The ROLES and POWERS of the President [AP Gov Review Unit 2 Topic 4 (2.4)]

Heimler's History

8 Sept 202106:34

Summary

TLDRThis video by Heimler’s History explores the roles and powers of the U.S. President, focusing on how the president can implement a policy agenda despite not having direct legislative authority. It breaks down formal powers like the veto and commander-in-chief role, and informal powers such as bargaining, persuasion, executive orders, and signing statements. The video provides examples, including Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan and Trump’s border wall efforts. It explains how the president uses both constitutional powers and executive influence to push forward their agenda.

Takeaways

😀 The president implements a policy agenda through formal and informal powers, even though they cannot pass laws directly (that's Congress' job).
📝 The president's formal powers include the veto, allowing them to reject bills that do not align with their policy agenda.
💼 The pocket veto is a 'sneaky' way to veto a bill if Congress adjourns before the president's 10-day signing window.
⚔️ As commander-in-chief, the president can make significant military decisions, such as ending wars, which can be part of their policy agenda.
🎙️ Informal powers include bargaining and persuasion, where the president can influence public opinion and negotiate with Congress to pass favorable legislation.
📉 Presidential bargaining power often depends on approval ratings, as higher ratings give more leverage to push policies through Congress.
📜 The president can issue executive orders to direct the executive branch and execute policies without needing new laws from Congress.
⚖️ A signing statement allows the president to interpret how they will enforce a law, potentially differing from Congress' intent.
🤝 Executive agreements are informal agreements with other countries that bypass the need for Senate approval, but they are only binding while that president is in office.
🔄 Executive agreements can be reversed by subsequent presidents, as seen with U.S. involvement in the Paris Accord on climate change.

Q & A

What is a policy agenda?
-A policy agenda is a set of policies that a president campaigns on, essentially forming an informal contract with voters about the laws and changes they aim to implement if elected.
How can a president implement a policy agenda if they don't have the constitutional authority to pass laws?
-The president implements a policy agenda using formal and informal powers, such as vetoing legislation, issuing executive orders, and bargaining with Congress.
What is a veto, and how does it help the president in implementing their policy agenda?
-A veto is a formal power given to the president to reject bills passed by Congress. The president can use this power to prevent bills that are not aligned with their policy agenda from becoming law.
What is a pocket veto, and when can it be used?
-A pocket veto occurs when the president does not sign a bill within 10 days and Congress adjourns before the end of that period. In this case, the bill is effectively vetoed without a formal rejection.
What is the role of the president as commander-in-chief in shaping foreign policy?
-As commander-in-chief, the president has control over the U.S. Armed Forces and can make decisions that impact foreign policy, such as ending wars or deploying troops, even though Congress holds the formal power to declare war.
What are informal powers, and how do they assist the president in policy implementation?
-Informal powers are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but allow the president to influence policy through methods like bargaining, persuasion, and issuing executive orders.
How does the president use bargaining and persuasion to get legislation passed?
-The president can persuade the public to pressure their representatives or negotiate directly with Congress to shape bills in a way that aligns with the presidential policy agenda.
What is an executive order, and how does it differ from a law passed by Congress?
-An executive order is a directive issued by the president that has the force of federal law but is not an actual law passed by Congress. It is a tool the president uses to manage the executive branch and implement policies.
What is a signing statement, and how does it reflect the president's stance on a new law?
-A signing statement is issued by the president when signing a bill into law, explaining how they interpret the law and how they plan to enforce it. This interpretation may differ from Congressional intent.
What is an executive agreement, and how is it different from a treaty?
-An executive agreement is a politically binding agreement made between the president and a foreign leader without requiring Senate approval, unlike a treaty. It only lasts as long as the president is in office.

Outlines

00:00

🇺🇸 The President's Policy Agenda: Powers and Limitations

This section introduces the president’s role in implementing a policy agenda. Although the president does not have constitutional authority to pass laws, they can influence legislation through formal and informal powers. The 'policy agenda' refers to the campaign promises that a president seeks to enact once elected, even without direct legislative power.

05:00

🛑 The Power of the Veto

The president has the formal power to veto legislation, derived from Article 2 of the Constitution. This veto power allows the president to reject bills passed by Congress, preventing them from becoming law. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority. Presidents often use the threat of a veto to influence legislation before it reaches their desk. Additionally, there’s the 'pocket veto,' where if Congress adjourns within 10 days of sending a bill, the president can effectively veto the bill by not signing it.

🪖 Commander-in-Chief: Foreign Policy and Military Power

The president serves as the commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces, a formal power that allows them to direct military actions. Although Congress has the authority to declare war, the president can make strategic decisions based on their policy agenda. For instance, President Joe Biden fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Afghanistan using this power, even though it led to complicated outcomes.

🗣️ Informal Powers: Bargaining and Persuasion

Beyond formal powers, the president can use informal means such as bargaining and persuasion to enact a policy agenda. The president has a unique ability to communicate directly with the nation, urging the public to pressure Congress. Approval ratings also play a crucial role in these negotiations. High approval ratings, like those of Lyndon Johnson, give the president more leverage, while lower ratings, as with Bill Clinton, weaken their influence in Congress.

