THE%20PRESIDENTS

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THE PRESIDENTS
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Increasing the Power of the Office of the
President

• Powerful and influential presidents
• Washington, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson,
  Franklin Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon,
  Reagan and Bush
• All dominated because of perceived leadership
  during times of national emergencies war,
  economic hardship or domestic development.

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WASHINGTON

• Set the tenor of the institution virtually
  everything he did set precedent.
• The appointment of a Cabinet
• Establishing a working relationship with
  Congress.
• Warning to stay neutral in world affairs
• Set the tone of the presidency for years.

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LINCOLN

• By resolving the issue of states rights (Civil
  War) the office of the President really grew in
  power and influence.

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Theodore Roosevelt

• Square Deal
• An agreement that is made fairly between
  businesses and consumers and workers.
• Railroads were no longer allowed to give rebates
  or kickbacks to favored companies. Meat had to be
  processed safely with proper sanitation.
  Foodstuffs and drugs could no longer be
  mislabeled, nor could consumers be deliberately
  misled to make a profit
• Trust busting policies bad trusts had to be
  curbed, good ones encouraged. He wanted
  executive agencies to make the decisions, not
  courts.
• Latin American Policy of walk softly, but carry
  a big stick.

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Woodrow Wilson

• Successfully piloted the country through the
  first World War
• - failure to achieve Senate approval of the
  Versailles Treaty and the League of Nations
  weakened his overall performance

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt

• Leadership during the Great Depression and World
  War II changed the presidency.
• Leadership in the new age of electronic media,
  the growth of executive agencies under the New
  Deal, his Brain Trust Advisors, and the creation
  of the Executive Office of the President in 1939
  led to a transformation of the presidency.
• Many say the first imperial presidency.

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Kennedy

• New Frontier We stand at the edge of a New
  Frontier the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and
  dreams. It will deal with unsolved problems of
  peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance
  and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty
  and surplus.
• intended to boost the economy, provide
  international aid, boost the space program,
  control monopoly prices
• - created the public perception that he was
  creating change for the country.
• Standing up to USSR during the Cuban Missile
  Crisis
• Advocate of civil rights and managed to increase
  the minimum wage.

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Lyndon Johnson

• Great Society programs.
• goals were the elimination of poverty and racial
  injustice.
• 4 Civil Rights Acts were passed
• Economic Opportunity Act
• Job Corps
• Social Security Act
• Medicare . . . . . . .

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Nixon

• Foreign Policy Accomplishments
• Ending of the Vietnam War
• Détente with the USSR
• Diplomatic recognition of China

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Reagan and Bush

• Credited with being catalysts in ending the cold
  war.
• In office during the demise of the USSR
• Bushs vision of a New World Order
• Gorbachev and H.W. used the term to try to define
  the nature of the post Cold War era, and the
  spirit of great power cooperation that they hoped
  might materialize.
• The First Gulf War.

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Clinton

• Balanced budget agreement
• Longest period of economic prosperity in United
  States history.

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Chief Executive

• faithfully execute the laws of the nation.
• The president has developed and organized the
  executive department into three areas
• The cabinet
• The executive office
• The White House staff
• The administrative responsibilities of these
  departments increase the size and scope of the
  executive department as a whole.

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The Cabinet

• There are 18 cabinet positions
• Americans scrutinize the cabinets to see whether
  they represent a cross section of the population
• Bushs cabinet appointments signaled an attempt
  to unify the country after the divisive election
  of 2000

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Bushs Cabinet

• First African-American Sec. Of State
• First African-American NSA
• Rod Paige (African-American) Sec. Of Ed.
• Mel Martinez Housing Sec, Alberto Gonzales
  White House Counsel
• Women Christie Whitman Dir. Of EPA Ann
  Veneman Sec. Of Agr. Elaine Chao Labor Sec.

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Executive Office of the Pres.

• 4 policy making bodies
• NSC
• Council of Econ. Advisors
• OMB (oversees congressional appropriations)
• Office of Natll Drug Control

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Use of Presidential Powers

• The skills and ability of the person in office
  will increase or decrease the power of the
  presidency
• Examples
• Johnson, having the experience as Senate Majority
  Leader, already had the skills of working with
  Congress.
• Result achieved a great deal of success with his
  Great Society programs

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• Carter, Georgia Governor, was unable to work with
  congressional leaders and did not implement his
  agenda
• Clinton, former governor, used his support staff
  and developed a working relationship with his own
  party leaders.

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Party Leader

• Only nationally elected official has much
  influence in setting his agenda. (especially if
  he is a member of the majority party your
  support will make or break the presidency)
  Clinton used this pressure when he lobbied for
  the passage of his first budget

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• Can impound funds
• - Nixon used this to curb congressional spending.
  (1974 C.B.I.A. set limits on this practice.

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Chief Diplomat

• Can make treaties and appoint ambassadors.
• Influence Over Judiciary
• Appoint Supreme Court Justices, grant pardons,
  reprieves and amnesty, executive privilege (power
  to resist certain search warrants and other
  encroachments). Nixon v U.S.
• - Ford pardoned Nixon, Carter granted draft
  evaders amnesty

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Public Approval

• Every president talks about a mandate for
  change.
• Use their bully pulpits the ability to use the
  office of the presidency to promote a particular
  program to influence Congress.
• FDRs fireside chats, Clintons town meetings.

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• Once support is obtained, the president must use
  it as a wedge to get Congress to approve his
  agenda.
• Clintons buscapade for his Health Security
  Act. Reagans media blitz for his tax cuts.
• Staged events such as bill signings solidify
  support for the next agenda item.