American Politics Today - Essentials (3rd Ed)

STUDY GUIDE|^321

10. Presidents in their second term worry about public
    opinion __ than/as presidents in their fi rst
    term.
    a) much more
    b) somewhat more
    c) somewhat less
    d) far less
    e) to the same degree

S PRACTICE ONLINE

“Critical Thinking ” exercise: Politics Is Confl ictual–

Presidential Approval Ratings

ASSESSING PRESIDENTIAL POWER

E Analyze why presidents have become much more powerful since the Founding. Pages 316–18

SUMMARY

While presidents have gained much power over time, the
Constitution grants the president rather limited powers.
The growth of presidential power is closely related to the
reality that most of the limits are not well defi ned, and pres-
idents have been successful at taking advantage of these
constitutional ambiguities.

KEY TERMS

unilateral action (presidential) (p. 316)

signing statement (p. 317)

CRITICAL THINKING AND DISCUSSION

What can members of Congress do to stop a president from
changing policy unilaterally? Which of these methods
seems most eff ective, and why?

PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS

11. Most presidents use a(n) _____ to control the
    interpretation and implementation of laws.
    a) line item veto
    b) recess appointment

c) executive order

d) signing statement

e) pocket veto

12. Congressional challenges to presidential authority are
    _____ used, and are generally __ at
    constraining presidential power.
    a) rarely; successful
    b) rarely; unsuccessful
    c) commonly; successful
    d) commonly; unsuccessful

S PRACTICE ONLINE

“Big Think” video exercise: What Is the Case for a Strong

Executive?

SUGGESTED READING

Alter, Jonathan. The Promise: President Obama, Year One. New
York: Simon and Schuster, 2010.
Canes-Wrone, Brandice. Who Leads Whom? Presidents, Policy,
and the Public. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.
Howell, William G. Power without Persuasion: The Politics
of Direct Presidential Action. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, 2003.
Krehbiel, Keith. Pivotal Politics: A Theory of U.S. Lawmaking.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Lewis, David E. Presidents and the Politics of Agency Design. Palo
Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2003.
Mayer, Kenneth. With the Stroke of a Pen: Executive Orders and
Presidential Power. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University
Press, 2001.

Neustadt, Richard E. Presidential Power and the Modern

Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to

Reagan. New York: Free Press, 1990.

Rudalevige, Andrew. Managing the President’s Program:

Presidential Leadership and Legislative Policy Formation.

Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002.

Skowronek, Stephen. The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership

from John Adams to Bill Clinton. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press, 1997.