1. law, govt and politics
2. politics
3. elections

REVIEW TOPIC #6
THE PRESIDENCY
CAMPAIGNS AND
ELECTIONS
FINANCING CAMPAIGNS
• Federal money
• The politics of accepting federal
funds
• Costs will be $1bn+
1999 QUESTION

I.
II.
III.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Public monies are used to help finance which
of the following campaigns?
Presidential
Congressional
Gubernatorial
I only
II only
I and II only
II and III only
I,II, and III
Answer: A
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL
CHOICES
• Silence the haters
• Bring in a group
otherwise ignored
1999 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
When selecting a vice-presidential candidate, a
presidential nominee is usually concerned
primarily with choosing a running mate who
Has significant personal wealth
Adds balance and appeal to the nat. ticket
Comes from the same ideological wing of the
party as the Pres
Can serve as the most important domestic
policy advisor to the Pres
Can effectively preside over the Senate
Answer: B
•
•
•
•
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Consititutional
Largely winner-take-all
Plurality or “low point wins”
Dictates attention of
candidates
2002 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Which of the following is a result of the electoral
college system?
The winner of the presidency often lacks a
majority of the pop. Vote
Candidates focus on one-party states in which
they can win most of the electoral votes.
The House of Reps frequently chooses the Pres
from the top three candidates
Candidates focus on the states with the largest
populations
Campaign spending increases because
candidates emphasize television advertising
Answer: D
PRESIDENTIAL POWERS
NATIONAL
SECURITY/FOREIGN
POLICY
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
• Avoids this nonsense 
• Growth
• Non-military Pres. tend to be
most hawkish (Polk, Lincoln,
Bush II)
DEPLOY TROOPS
• Implied
• Congress’ role
• War Powers Act (more to
follow)
NEGOTIATE TREATIES
• Pres. only (simplifies
things)
• Senate confirmation
(WWI)
Ha! This is a gag picture.
Treaties with Russia are as
sacred as Bill Clinton’s
wedding vows
APPOINT
AMBASSADORS
• Senate’s role
• Key countries vs.
spoils of war (read:
elections)
The Mighty State of
Micronesia, where the
seat of government
resides on the island of
Yap (seriously)
2002 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The Pres can do which of the following
without seeking the consent of either the
House or the Senate?
Ratify a treaty
Appoint ambassadors
Appoint district court judges
Deploy troops
Declare war
Answer: D
WAR POWERS
RESOLUTION
• Congressional consultation
• 60 day limit
• Constitutional?
1994 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The War Powers Resolution (1973) was designed to
Allow the Joint Chiefs of Staff to advise the Pres during
period of conflict
Allow Congress to suspend certain civil liberties during
times of war
Require a congressional declaration of war before
allowing military forces to be used overseas
Assure congressional involvement in decisions
committing military forces in hostile situations overseas
Ensure funding for military operations lasting more than
60 days
Answer: D
EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS
(informal power)
• Between heads of
state
• Approval?
• Noncontroversial…
mostly (Vietnam
peace)
• May need Cong.
funding
“I’m telling you, Abby, the
secret is to ACT like a king
without actually using the
word.”
1994 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Which of the following is true of an executive
agreement made between a US Pres and another
head of state?
It does not require Senate approval, but may require
congressional allocation of funds for implementation
It does not require congressional funding because the
Pres can use the power of the purse to raise
implementation funds
It has more legal force than a treaty
It is binding on all succeeding Presidents and
Congresses
It has been used extensively to end armed conflicts
CONT’D
Answer: A
LEGISLATIVE
• S of U
• Convene and adjourn
• Veto
“I look more presidential
this way. Also, you can’t
tell how big my ears are.”
ADMINISTRATIVE
• “Faithfully execute the
laws”… but what if he
didn’t?
• Nominations, by the
thousands
True story: I didn’t
know John Roberts
was bald until I
found this photo.
JUDICIAL
APPOINT JUDGES
• Senatorial courtesy
• Conf. battles
• May be most lasting
impact
I have no idea what
the hell is going on
here. This was Mr.
Benson’s cartoon.
SELECTION OF JUDGES
• Role of Justice Dept.
• Diverse in some ways,
very homogeneous in
others.
Bored? See if you can
figure out how many of
these guys are still on the
bench…
EXECUTIVE
BRANCH/CHIEF
EXECUTIVE
• Controls one whole
branch
• Size?
CABINET
• Advisors
• Composition of the cabinet?
Kennedy vs. Lincoln
• Size?
• GW
1999 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Cabinet members often do not have a dominant
influence on presidential decision-making because
Cabinet members generally maintain close independent
ties to Congress
Cabinet members generally view their position only as a
stepping-stone to further their own political ambitions
Cabinet members are not permitted to disagree publicly
with the Pres
Presidential goals often conflict with the institutional
