidential
nominations. The Senate thoroughly vets and
interviews appointees and blatantly partisan
appointees would not pass. The Supreme Court
ruled that the imprisonment of terrorist suspects
at Guantanamo Bay was illegal, much to President
Bushs dismay.
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The verdict on President Bush?

• Hoover was a disaster. Warren Harding rates
  very low in the pantheon of presidents.
• It is very likely that Bush will be seen as a
  bottom feeder

What do you think?!
Professor Robert Dallek Boston University
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What about Obama?
In many ways, President Obama should have a lot
going for him. Presidents are normally most
powerful in the first years of their first
term. Congress approved the Presidents
financial package to save the US economy. The
Democrats have control of both houses of
Congress. Obama has been able to appoint two
Supreme Court judges Sonia Sotomayor, the first
Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and Elena
Kagan. But the president faced bitter and
partisan opposition in the House and the Senate
to his Health care reforms. His approval ratings
have plummeted. And the Democrats may well lose
their Congressional majorities in Novembers
mid-term elections.
Sum Up The Main Powers of the President
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Obama plays hard ball with Congress over Health
Reform
The process of passing the Health Reform bill
through Congress forced President Obama to
abandon his "non-partisan", cross-party style of
politics.Every Republican Congressman voted
against the Bill. Republicans opposed the Bill,
primarily because they say it removes the
individual's right to choose.The Bill was
eventually signed into law by President Obama in
March 2010.The President is likely to have
further conflict with Congress. In January 2010,
the Democrats suffered a major shock when the
party lost a Senate seat in Massachusetts. The
seat, that of the late Senator Teddy Kennedy, had
been in Democrat hands for over 50 years. The
Republicans now have 41 seats in the Senate and
crucial leverage over the President. The
mid-terms on November 2 2010, with all of the
House and 36 Senate seats up for grabs, are
likely to define Obamas authority in the next
two years.
Congress passes health bill