Chapter 13 - Presidency

Requirements to be president:
- 35 years or older
- natural-born citizen of the US
- lived 14 years in the US

President must reach out to /please
3 Audiences:
- politicians
- party activists
- public

Political Scientist theories ~
	Richard Neustadt: president's most vital power is ability to persuade
	Clinton Rossiter: president needs to be able to fill multiple roles:
		- Head of State
		- Chief Executive
		- Command-in-Chief
		- Chief Diplomat
		- Chief Legislator
		(All of these are time-intensive)
	James MacGregor Burns: the more achieved by a president, the greater the president
	James David Barber: personality is key. positive/negative or active/(inactive? passive?)

Rules and Contingencies

Presidents become such in 1 of 2 ways:
-election (Electoral College)
-succession on Vice President's part (detailed in 25th amendment)

Acting President: temporary succession decided by President or majority of Cabinet

Presidential Succession Act of 1947:
-if Vice President can't become president, it goes Speaker -> President Pro Tempore -> Cabinet members in order of department creation 
-example: Gerald Ford was appointed VP by Nixon, succeeded when Nixon resigned

Impeachment:
-House votes to impeach (majority)
-Senate votes to convict (2/3 majority)
-grounds: treason, bribery, high crimes, misdemeanors
-no President of US has ever been impeached and convicted

Constitution sets up salary for President
Bribery safeguards are present in the Constitution - no gift accepting, etc.
President also has: private jet and helicopter, secret service protection for self and family, total health care, and pension.

Term Limits:
Four-year terms
Max 2 terms - 22nd Amendment
Max years as President: 10 (succeeded halfway through term, was re-elected twice)

Traditional Roles

President is the national head of his political party
(++ influence)
(++ chance at re-election)
Presidential Coattails: President and state level candidates supporting each other

No guarantee that the President will  be supported by party members in Congress

President also "Chief Citizen" and represents US population
(This is silly! Democracy is not so perfect, unfortunately...)

Presidential Powers

- serving as Commander-in-Chief
- executive authority
- commissioning officers of military
- appointing officials
- special Congress sessions
- adjourning Congress
- clemency (pardons and reprieves)

Presidential Management Models

Pyramid Model - chain of command, Chief of Staff between 'pyramid' and President
(++ seeing big picture)
( -- knowing all info)

Hub-and-Spoke Model - President at center of White House
(requires leadership and eye for detail)
(++ control)

Ad Hoc Structure - like large corporation
(++ delegation)

Cabinet

15 Deparments
Department of State
Department of Treasury
Department of Justice
Department of Interior - 1849
U.S. Department of Agriculture - 1862
Commerce Department - 1903
Labor Department - 1913
Department of Defense (combination war, navy, air) - 1947
Department of Housing and Urban Development - 1966
Transportation Department - 1966 (TSA is evil terrorist scum etc.)
Department of Energy - 1977 (woohoo)
Department of Health and Human Services - 1979
Department of Education
Department of Veteran's Affairs - 1988
Department of Homeland Security - 2002

President may invite any top officials to Cabinet sessions

Departments = mini bureaucracies
Secretaries appointed by President and rejected by Senate
- they give advice+info as well as heading departments

"going native" - secretary more loyal to department than President/country

White House

Executive Offices: in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to White House
- Office of Management of Budget
	- helps President draft budget proposals
- National Security Council
	- includes national security advisor, VP, President, secretaries of state+defense, etc.
- Council of Economic Advisors
	- develops economic plans

President's Staff - in West Wing
Chief of Staff - highest ranking member of White House. Power depends on structure.
Policy officers - trusted confidants

Federal Budget - financial plan for fiscal year
OMB plans and writes budget
President sends to Congress for review and action
Lobbyists can have some say

President's Express Roles/Powers

Article II, Section 2 of Constitution - it's all in there
- Command-in-Chief - controls military
	- power shared with Congress. 
	- War Powers Resolution - President needs approval to commit troops
- Chief Executive - upholder of Constitution

Article II, Section 3 
- Head of State - attends state dinners, ceremonial leader of the nation, etc. - Figurehead
- Chief Diplomat - meets with foreign diplomats, executive agreements (not treaties)
- Legislator - State of Union

Approval Ratings

1st 100 days of presidency : honeymoon phase, high approval ratings
High approval ratings justifies mandate theory

Approval polls: info for President on public's response to policies/proposals

Honeymoon Phase less lenient now

Strong Economy = High Approval Ratings (though this rarely truthfully reflects on President)

National Crisis or Foreign Crises => can raise approval rating if handled well
Trips abroad as well
War too
Programs being successful also, though these kind of rust with time apparently. Approval falls over time.

Scandal ≠ High Approval Ratings

Media and Press Coverage

Presidents need to cultivate public opinion. 
Hoover hired first press secretary - keeps press informed of president's views/axtions
Cooperation between White House and Press evolved over time -- now symbiotic, as discussed in section about Media.

Press Conferences - official reads statements and takes questions from media. Often scripted.
Presidents need to be careful! Spontaneity can damage administrations.
Some Presidents love the Press. Some are afraid of attention . Ahhh, choices.