American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

STUDY GUIDE|^319

AMERICA’S PRESIDENTS

E Trace the evolution of presidential power over time. Pages 295–97

THE PRESIDENT’S JOB DESCRIPTION

E Describe the constitutional and statutory powers of the president today. Pages 297–311

SUMMARY

Presidents get their powers from a variety of sources: some
are from the Constitution; others have more informal ori-
gins. Although the president’s constitutional powers have
not changed, presidential power has grown substantially
over time. Nonetheless, even presidents’ power is still lim-
ited in a number of contexts.

SUMMARY

The president’s formal powers arise from a combination of
constitutional provisions and laws that give him additional
responsibilities. The president has many duties but his pri-
mary responsibilities are to oversee the executive branch
and implement the laws passed by Congress. While presi-
dents have the authority to focus on domestic policy and
foreign policy, most tend to focus on only one aspect.

KEY TERMS

constitutional authority (presidential) (p. 297)

statutory authority (presidential) (p. 297)

vesting clause (p. 298)

head of government (p. 298)

head of state (p. 298)

recess appointment (p. 300)

executive orders (p. 300)

executive agreement (p. 303)

State of the Union (p. 304)

executive privilege (p. 306)

presidential approval rating (p. 308)

go public (p. 310)

PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTION

1. The government’s response to the Great Depression
   was defi ned by __.
   a) presidential actions
   b) presidential inaction
   c) congressional action
   d) popular protest
   e) international pressure

PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS

2. Presidents use recess appointments when they are
   trying to __.
   a) fi ll a judicial vacancy outside the scheduled period
   b) fi ll a vacant seat in Congress
   c) temporarily dodge the need for Senate approval
   d) temporarily dodge the need for House approval
   e) fi ll vacancies with a permanent replacement


3. A presidential proclamation that unilaterally changes
   government policy without congressional consent is
   called __.
   a) executive privilege
   b) fast track authority
   c) an executive agreement
   d) an executive order
   e) statutory authority


4. The War Powers Resolution was intended to constrain
   the power of __.
   a) the president
   b) Congress
   c) the Supreme Court
   d) the Department of Defense
   e) the State Department

STUDY GUIDE

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Diagnostic Quiz & Key Term Flashcards for This Chapter