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Summary Politics Paper 3 USA Notes
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Politics Paper 3 Edexcel USA Key notes
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Politics 3 Quick NotesPresidency
Formal powers – Head of State, Commander in Chief, proposed leg, signs leg, veto leg, nominate govt officials,
overseas ambassadors, federal judges, negotiate treaties, sign executive orders, pardon Ford pardoned Nixon.
Informal powers – sets political agenda, media spotlight to highlight issues of concern, ‘bully pulpit’.
Vice President – Takes over if president dies, resigns, impeached, under sedation. Balance combination-
‘dream ticket’. Kennedy-Johnson 1960. 2008 Obama did not want Clinton as too well-known.
Cabinet – policy specialists, symbolic of President (Clinton wanted cabinet to ‘look like America’), less
reshuffling, diverse, cross-party (Gates Defence Secretary under Bush and Obama). No formal power –
president retains final say (2014 Defence Secretary not transferring detainees out of Guantanamo Bay resigned
by Nov), representative of president, meet infrequently, dull (not informed during Cuban Missile Crisis).
Executive orders – issued by president to govt departments on matter of public policy. Force of law, subject to
judicial review. FDR 3,500. Trump 209. 2009 Obama signed to close Guantanamo Bay. Overturned by new law,
SC ruling or new executive order. Trump 2017 removal of federal subsidies underpinning Obamacare.
Presidential memorandum – aim to achieve same goal but not required to be published or justified. Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals – 2012. Memorandum on Federal Initiative for a Drug-Free American 1986.
Proclamations – give direction to people outside of federal branch. Lincoln 1863 Emancipation proclamation.
Executive agreements – entered into by president and foreign govt does not require Senate approval. Not
binding. Trump withdrew from Paris Agreement.
Executive Office of the President – 1800 staff. White House office – close aides, act as liaison with federal
bureaucracy and cabinet. Congressional Liaison Staff. White House Chief of Staff – Jeff Zients Feb 2023.
National Security Council – main source of advice on foreign and security. Nixon transformed NSC into own
foreign policy department.
Office of Management and Budget – advises allocation fed funds, oversees spending, parallel to Treasury.
Limits on presidential power – midterms, Congress, state govts, SC, public opinion, pressure groups, federal
bureaucracy, two-term limit, fixed elections, impeachment. Congress has power of the purse. 2012 Rice
blocked from becoming Secretary of State, 2016 Senate Republicans prevent Obama’s nominee for SC seat.
Clinton – reducing budget deficit, health care reform, greater gun control (Brady Bill), civil rights (Don’t Ask.
Don’t Tell), foreign policy (forced by Congress to withdraw troops from Somalia).
Bush – tax cuts, No Child Left Behind Act, social security reform, war on terror.
Trump – tax cuts, ended climate deal, judiciary reshaped, Obamacare repeal, border wall, ditching NATO,
military spending increase.
Persuader in Chief – relies on persuasion as powers are checked. Can appeal to Congress. Trump twitter.
Whitehouse as bully pulpit. Obama called for gun control after San Bernardino shooting 2015. Meeting
congressional leaders. Offering broader policy to make legislation palatable. Obama deported more than other
president to show he could be trusted with immigration policy.
Power of veto – use veto with caution, more often when party not majority in Congress. Majority sustained,
checks and balances, POTUS acts in national interest. Failure to persuade, divided govt, lame duck.
Imperial presidency –since WW2 presidents acted independently, USA viewed as empire in all but name, FDR
New Deal, world’s policeman, Nixon presidency seen as culmination of growth of more abuse of power,
foreign policy (Bush huge powers in Middle East), treaties and executive agreements, appointment of foreign
policy officials, Commander in Chief, Congress acts in deference, face of govt. Separation of powers, War
Powers Resolution, impeachment, lame duck, power of the purse (2007 Democrats attempt to defund Iraq
war), congress ratifies treaties. Prevent release of Guantanamo Bay detainees on US soil.
