430 Chapter 12Chapter 12 || The PresidencyThe PresidencyThe amount of time the administration devotes to foreign policy is subject to
domestic and world events and therefore not entirely under presidential control.
Barack Obama campaigned on a pledge to reduce American military operations
abroad, but he expanded drone and Special Forces attacks on members of terrorist
organizations, promoted American participation in Libya and Syria, and sent
American forces and military aid to eastern Europe in response to Russia’s annexation
of Crimea. Similarly, while President Trump also promised to limit overseas military
operations, he largely continued Obama’s policies in Syria and Crimea. In the case of
North Korea, Trump’s public pressure on the North Korean regime (including threats
to respond with “fire and fury” following a North Korean attack on the United States)
was a departure from the Obama administration in terms of tone, as was Trump’s
willingness to hold a one-day meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Even
so, there are few observable policy differences between Trump’s and Obama’s policies
toward North Korea.Legislative Power
The Constitution establishes lawmaking as a shared power between the president
and Congress, and compromise between the two branches is fundamental to passing
laws that satisfy both.^17 The president recommends policies and legislative priorities
to Congress, notably in the annual State of the Union address. Presidents and their
legislative staff also work with Congress to develop legislative proposals: they spend
considerable time lobbying members of Congress to support their proposals and
negotiating with legislative leaders over policy details. Although the president cannot
formally introduce legislation, it is typically easy to find a member of Congress willing
to sponsor a presidential proposal.^18
The president’s legislative power also stems from the ability to veto legislation
(see Nuts & Bolts 12.3). Once both chambers of Congress have passed a bill by simple
majority, the president must decide within two weeks of congressional action whether
to sign it or issue a veto. Signed bills become law, but vetoed bills return to the House
and Senate for a vote to override the veto. If both chambers enact the bill again with at
least two-thirds majorities, the bill becomes law; otherwise, it is defeated. If Congress
adjourns before the president has made a decision, the president can pocket veto
the proposal by not responding to it. Pocket vetoes cannot be overridden, but as has
happened in recent years, congressional leaders can avoid them by keeping Congress in
session for two weeks after a bill is enacted.State of the Union
An annual speech in which the
president addresses Congress to
report on the condition of the country
and to recommend policies.The president often meets with
foreign leaders in both formal and
informal settings—for example,
Barack Obama watched a baseball
game in Havana, Cuba, with Cuban
leader Raúl Castro in March 2016, and
in 2018, President Trump met with Kim
Jung-un, the supreme leader of North
Korea, in Singapore. Such meetings
provide a venue for the president not
only to present American views and
mediate disagreements but also to
act as a visible symbol of America’s
position as a world superpower.Full_13_APT_64431_ch12_418-453.indd 430 16/11/18 10:33 AM