This is an evidence document for the US Presidency topic of the new US politics spec. This has put me on track for a comfortable A* in the 2023 exams (recent essays have scored 27+/30)
Powers (legislative, appointment, and foreign affairs)
● Obama signed the START treaty with Russia
● Obama tried to sign an executive order to close Guantanamo bay, but it was overturned in the
Senate
● Obama’s approval rating fell from 67% to 40%
● Obama used executive agreements to sign the JCPOA and the Paris Agreement
● Trump used his 2018 state of the union to propose legislation such as tough immigration and
nuclear defence
● Trump nominated Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
● Trump withdrew troops from Syria and Afghanistan
● Trump used an executive order for his muslim travel ban
● Trump had an average approval rating of 41%
● Covid led to Trump's approval rating falling to 35%
● Biden has recently been campaigning for greater gun control
● Biden appointed Merrick Garland as Attorney general
● Biden used executive orders to reverse Trump’s wall construction and his ban on
transgender people serving in the military
● As soon as he entered office Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, which lowered health
insurance
Cabinet
● Bush held 49 meetings
● Obama held 28 meetings
● Obama made 3 changes to his cabinet
● Obama used his cabinet to discuss his legislative agenda with congress
● Obama used his meeting to hurry Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel over releasing
Guantanamo Bay prisoners
● Trump held 25 meetings
● Trump made 20 changes to his cabinet
● Trump opened his cabinet up to the press as a show of dominance
● Trump used his cabinet to discuss the federal Covid-19 response
● Bidens Attorney General is Merrick Garland
● Bidens Secretary of Transportation is Pete Buttigieg
Was Obama Successful?
● Healthcare reform
○ Affordable Care Act 2010 reduced the number of uninsured adults from 18% to 11%
● Economic stimulation
○ American Recovery Act 2009 provided $787 billion t save the financial system
○ Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act 2010 increased the regulation of financial
institutions
● Immigration reform
○ DREAM Act (allowed children of immigrants to temporary citizenship) faced opposition
from both parties
○ DAPA (indefinite delays in deportation) executive order was overruled in United States
v Texas (2016)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jameslehmann-russell1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