Commander in Chief – legal authority to protect US. Congress ability to assert authorities but cannot override
constitutional grants. War Powers Act 1973 – must seek congressional authorisation to send troops into
conflict unless USA already under attack. 2013 Obama seek approval for air-strikes on Syria.
, Congress – the legislative branch, bicameral.
2022 Midterms:
- Senate 51 to 49 Democrat controlled. Pennsylvania 51.2% Democrat majority.
- US House turned Republican 222. Small majority, ‘Red Wave’ did not occur.
- Four states flipped control in races for governor.
- Exit polls – Democrats lost support among women and younger voters. Yet exit polls sow young voters
drove Democratic resistance to the ‘Red Wave’. Rep won a majority of white women and performed
better among Latino voters. Democrats lost almost 10% support of Latino men votes.
- Trump endorsed 162 House candidates 25 Senate. Only 8 Senate and 16 House seen as tossup. Spent
$16m boosting primary candidates.
- Key factors: Overturning of Roe v. Wade. Inflation – four-decade high.
Upper chamber – Senate. Experience and wisdom. Limit populism. 1.3 rd Senate re-elected every 2 years. 100.
Lower chamber – HoR. ‘People’s house’. Most responsive. ‘Power of the purse’. Re-election every 2 years. 435.
The Great Compromise 1787 – to have 2 houses. HoR based on population size, Senate based on equal
representation. 17th Amendment 1913 replaced appointment to direct popular vote.
House and Senate try to block bills if different party has majority. Trump’s ability to build the wall hindered.
Needed $5.9b. Led to longest shut down of Congress in history. Trump planned to use emergency funds for
national defence, overturned in federal courts.
SC nominations – Trump replace Ginsburg with Barrett.
Impeachment – Trump trial in Senate failed. Impeachment failed 2x.
Re-election – Democrats energised by win in House 2018. Senate majority suggested Trump was in with a
chance in 2020 but didn’t happen due to topical issues e.g., COVID, BLM.
Members of congress – Many members hold onto their seats due to power of incumbency. Familiar name,
party machine, campaign money, gerrymandering. 2020 re-election 97% HoR, 90% Senate.
Pork barrelling – voting based on benefits to district or state. Earmarks – direct federal spending on projects to
secure votes. Federalism in action.
Voting behaviour – public opinion (2009 Dem switched position to try and not support Obamacare), party-
partisanship (no Rep voted Obama stimulus budget 2009), conscience, lobbyists (2012 Newtown shooting –
Obama couldn’t pass leg to limit guns due to NRA).
Senate Filibuster – prolonged speech to present further action being taken on leg. Ended by cloture motion.
DREAM Act. Killed off by Rep filibuster in 2010 and 2012. 1922-2012 Rep 591 times, Dem 352 times.
Congressional oversight – power to monitor, check, investigate. Congressional committees most important
business takes place. HoR Committee on Appropriation – decisions on allocation of funds. Senate Judiciary
Committee – oversight over nominations to SC, recommendations sway votes. Armed service committee.
Partisanship – becoming increasingly polarised. Rep attempts to defund Planned Parenthood. Increasingly
common belief that presidency is main engine of govt. Voting behaviour influenced by partisanship. 2009 no
Rep voted for Obama’s stimulus budget. 1994 only 10% population stated they were consistently conservative
or liberal. No 21%.
Gridlock – as a result of increasing partisanship. Compromise not simple. When President loses majority in
either House or Senate difficult to pass bills. Senate Filibusters indicate greater inability to work together. May
contribute to valuable debate. No Child Left Behind Act authorised by both Dem and Rep. 118th Congress
gridlock more likely. Gridlock part of constitution ensure policy supported by broad base.
Representation – 149 women in 118th congress, 58 WOC. Only 25% of Congress. 42 Rep women. White older
men remain dominant in congress. More difficult for ethnic minorities and LGBTQ people to achieve position.
Constitution
Written and codified document based on: Magna Carta, English Common Law, English Bill of Rights, 17 th and
18th philosophy (Locke natural rights and limited govt. Montesquieu separation of powers).
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