CHAPTER 9

THE
PRESIDEN
CY
Esta Foto de Autor desconhecido está licenciada sob CC BY-SA-NC.
 The Constitution gives few details about
the powers of the president. It says that
the executive power of the nation will be
vested in, or put in the control of, a
CONSTITUTION
president. Representatives to the
AL POWERS Constitutional Convention 200 years ago
debated the powers and the roles of the
president. Today people still debate these
matters.
 The Framers of the Constitution had fought a revolution against the king of
Britain. They did not want the leader of the new executive branch to
become a tyrant. However, they had two reasons for creating a strong
executive.
First, the Founders had seen the problems caused by the Articles of
Confederation, which had failed to create a separate executive. With no
executive, the national government had no one to carry out the acts of
NEED FOR A Congress. The government also had trouble dealing quickly with
problems and enforcing laws.
STRONG
Second, many of the Founders did not trust the people to take a direct role
EXECUTIVE in making decisions. They were worried that some groups might try to
divide or share other people’s money and property in a different way. The
Founders wanted a strong executive branch that would protect liberty,
private property, and businesses. A strong executive would keep the
legislature under control. The Founders believed the legislative branch
could be the most powerful of the three branches. They thought that checks
on its power would be needed. In Article I of the Constitution, the
Founders gave the president power to sign into law the bills passed by
Congress or to veto, or reject, them.
 Article II of the Constitution says that the
executive power is given to a president. It
also names several key presidential
POWERS
powers. These powers include the power
DEFINED IN to execute laws, veto legislation,
THE command the military, and deal with
CONSTITUTION foreign leaders. The president can, with
Senate approval, make treaties with
foreign nations and appoint, or choose,
federal judges and ambassadors.
 The duties of the nation’s first
president, George Washington, and the
duties of a modern president are much
GROWTH OF the same. However, today’s presidents
PRESIDENTIAL have much greater power and more
POWER duties than the presidents who served
earlier in our nation’s history. Several
factors have shaped the presidency
into its modern form.
 Throughout our history, presidents have defended increasing presidential power by
talking about their inherent powers. Inherent powers are powers the president
claims, or says he or she has, that are not clearly stated in the Constitution.
Presidents claim that these powers are implied, or understood without saying, by
some of the general words in the Constitution. They also claim that inherent powers
come from the nature of the president’s job. For example, in 1803 Thomas Jefferson
decided to buy the Louisiana Territory from France. Nothing in the Constitution
said that a president had the power to buy territory. Jefferson decided that this
power was part of the president’s job. The Senate agreed with Jefferson and
INHERENT approved the Louisiana Purchase treaty.
Theodore Roosevelt had a broad view of presidential power. He said it was the
POWERS president’s right and duty to do anything that the nation needed unless it was
forbidden by the Constitution or by law. He took actions beyond what earlier
presidents had done. He broke up “trusts,” and he got involved in labor disputes. In
a letter to a contemporary historian, or one living during the same period of time,
Roosevelt said he did not care if people thought he used too much power. He
believed a government that worked well depended on a strong executive.
When a president uses an inherent power, Congress and the courts may either try to
limit the power or accept it. President Harry Truman used an inherent power during the
Korean War. He took over the nation’s steel mills during a workers’ strike, so the
workers would continue producing steel. In 1952 the Supreme Court ruled that
Truman’s action was unconstitutional. It said the power of a president to take over
private property was not listed in Article II of the Constitution.
 Presidents have often used their inherent powers during a war or other crisis.
Abraham Lincoln did many things during the Civil War that people did not
think were presidential powers. He stopped using the writ of habeas corpus,
and he put people who opposed the Union in jail without a trial. He raised an
army before getting Congress’s approval. He illegally blocked southern ports.
Lincoln claimed the inherent powers of the president allowed him to do what
was needed to save the Union.
