Final Study Guide - Summary American Presidency PDF

Preview

Summary

Study guide for the final exam...

Description

THE PRESIDENCY AND THE MEDIA The Importance of the Permanent Campaign Model in Pointing to the Politics of the American Presidency.  

The permanent campaign gives rise to the presidential spectacle, which influences who the president behaviors in front of the media Marginalizes parties as politics become more personalized and focused on the president as a person

The Presidency's Need for Public Support and a Governing Coalition -- and the Role of the Media in This Quest. 

The media gives the president a platform to reach the people, but with the entertainment bias of the media, the president must feed into the presidential spectacle to get their attention. Further, the media conveys only overly simplified messages.

The Symbiotic Relationship of the Media and the President. 

Both want an audience and will use the other to achieve it. o The president will act wild to attract the attention of the media to reach the people o The media will cover a world president to attract their audience.

The Media as Essential Ally / Constant Foe of the President.  

Ally- to reach the people Foe: constant bia and push for entertainment factor

Characteristics of the Media That "Bias" Coverage of the Presidency. 

Entertainment bias: the news networks are concerned about their audience size, so they will only cover what they believe their audience will like. Further, complex topics will not be covered.

Presidential Use of the Media -- and Presidential Dependence on the Media. 

The president uses the media to reach the people

Characteristics of Media Coverage Harmful to Effective Campaign Coverage and Harmful to the President's Role in Governing. 

Unpleasant or complex topics do not get covered as they are not entertaining

Media News Coverage of Presidential Election Campaigns -- the "Miscast Role" Thesis of Thomas Patterson. 

Media has two roles in the public: watch god over the government and inform the public about candidates and which person they should vote for BUT these motives conflict and create an overload of information

Presidents' Use of the Media in "Going Public" To Build Public Support -- The "Going Public" Thesis of Samuel Kernell.



The president utilizes the media to garner popular support to gain political capital.

Media News Coverage of Presidential Leadership and Governance and the Modern Phenomenon of the "Presidential Spectacle" -- The Thesis of Bruce Miroff. 

Presidents create a backdrop to their communications to create an symbolic emotional response in the public.

The Paradox of the Presidency's Use of the Media in "Communications Wars" -- The Thesis of Lawrence Jacobs.  

The harder a president works to push his policy publically, the more emboldened the opposition becomes Better to get congressional allies and interest groups

The Presidency and the Media -- "The Two Faces of Democracy" -- The Thesis of Elvin Lim. 

Both the presidency and the media have been purveyors of the democratic faith and equally beholden to it, each lifts the other

President Kennedy as a Public Communicator and His Relationship with the Media. 

Effective communicator who used the media to win over the American people in the middle of the cold war

Case Studies of Presidents' Use of Presidential Spectacles: Ronald Reagan; Bill Clinton; George Bush; and Barack Obama. 

Think

Greenstein's Profile of Bill Clinton and his Skill at Campaigning and Communication.  

Campaigning: Come back kid Communication: good communicator, not very effective at controlling media

Presidential Reliance on and Alliance with the Media as an Essential But Perilous Course for Presidents in Governing. 

The media will suck the president into the a great presidential spectacle which they will then be beholden to regardless of the feasibility.

NEW SECTION: THE PRESIDENCY AND GOVERNING -THE PRESIDENCY AND CONGRESS Sources of Conflict Between the President and Congress: Congress vs. the President -- Separation of Powers/Sharing of Powers/Checks and Balances. o

Both are in charge of the same thing or pieces of the same thing, thus the powers will struggle with one another to obtain govern and obtain the most power

Congress vs. the President -- Separate Constituencies. o o

The president is beholden to a national constituency and congress is either region or state Politians respond to the needs of their constituency

Congress vs. the President -- Different Electoral Cycles and the Implications. o

Different issues are more prominent during the changing times thus leading to vastly different policy positions.

National Political Parties and Parties in Congress.  

Contemporary Extreme Polarization in Congress: Extreme partisanship in congress- if you break ranks in congress you will be punished President is his own thing, though running under a party he alienates himself from his party early.

The Case of the 2013 Government Shutdown/Debt Ceiling Vote -- Polarization on Steroids. 

Republicans forced a 16-day shutdown in an unsuccessful attempt to get Obama to defund healthcare law

Recent Data on Presidential Legislative Leadership in Congress. 

