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Essay Plans - Government & Politics in the US
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The US Executive - RevisionExplain and analyze 3 powers of the president. (9)
P – legislative powers.
Ex – Article 1, Section 7, sign legislation to law, veto legislation passed by congress.
Ev – Obama vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline 2015, Biden signed American Rescue Plan Act 2021.
An – congress override a presidential veto, difficult, Congress only managed to override 1/10 Trump.
P – foreign affairs powers.
Ex – Article 2 Section 2, Commander-in-chief of the US military, negotiate treaties also.
Ev – sign treaties on executive orders, Obama signed up US to Copenhagen Treaty in 2009.
An – senate ratified, 2/3rd supermajority, secrecy, US marines occupy/removed Grenada w/o CA.
P – appointment powers.
Ex – appoint minister, judges of the SC and ‘officers’ outlined in Article 2, Section 2.
Ev – Trump able to shift the nature of court through appointments of Kavanaugh & Barrett.
An – need CA, circumvented w/ recess appointments, Bush appointed Pickering to Court of appeals.
Explain and analyze 3 reasons why the cabinet is important. (9)
P – cabinet members are policy specialists.
Ex – give advice on specific dept to aid decision making, & coordinate work of federal government.
Ev – Reagan more cabinet meetings than other presidents, valued meeting them, hearing thoughts.
An – collective meetings unimportant, but, Obama’s sec of state, Hillary high profile, influential.
P – provide ‘team talks’ and present the ‘big picture’ items.
Ex – source to have major press announcements, transparency, & introduce change w/ unity.
Ev – Bush in the events of 9/11 & recommendations in aftermath, and for his tax cut policies in 2003.
An – cabinet meetings pointless, Kennedy, Johnson & Nixon non-users, important for imperiled
presidents, Ford, meetings every 3 weeks.
P – used to check up on legislation.
Ex – legislation through congress, giving & gathering info, and allows exec to look consultative.
Ev – Obamacare, on strategies for passing comp healthcare, cost containment, insurance/coverage.
An – exec chair, Trump, cabinet overly-praise him, want to avoid Rex Tillerson, encourage debate.
Explain and analyze 3 reasons why the president is imperial/imperiled. (9)
P – role of commander-in-chief is elastic.
Ex – US forces can be dispatched around the world without a formal declaration of war.
Ev – Nixon, authorized military intervention in Cambodia & Laos w/o congressional approval,
, The US Executive - Revision
An – congress c + b, War Powers Act, didn’t atop Truman, Eisenhower, or Johnson, media scrutiny.
P – creation of EXOP.
Ex – size and scope of federal bureaucracy has increased since 1970s, at the behest of presidents.
Ev – west wing, proximity to exec makes it sig, approx. 3000-4000 staff supporting exec.
An – Ford size mor difficult for execs to act, overstepped, exec can fire, Bush fired Sununu.
P – supreme court rulings.
Ex – expand scope of the office & exec, expansion of powers beyond constitution, future precedent.
Ev – 1936, US v Curtiss-Wright gave presidency substantial power regarding international relations.
An – rulings restrained, Trump v Vance, shift the nature of SC, Trump did with Kavanaugh & Barrett.
Explain and analyze 3 reasons why bureaucracy is powerful. (9)
P – agencies expanding own power.
Ex – expand own power & responsibilities, bureaucratic imperialism, manifests into turf battles.
Ev – Dept. of Homeland Security, 2002, turf battles over committees should oversee new dept.
An – OMB to control, fail, Flint Water Crisis, OMB criticized for not providing adequate oversight.
P – clientelism.
Ex – IRCs powerful, watchdog agencies lapdogs protecting special interests at expense of public.
Ev – sec and exchange commission, criticized for major insider trading case, too lenient, close ties.
An – Pendleton Act, merit appointments, but Trump picking a climate change denier to the EPA.
P – going native.
Ex – where appointee advocates of the bureaucracy rather than doing the will of the president.
Ev – Reagan found parts of his administration working beyond his control during Iran-Contra Affair.
An – Carter OPM to manage bureaucracy like business, should be able to stray as experience > exec.
Explain and analyze 3 checks & balances on the power of the president. (9)
P – congress power declare war.
Ex – aspect legis oversight, contradicts exec as commander-in-chief, force exec to seek authorisation.
Ev – last used 1941 v. Japan, authorisation 2002, Bush & Iraq military action after Congress vote.
An – limited congressional power, Trump killing Soleimani voting against CA, limits exec Power.
P – senate ratifies treaties.
Ex – negotiated by exec, treaties require 2/3rds majority, involves scrutiny of exec actions so align.
Ev – 2010. Ratify START treaty with Russia, 1999. Reject Comp. Test Ban treaty, Clinton remarks.
An – presidents can circumvent, sign treaties-based on exec orders, avoids congress confrontation.
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