IMMEDIATE President Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933 during the economic crisis
NEEDS OF THE known as the Great Depression. He did more to control the economy than any
president before him. He convinced Congress to create a large number of
NATION programs known as the New Deal to help the economy. The executive branch
became larger to carry out those programs. Roosevelt increased the role of
government in American life and created the modern presidency.
President George W. Bush declared a “war on terrorism” after the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks. He claimed greatly expanded powers to fight terrorism.
Congress granted President Bush significant intelligence gathering powers
through the Patriot Act. His administration collected intelligence on people both
outside and within the United States. His administration also responded to the
terrorist attacks with military force.
 The power of executive privilege is not
named in the Constitution, but presidents
since George Washington have claimed
it. Executive privilege is the right to keep
EXECUTIVE from Congress or the courts information
PRIVILEGE about what happens between the
president and his advisers. The Supreme
Court has ruled that, with certain limits,
executive privilege is a part of the
separation of powers.
 All presidents like to claim that they have a mandate from the people to go
forward with their ideas and policies. They say that they won the
election and that means that the people agree with what they plan to do.
A mandate can be a source of presidential power, but a president’s
popularity can change very quickly. Modern presidents use the mass
media to reach people and get support for what they want to do even
after they are elected. For example, President Ronald Reagan used the
POPULAR media with great skill. This caused some people to call him the “Great
Communicator.”
OPINION Public opinion can also limit a president. In 1968, after the public turned
against President Lyndon Johnson for how he was handling the Vietnam
War, he decided not to run for reelection. No president can carry out a
political program without public support. For example, in 1993 President
Bill Clinton proposed major changes to the nation’s health care system.
Many interest groups including insurance companies and doctors, opposed
the president’s plan. When public opinion turned against the plan, Congress
decided not to act on it. However, public opinion changed during the
Obama presidency, and Congress passed a new health care law.
 The Founders put many safeguards in the Constitution to keep presidents from
abusing, or using in the wrong way, their powers. The judicial and legislative
branches limit the president’s power. The Supreme Court can rule that a
president’s actions are unconstitutional. Congress can pass legislation even if a
president vetoes it. The Senate must approve all treaties and the people a
president appoints. Congress must also approve the budget.
CHECKS AND The House and Senate can also impeach the president. Impeach means to formally
BALANCES ON accuse a public official of wrongdoing. The House of Representatives starts the
impeachment process. Then the Senate investigates the possible wrongdoing and
PRESIDENTIAL votes on whether or not to remove the president from office.

POWERS Two presidents have been impeached in the nation’s history. One impeachment
happened in 1868, just after the end of the Civil War. The House impeached
President Andrew Johnson over how to treat the southern states. The Senate
acquitted him by one vote, so he stayed in office. In 1999 the House voted to
impeach President Bill Clinton. There were claims that he had lied during an
investigation about his relationship with someone who worked in the White House.
The Senate acquitted him and he remained in office. In 1974 President Nixon was
almost impeached. The House was preparing the impeachment, but Nixon resigned
before the full House could vote.
 The president as head of state represents the nation and performs many ceremonial
duties. The president as chief executive directs the work of thousands of
executive branch employees who carry out the laws. In many countries,
different people carry out these two duties. One person, such as a king, is the
ceremonial head of state, while another person, such as a prime minister, leads
the government.
Some of the president’s duties as head of state are named in Article II of the
Constitution. For example, the Constitution says the president shall “receive
Ambassadors and other public Ministers.” That means the president has a duty
HEAD OF to meet with visiting officials and leaders of foreign governments.
STATE Modern presidents play an important role when a natural disaster or tragedy
happens, such as a hurricane or a mass shooting. People in those places want
the president to visit and speak comforting words as a way of representing all
citizens across the country.
Other ceremonial duties may be less serious, but they get a lot of attention in
newspapers and on television. Many presidents throw the first pitch to begin
baseball season. They meet public figures such as U.S. Olympic athletes or
give awards to business leaders and artists.
The role of president is important because presidents are more than politicians.