Congress is a lap dog

Presidential Options for Relations with Congress.   

Bipartisan Strategy- get support from both sides with moderate bill Alliance with own party- majority then cohesion, minority fucked Presidential Unilateralism- usually after the first two fail and the president can’t get anything done

The Model of Party-Based Presidential Leadership :(Matthew Dickinson).  

Best to rely on your own party You are more likely to lose the long term of the support your party if you moderate your position

The Alternative of "Collaborative Use of Presidential Power" -- An Alternative To Bi-Partisanship. 

Find presidents who are good collaborators

The Case of President Lyndon Johnson -- The Last "Legislative President."  

He forced congress to stay in session and work Great oversigt

The Final Fall-Back Option: Presidential Unilateralism (Barbara Sinclair). 

Executive orders

Where Goes Presidential Leadership in Congress.



Hell

AND THE PRESIDENT AND INTEREST GROUPS IN PRESIDENTIAL LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY  

Can help or hurt the president Mobilize public support, $$$, provide expertise

THE PRESIDENCY AND THE JUDICIARY The Long-Term Impact of Presidential Judicial Nominations. 

Life time appointments

The Judiciary's Impact on Policy, the Presidency and Presidential Power, and the Role of Government.  

Policy: review laws and fill in the gaps Pres: defining the power balance

The Organization of the Federal Judiciary. 

District courts- appellate- SCOTUS

The Fundamentals of the U.S. Supreme Court Nomination Process. 

Nomination, senate confirm

"Senatorial Courtesy" as an Informal Means (small c "constitutional") To Enhance the U.S. Senate's Power Over Lower Court Judicial Nominations. 

An uncodified custom in which the judge will not be confirmed if the senator from their state opposes the confirmation.

The Impact of Presidents on the Federal Judiciary and the Impact of the Federal Judiciary on Presidents.  

President appoint federal judges Federal judges have the power to check presidents in terms of the constitutionality of their decisions

Presidential Strategies To Forge a Judicial Alliance -- Via Judicial Nominations and Via Strategic Litigation (David Yalof, Nelson, Chapter 16).  

Nominations- appoint those who agree with you Strategic Litigation- find the cases you want ruled on an introduce to a favorable circuit

President Obama's Approach To Forging a Judicial Alliance in Support of Presidential Policies and Presidential Power. 

Appointed diverse people

How the Changed Political Environment Has Re-Shaped the Federal Judicial Nomination Process. 

PARTISAN

Issues in Evaluating the Presidency and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Justices change throughout their tenure.

THE PERSONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MODELS OF THE PRESIDENCY

The Personal Model of the Presidency. 

looking at the individual characteristic of the people who are president (psychological model)

The Psychological Model of the Presidency.  

psychological dimension of a president is lost on themselves Look at Emotion needs, subconscious needs, subminiature

James David Barber's Prescient Thesis in The Presidential Character. 

Important to analyses the person’s characteristics, especially with the Candidate centered politics

Barber's Character Typology with Presidents Classified According to Type: Energy: Active or Passive; Active Affect: Positive or Negative. Passive

Positive Active positive BEST Passive Positive

Negative Active Negative WORST Passive Negative

Barber's Additional Model of Cycles in Presidential Selection and Their Relevance. 

Conflict- conscience- concilation

Fred Greenstein's Analytical Framework in The Presidential Difference. 

Vison, Emotional intelligence, Cognitive Skill, Organizational skill, political skill

Richard Nixon as a Case Study (Greenstein, Chapter 7) 

Nixon had a low level of EQ hence the mess

Bill Clinton as a Case Study (Greenstein, Chapter 12). 

Clinton lack EQ hence the mess

Barack Obama as a Case Study (Greenstein, Chapter 14). Limitations of the Psychological Model of the Presidency.

 

Goldwater rule, we aren’t qualified We can’t get an accurate diagnosis from professional interactions

PRESIDENTIAL WAR POWER The Dual Presidency and Presidential War Power. 

The president is very strong with international policy but weak in terms for domestic power

Constitutional Sources of Presidential War Power: Commander-in-Chief; The Executive Power; The Presidential Oath of Office.     

Commander-in-Chief Execution of the war (not war by committee) Negotiate Treaties Head of State Defend our constitution

Sources of Expanded Presidential War Power.   

