Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: War Powers Resolution, Presidential System, Lyndon B. Johnson
28 Apr 2018
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Department
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Professor
February 5, 2018
Presidential Systems: Governing the United States
U.S. Politics
➢ Populism
o Against globalization
o Expressed through Trump and Sanders
➢ Money
o Campaign Finance
o Influence of big donors on political parties
➢ Race/poverty/violence
o Eg. Ferguson and Chicago
o Struggle with issues of exclusion
➢ Gridlock (president and congress)
➢ Polarization (ideological and geographical)
Presidential System: Key principles
- Developed in the late 1700s - Founding fathers wanted a decentralized federation
o Structurally limit the power of government
o Effective but not strong central gov’t to join the existing states
- Key principles – ambition must be made to counteract ambition
o Separated powers: executive, legislative and judicial branches are separate from
each other – different personnel and authority bases
▪ Independent, power base of authority
▪ Each made up of different people and different bases of authority
o Checks and balances
▪ Separate branches can check each other’s autonomy
▪ No individual or institution becomes too powerful
▪ Each of the three branches of government is able to check the actions of
the others so that no individual or institution becomes too powerful
o Federalism: divide sovereignty with states granted residual powers not federal
gov’t
- Overall implication – Operational consequence: Good government demands bargaining
and compromise between executive and legislative branches and federal and state
o System is institutionally divided
o About finding the common ground
- Presidential system: a system of governing in which the president and Congress each
separately derive their authority from being elected by the people and have a fixed term
of office
Institutional Actors
Executive (president, vice president)
- The president (elected nationally, 4 years, 2 term-limited)
Does not need to maintain the support of the legislature to remain in office
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o Dual executive role – head of state and head of gov’t
▪ Want nothing to do with kings and queens
▪ Diplomatic and ceremonial leader
o Policy roles and responsibilities
▪ Distinguish foreign and domestic affairs
▪ Not allowed to be members of congress
o Major actor in foreign policy
▪ Commander in chief of armed forces
▪ Nominates senior military officials and ambassadors represents country
internationally
▪ Negotiates international treaties
o But, Congress constitutionally responsible for deciding whether to declare war
and to provide funds for the military
▪ 1973 War Powers Act
▪ Part of checks and balance arrangement
o In practice, Presidents have used ‘national security’ concerns to secure
congressional support for military decisions
▪ Ex. Vietnam, Iraq and Libya
President is Commander-in-Chief in Foreign Policy and needs to become Negotiatior-in-Chief in
Domestic Policy
- Domestic policy much more constrained – cannot exercises the same autonomous
leadership
- Bush – “Easier to deal with Saddam Hussein than with the US Congress
o Institutional constraints
- Sets agenda (Inaugural Address/State of the Union) but depends on congressional support
to implement into legislation
o Proposes – legislative priorities
o Nominates – Cabinet, Judges, Department officials
o Responsible – for implementing of laws through bureaucracy
(enforcement/funding)
o Supported by key executive offices
▪ CEA, OMB, NSC
o Issue – “executive orders” to advance certain policies without congressional
approval
▪ Obama immigrations; Trump: environment
- Two presidencies – strong foreign/weak domestic
o Has to continuously work for support to enact legislation
The Vice President
- Selected by the president to be running mate on party ticket
- An office often disparaged
- Constitutional responsibility to preside over senate, cast vote in event of a tie; and to be
ready to assume presidency if president unable to continue
- But recently, the VP office is seen as more significant
o Political ticket balancing - ideology, region, experience, personality
▪ Pence: executive experience in politics, principled social conservatism
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Special policy leads: eg. Al Gore and the environment
o Significant presidencies have come through Vice Presidents assuming office
▪ Harry Truman and the Cold War
▪ Lyndon Johnson and Civil Rights
▪ George H. W. Bush and the end of the Cold War
Institutional actors: legislative congress – senate and house of representative
Congress: two separate legislative bodies
- The legislative branch of the American govt consisting of the House of Representatives
and the Senate
- Senate (100, 2 per state, 6 year not limited term)
The upper chamber of congress. Two senators are elected by voters in each state for a six-year
term
- Introduce bills (reflect president’s agenda), scrutinize in committees, debate/amend bills
vote on bills
o Chairs of committees are significant, relative autonomous policy players and
powerful lawmakers
- Authority to approve/reject treaties negotiated by President and to approve/reject
Presidential nominees
- Senator a high profile political position, viewed as stepping stone to presidency
(Kennedy, Obama) although State Governors more likely route (FDR, Carter, Reagan,
Clinton, G.W. Bush)
House of representatives
The lower chamber of the American congress, elected for a two-year term from districts of
approximately equal population state
- Representation by population – 435 members, local districts with state allocations
- Key roles
o Introduce bills, scrutinize committees, debate/amend bills, vote on bills
o Revenue bills (taxing and spending) only initiated in house of Representatives
▪ Financial role – rooted in idea they are the most in touch with the people
o House of Representatives viewed as the grass-roots congressional body more in
touch with the people and reflective of political currents than the Senate
o Not steeping stone but early path…. Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, G.H. Bush
Importance of Executive-Legislative Interaction:
Checks and balances matter
- President sets agenda, dependent on congressional to take it up
- Senate and house may legislate presidential priorities by passing identical bills before
presenting to the president (Conference Report Committee)
- Use of filibuster with cloture requiring supermajorities (60%)
o Blocking legislation coming from the executive branch
- President can sign or veto bills; congress can override veto with 2/3 majority vote
o Need for compromise
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Populism: against globalization, expressed through trump and sanders. Money: campaign finance, influence of big donors on political parties. Ferguson and chicago: struggle with issues of exclusion. Developed in the late 1700s - founding fathers wanted a decentralized federation: structurally limit the power of government, effective but not strong central gov"t to join the existing states. Key principles ambition must be made to counteract ambition: separated powers: executive, legislative and judicial branches are separate from each other different personnel and authority bases. Overall implication operational consequence: good government demands bargaining and compromise between executive and legislative branches and federal and state: system is institutionally divided, about finding the common ground. Presidential system: a system of governing in which the president and congress each separately derive their authority from being elected by the people and have a fixed term of office. The president (elected nationally, 4 years, 2 term-limited) President is commander-in-chief in foreign policy and needs to become negotiatior-in-chief in.