goals of individual cabinet level agencies
Only half of all cabinet members can be members of the
Pres’ party
Answer: D
NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL
• Post WWII
• For. Pol. and military (left
hand and right hand)
• Advisor
• Members
“Dick, if you put that
tack on my chair
I’m going to Judo
chop you in the
neck.”
COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC
ADVISORS
• 3 members
• Symp. to Pres.
Has God made a man
uglier than Larry
Summers? I think not.
OFFICE OF
MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET
• Budget prep
• Non partisan
WHITE HOUSE STAFF
• West wing
• Daily aides (press, staff)
• Sycophants
Good show… Netflix
it sometime (not
now)
1994 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
In selecting members of the White House staff,
Presidents primarily seek people who
Give the White House ideological balance
Are personally loyal to the Pres
Have extensive govt. experience
Will help the Pres develop a good working
relationship with Congress
Can bring a nonpartisan perspective to policy
deliberations
Answer: B
WHEEL AND SPOKES
• Equal status
• Efficiency
Get it????!!!
HIERARCHICAL
• Pretty much what the
name implies
• Not all get to see the
Pres.
Illuminati!
PRESIDENT AS
LEGISLATOR
CHIEF LEGISLATOR
• Role of Pres.
agenda
That’s a young Mr.
Singh on the far right
SIGN A BILL
• If you don’t know this,
you are in serious
trouble. Like, you may
get the first -2 in the
history of the AP
program
• Done by machine?
• Can be a media event
Souvenir pens for
everyone!!
VETO
• Another one you
should know
• Powerful threat
• Overturn?
Rare shot of Coolidge
awake (he slept 10
hours a day)
No line item veto
• Pres. can’t, some gov. can
• Impact on budget?
POCKET-VETO
• If Congress
adjourns within
10 days of
submission of bill
• Political move
Chester A. Arthur had 80
pairs of trousers. None with
this sweet embroidery,
though.
BECOMES A LAW
WITHOUT SIGNATURE
• After 10 days if
Congress is in
session
No tie? What is this, Iran? Oh
no, he’s got a flag pin. We’re
cool.
1994 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
All of the following statements pertaining to the
presidential veto are true except:
Congress overrides fewer than 10% of
presidential vetoes
A vetoed bill is often revised and passed in
another form
Presidents often threaten to veto bills to
increase their leverage with Congress
A Pres may veto part of a bill
Congress often places provisions the Pres
wants into a bill the Pres dislikes to make a veto
less likely
Answer: D
EXECUTIVE ORDER
(informal power)
• Law or not?
• Cong. approval?
• Rising pop.
Shockingly legal
PARTY AND PUBLIC
SUPPORT
LEADER OF POLITICAL
PARTY
• Naturally
• Pres. popularity
and his party
I find this photo disturbing and
confusing. Also, the President
looks like a 14-year-old white kid
with a crew cut.
APPROVAL RATINGS
• Historical trend
• Influence on the Hill
• Must use “political
capital” wisely
Not so different after all
HONEYMOON PERIOD
• What it is
• Presidential
ambition
• FDR and the 100
days
For real, though, it is nice to
see a President that doesn’t
look at his wife like she was his
sister.
CRISIS
• It could have even
saved Gerald
Ford! (not really)
• Drawbacks?
RALLY EVENTS
• The flag and the
bloody shirt
• Specific,
dramatic,
focused
ECONOMY
• Correlation
• Unfair
Think of it like
jumping into a wave
pool or cliff diving…
Lame Duck Period
• The time during which a president
who has lost an election or has
ended a second term is still in office
before the new president serves.
STATE OF THE UNION
ADDRESS
• Constit.
• Written or spoken
• Love letter to the
nation
Who would pass up
a stage like this?
MEDIA AND POLITICAL
AGENDA
• Press secretary
• Pres Conf: the testing
ground
• Bully pulpit
Look, I’m running out
of crap to put up
here, OK?
IMPEACHMENT
Insert name here
• Indictment, not
conviction
• House charges,
Senate tries
• Majority and 2/3
• Treason, bribery, high
crimes and
misdemeanors
• Could apply to nearly
anyone
1999 QUESTION

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Which of the following procedures results in the
removal of the Pres from office?
The House and Senate vote for impeachment, and
the Supreme Court reaches a guilty verdict.
The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate
conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdict
The House and Senate both vote for a bill of
impeachment
Only the House votes for a bill of impeachment
A criminal court finds the Pres guilty of “high crimes
and misdemeanors.”
Answer: B
2002 Free Response Question

a.
b.
The concept of “divided government” in the
U.S. means that one political party can
control the executive branch while another
controls the legislative branch. This poses
problems for the President in making
appointments to federal offices.
Describe two problems that divided govt
poses for the Pres in making fed
appointments
Identify and explain two ways Pres’s try to
overcome the problems described in a.
2003 Free Response Question
Presidential approval ratings fluctuate over
the course of each presidential
administration.
a. Identify two factors that decrease
presidential approval ratings, and explain
why each factor has that effect.
b. Identify two factors that increase pres.
Approval ratings, and explain why each
factor has that effect.
