Political Science 1100, Introduction to American Politics, March 20, 2013

3. The Reality of Presidential Powers: Using the Presidency is Difficult

 

A). Emergency Powers / Military Leadership

Opportunity:
- Can accomplish goals directly and quickly

 

Constraint:
- must use these powers briefly and successfully, or risk
substantial loss of support
 
 

 

B). Appointment

Opportunity:
Can appoint 2500 top administrators
when the President takes office

 

Constraints:
- the Senate must approve these appointments
- the President appoints only 1% of federal employees
- 2500 loyal and competent appointees are hard to find in three months
 
 

C). Reorganizing Government

Opportunity:
- Can try to improve bureaus' performance

 

Constraint:
- Congress must approve major reorganizations
- Reorganization may not change bureaus at all
 
 

D). The Power to Set The Legislative Agenda

Opportunity:
- To determine some of Congress's priorities

 

Constraint:
- Congress can change or ignore Presidential proposals
 

 
 

E). Party Leadership:

Opportunity:
- To rally the "party-in-government" and end gridlock

 

Constraint:
- American government was designed to make this difficult
- Legislators who now can "go it alone"
 
 

F). The Veto

Opportunity:
- To stop Congressional actions
- To change laws by threatening a veto
- Only 4% of Presidential vetoes are overridden

 

Constraint:
- The veto can only stop something from happening -
it is only a negative power

   
 

G). Publicity

 

Opportunity:
- To build personal popularity

 

Constraint:
-Popularity can swing widely
 

4. The Presidency as An Invitation To Tragedy

 

- We expect Presidents to Use the Presidency Actively, but

   the Presidency is hard to Use
- there are lots of constraints on Presidential Power

 

Presidents will use the tools that are easiest to use.

 

 

  Presidents can most easily control National Security and Publicity, so ... 
 

We tend to get

1). The Covert Presidency:

- Presidents are tempted to abuse "national security"
to achieve their goals
 

 

2). The Permanent Campaign:

- Presidents are tempted to manage their image
instead of improving public policy

 

 

 

Bureaucracy

 

1. Why Is Controlling The Bureaucracy A Challenge?

 

    A. It's Big & Diverse
   

 

 

    B. Administrators have a lot of independence because they have discretion & expertise
 
 

 

 

    C. Civil Service makes it difficult to control individuals
 

 

 

    D. "Iron triangles" can and often do resist change in bureaucracy
 
 

 

 

2. Presidents Tried To Control the Bureaucracy by Creating Their Own Personal Bureaucracy

     The Executive Office Of The President (EOP)
 

 

 

3. Conclusion:  Presidents battle to control the bureaucracy, particularly when they are under stress

 

 

Watergate
The Clash of Institutions and the Abuse of Presidential Power

For a Watergate Chronology, click here
 

1. The Mythical President and the Limits of Power

 

2. "Watergate" Was A Different Kind Of Political Corruption

• It Was Not a Typical Exchange of Specific Benefits For Personal Gain, but The National Leaders' Use Of Police Power to Maintain Office

 

3. The Setting: Deep Divisions In The Nation, 1968-1969
 

 

4. Richard Nixon
 
  

Nixon increasingly depended on White House loyalists, especially

Haldeman and Ehrlichman ("The Palace Guard)
 
 

5. The Motive: National Security Leaks
 
 

- June 1971: The New York Times and other papers begin publishing
The Pentagon Papers (read excerpts) leaked by Daniel Ellsberg
 
 

6. The Weapons: Surveillance And Plugging The Leaks

The Plumbers Unit is set up in the White House.
 

 

7. The Crime and The Coverup
 
 

June 17, 1972: Five men, one of whom says he used to work for the CIA, are arrested at 2:30 a.m. trying to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate hotel and office complex.

 

Washington Post reporters begin to investigate
 
 

April 30, 1973: Haldeman, Ehrlichman resign; White House counsel John Dean is fired
 

May, 1973: Senate Watergate Committee begins hearings

 

Meanwhile, Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox begins an investigation
 
 

 

July, 1973: Hearings show that Oval Office conversations were taped;

The Senate Watergate Committee and Cox each subpoena the tapes;

 
 

October 20, 1973: Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon orders Cox fired;

 
 

April, 1974: Nixon releases written transcripts of the tapes, with words deleted;

the House Judiciary Committee, considering impeachment, demands the original tapes
 
 

July 27, 1974: The House Judiciary Committee votes for the first article of impeachment.

 

August 8, 1974: Nixon resigns

 

8. Lesson: The Continuing Temptation of the Covert Presidency