📜 Executive Orders: Shaping Policy Without Congress

An executive order allows the president to direct federal agencies and the executive branch without passing a law. While these orders have the force of law, they are not legislative acts. For example, President Donald Trump rerouted funds via executive order to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. One of the most famous historical examples is Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which used executive power to free enslaved people in the Confederacy as a wartime strategy.

🖊️ Signing Statements: Presidential Interpretations of Laws

Signing statements allow presidents to express their interpretation of laws as they sign them into effect, often differing from Congress’s original intent. A historical example includes Franklin Roosevelt, who signed a World War II-era law he disagreed with. He issued a signing statement to clarify that his administration would challenge parts of the law in court, which later proved unconstitutional.

🤝 Executive Agreements: Informal International Negotiations

Executive agreements are informal pacts between the president and other world leaders that don’t require Senate approval, unlike formal treaties. These agreements are politically binding, not legally binding, and only last as long as the president’s term. An example includes President Obama’s entrance into the Paris Climate Accord via executive agreement, which President Trump later withdrew from, only for President Biden to rejoin.

📚 Conclusion and Resources

The video concludes with an invitation to check out a review packet and additional videos on the AP Government curriculum. The presenter encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on the topic.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Policy Agenda

A policy agenda refers to the set of policies or laws that a president campaigns on and promises to implement if elected. In the video, it's described as an informal contract between the president and the people who vote for them. The president's role in shaping and pushing this agenda is crucial even though they cannot pass laws themselves.

💡Veto

A veto is a formal power given to the president by the Constitution, allowing them to reject a bill passed by Congress. This word originates from Latin, meaning 'I forbid.' The video explains how a veto can be used when legislation doesn't align with the president's policy agenda, and how a veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in Congress.

💡Pocket Veto

A pocket veto is a special type of veto where the president can let a bill die by not signing it within 10 days if Congress adjourns during that period. This is a sneakier form of veto mentioned in the video, where the president avoids the bill becoming law without directly vetoing it.

💡Commander-in-Chief

The commander-in-chief is one of the formal powers of the president, as defined in the Constitution. It gives the president control over the U.S. Armed Forces. The video mentions this power in the context of Joe Biden ending the war in Afghanistan as part of his policy agenda, showing how this role allows the president to influence foreign policy and military decisions.

💡Bargaining and Persuasion

Bargaining and persuasion are informal powers of the president that allow them to influence Congress and public opinion to pass legislation. The video explains how presidents with high approval ratings, like Lyndon Johnson, can use this power to push their policy agendas, whereas presidents with lower ratings, like Bill Clinton, might struggle to do so.

💡Executive Order

An executive order is a directive from the president that has the force of law without requiring approval from Congress. The video uses the example of Donald Trump rerouting funds for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to illustrate how executive orders help presidents bypass Congress to achieve their policy goals.

💡Signing Statement

A signing statement is an informal power that allows the president to add comments or interpretations when signing a bill into law. These statements often clarify how the president intends to enforce the law, and may differ from Congress's intent. The video gives an example of Franklin Roosevelt issuing a signing statement during World War II to express his constitutional concerns about part of a bill.

💡Executive Agreement

An executive agreement is a non-legally binding agreement made between the president and another head of state without Senate approval. The video highlights how Barack Obama used an executive agreement to join the Paris Accord on climate change, and how Donald Trump later withdrew from it, showing the temporary nature of these agreements.

💡Constitution

The Constitution is the foundational legal document of the United States that outlines the powers and limitations of the government, including the presidency. The video references Article 2, which grants formal powers like the veto and the role of commander-in-chief to the president, framing how these powers enable the president to push their policy agenda.

💡Presidential Approval Rating

A presidential approval rating reflects the public's opinion of the president's performance. In the video, approval ratings are linked to the president's ability to influence Congress through bargaining and persuasion. Higher ratings, like Lyndon Johnson's 80% approval, provide leverage for pushing policies, while lower ratings reduce that influence.

Highlights

Introduction to the video's topic: the roles and powers of the President of the United States.

Explanation of the policy agenda and how the President campaigns on specific policies as an informal contract with voters.

Clarification that the President does not have constitutional authority to pass laws, which is the job of Congress.

Discussion of formal powers, including the President's power to veto any bill, explained with a humorous personal anecdote.

Description of how the threat of a veto can influence Congress to modify bills to align with the President's policy agenda.

Explanation of the pocket veto, where the President can indirectly veto a bill by not signing it if Congress adjourns within 10 days.

Highlight of the President's formal role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with an example of Biden's decision to end the war in Afghanistan.

Introduction to informal powers, which are not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but derive from executive authority.

Explanation of the President’s informal power of bargaining and persuasion, where approval ratings impact the President’s leverage over Congress.

Discussion of executive orders as an informal power, which allows the President to direct executive departments to achieve policy goals without passing a law.

Example of Trump's use of executive orders to reroute funds for the US-Mexico border wall when Congress did not pass related legislation.

Explanation of signing statements, where the President outlines how they interpret and intend to enforce a law when signing it.

Example of FDR using a signing statement during World War II to indicate disagreement with parts of a law he signed.

Introduction to executive agreements, a type of informal power where the President enters agreements with foreign leaders without requiring Senate approval.

Example of Obama entering the Paris Climate Accord through an executive agreement, and the subsequent reversal by Trump, followed by Biden rejoining the agreement.