Atomic age Standing military War Powers act of 1973

The Concept of "The Prerogative" (John Locke). 

The president’s power grows because there are a lot of threats around

"Presidentialist" and "Congressionalist" Perspectives on Presidential War Power.  

Presidentialist- Lock Congressionalist- give the power to congress to limit the president

The War Powers Act of 1973 -- A Limit on Presidential War Power? Or a Source of Expanded Presidential War Power? 

Congress must approve after 90 days BUT has never been enforces

Critics of "The Imperial Presidency" and the Argument for Limiting the Expansion of Presidential War Power. 

We elect the people who are most entertaining not those who can or should lead

The Case of President George W. Bush and the Iraq War as a Study in the Dangers of Unilateral Presidential War Power. 

We are still in this war

THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN MODEL OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY AND THE TRANSITION FROM CAMPAIGNING TO GOVERNING

The Presidential Transition Process. Campaigning Electoral Coalition For Votes

Governing Governing Coalition For General Public Support Congressional Support

Issue Stances Symbolic Base This is why they are orphans Transitioning from Electoral Politics to Governing Politics. 

Try to pick up the pieces of a divisive election

The Distinction Between an "Electoral Coalition" and a "Governing Coalition."  

Electoral coalition is filled with one issue voters who often conflict Governing- have to find people to support by broadly

THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN PRESIDENCY -- AND THE RISE OF THE UNILATERAL PRESIDENCY The Distinction Between Campaigning and Governing. 

Unite

Building from an "Electoral Coalition" to a "Governing Coalition". 

Placate some by not speaking about certain issues but cant be too hands off

The Model of the "Permanent Campaign Presidency." 

rejections of collaborators, individualists, no-to little experience

The Progression from "Candidate-Centered Politics" and the "Patronage of Group-Centered Policies" ... To the "Plebiscitary Presidency" ... To the Rise of the "Permanent Campaign Presidency". 

From party people to candidates which leave them without a party. Thus they have to deal with the whims of the people

The Goal of the Permanent Campaign: Public Support As Measured by Public Opinion -- Which Relates to Presidential Power. 

Plebiscarian president

The Challenge of Transitioning from Campaigning to Governing.

Candidate Campaigning Behavior and Incumbent Governing Behavior.

 The Contrast Between Campaigning Skills and Governing Skills. 

Need seller v. collaborator

THE INTER-CONNECTEDNES OF: CANDIDATE-CENTERED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS -- THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN -- AND PRESIDENTIAL UNILATERALISM. The candidate centered politics make political orphans who are alienated from their party, leading to the president needing to garner support public ally, which leads to presidential spectacles that need presidential unilateralism to complete The Case of the Winning Obama Electoral Coalition. 

Latina and prolife

The Concept of the Presidential Spectacle as a Symbolic Event, As Image Overwhelming Reality, and as a Structural Feature of the Presidency, Not as a Strategy of Deception. FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

The Impact of Presidential Selection and the Current Era of the Permanent Campaign and the Plebiscitary Presidency. Long-Term Trends with the American Presidency: The Era of the Presidency-Centered Political System. The Over-Commitment of Presidents and the Creation of the Single Executive Image. The Increasing Personalization of the Presidency. The Election of Presidents Lacking a Mandate or Governing Coalition. The Election of Presidents Lacking in Governing Skills. The Focus of Presidents on Their Permanent Campaign for a Governing Coalition. The Isolation of the Presidency in the Political System. The Rise of the Unilateral Presidency.

Implications for Presidential Leadership, Governance, and American Democracy.

REFORMING THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY

Critical Problems and Reform Directions:

Presidential Selection -- Controlling the Impact of Money; Introducing Peer Review; Reinstituting Party Responsibilty. Presidential Governance -- Strengthening Shared Governance. Presidential Accountability -- Re-creating Institutional Responsibility (Especially for Congress).

Avoiding Unanticipated Consequences of Reform: Rejecting Constitutional Convention (Article V) Solutions. Utilizing Experience and Knowledge in Anticipating Impacts and Consequences of Reform. Strengthening Popular Sovereignty / Voter Participation as the Basis of Representative Democracy.

Evaluation of the Future Direction of the Presidency Relative to Founding Values....