Complete essay play; received 100 UMS at A2 level US Politics, and am now at University study Politics.
This is a complete essay plan, structured in a way that splits up the questions thematically - rather than simply yes/no - and has substantial debate within each theme, supported by evidence, a...
US Constitution & Federalism - Unit 4C Government & Politics
US Supreme Court - Unit 4C Government & Politics
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Government and Politics
Unit 4A GOV4A - The Government of the USA
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‘There are no effective checks on Presidential power’. Discuss.
Congressional oversight (split into two paragraphs – one with successful, one with not)
• Checks:
o Amend, delay or reject legislation proposals (success)
§ Congress is a “legislative labyrinth” (Denenburg, 1976)
§ “Leadership is difficult because the Framers wanted it to be” (Cronin and
Genovese, 1998)
§ 7 levels at which a bill can be rejected
§ In April 2013, the Senate rejected Obama’s appeals for background checks
on guns (reforming the Brady checks)
o Override veto (success)
§ Congress yet to override any of Obama’s 5 vetoes
§ But under Bush there were 4 e.g. 2007 US Farm Bill
o Power of the purse (success)
§ Congress must approve any budgets or federal spending plans
§ Can hold President ransom
§ The 2015 Autumn Budget was blocked by Republicans and thus had to be
considerably altered
o Power to declare war (not success – it’s own paragraph)
§ Article 1 Section 8
§ Only a power Constitutionally, ineffective in reality
§ President’s commit troops without Congressional approval and bypass War
Powers Act (1973) by either not deeming the conflict a ‘hostility’ through
providing military advisors, or ‘throwing Congress’ feet in the fire’ (Johnson)
by shaping foreign policy through public speaking
§ Imperial presidency when dealing with foreign policy
• Dual presidency (Aaron Wildavsky) theory
• Conclude that with regards to foreign policy, there are no successful
checks
o Impeach (success)
§ Nixon was forcefully resigned in 1973
§ Clinton’s popularity undermined the House’s veto attempt in 1999
• Effective?
o Impeachment only effective when public is against the President too
§ Clinton’s approval rating remained in the high 80s throughout the scandal,
and thus, the veto failed
§ Rarely used
o Power to declare war is rarely successful
o However:
§ Powers of legislation and the purse are both extensively used to great
success, especially when the House is divided with a majority against the
President
§ Mention imperilled presidency
o Therefore, conclude between the two paragraphs that checks are effective
domestically (imperilled, George Jones’ elastic theory) but are ineffective with foreign
policy (imperial presidency)
Public opinion - pressure groups, media
• Checks:
o Can underpin Congressional/SC action
o Nixon:
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