The president is the symbol of the United States for millions around the world and
at home.
 The president leads the executive branch of
government. The executive branch carries out the
laws that Congress passes and runs the programs
Congress creates. These laws and programs include
Social Security, taxes, housing, energy, civil rights,
CHIEF health care, education, and the environment.
There are more than 150 departments and agencies
EXECUTIVE that are responsible for carrying out the laws. More
than 2 million people work for the federal
government. They might be FBI agents or air traffic
controllers. The president is in charge of these
workers and the departments and agencies for which
they work.
 The president’s executive power is named in the Constitution, but it does not give
much detail about what this power is. Article II, Section 1, simply says that
executive power is vested in the president. Section 3 says that the president
must make sure the laws are faithfully executed.
What does it mean to “faithfully execute” the laws? When Congress passes a law,
it is the president’s duty to execute it, or carry it out. Congress cannot put
enough details in a law to explain exactly how that law should be carried out.
SOURCE OF The president must make decisions about how to carry out the law. The
PRESIDENT’S president must also work within the limits stated in the law, which is being
faithful to the law.
EXECUTIVE A 2012 law ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a way
for members of the military on official business to get through airport security
POWER faster. The DHS could decide exactly how to screen, or check, members of the
military. However, the DHS also had to faithfully execute the law. That means
the DHS had to create a system to help military personnel get through faster
than the average person.
A president’s executive power can be limited when he or she has to faithfully
execute the laws. Congress controls the money needed to carry out laws when it
authorizes and appropriates funds, or money. The judicial branch also limits the
president’s power to carry out laws. Federal courts can decide whether a
president’s actions to carry out laws are constitutional.
 No president could directly manage the activities of the many agencies in the
executive branch. Instead, the president appoints about 2,200 federal officials to
run the agencies. The 15 people who will lead the cabinet departments are the
most important. The cabinet departments are the main agencies of the executive
branch. Their leaders form the president’s cabinet, or group of advisers. A
president can use the power to appoint top officials as a way to influence how
laws are put into effect. Presidents appoint officials who share their political
beliefs so the officials will help the president succeed. It is important for a
THE president to choose the right people. However, the Senate must approve many
key appointments, which limits this power.
APPOINTMENT Presidents can also control the way laws are carried out by firing officials they have
POWER appointed. President Nixon fired one of his department leaders for being against
his Vietnam policies. However, it can be difficult to remove a popular official
who has congressional and public support.
The president also appoints all federal judges, including the justices, or judges, of
the Supreme Court. The Senate must approve all judicial appointments. Judicial
nominations can cause major conflicts between the legislative and executive
branches. This is especially true when different political parties control the
executive branch and Congress. Presidents can have a strong influence on
government and society by choosing justices who have certain views about the
Constitution and other issues. Federal judges may hold their positions for life, so
 Presidents also give executive orders. These are presidential orders that have the force of law without
needing congressional approval. The Constitution implies this power because Article II gives the
president “executive power.” It also says the president must make sure that the laws are
“faithfully executed.” President Dwight Eisenhower used an executive order to put the Arkansas
National Guard under federal control. He was forcing the Little Rock, Arkansas public schools to
desegregate.
A president might give an executive order to describe what federal agencies must do to carry out a
law. President Jimmy Carter used an executive order to put thousands of acres of land in Alaska
under the control of the National Park Service.
Presidents have also used executive orders to make new policy. President Abraham Lincoln gave an
EXECUTIVE executive order known as the Emancipation Proclamation. President Harry Truman used an
executive order in 1948 to integrate the military. President Franklin Roosevelt used one to put
ORDERS Japanese Americans in special camps during World War II. Recent presidents have used
executive orders to avoid Congress when it would not pass laws on some issues, such as
protecting the environment.
Presidents cannot give executive orders for anything they want. Executive orders must relate to
powers given to the president in the Constitution or by Congress. Presidents usually explain the
constitutional or legal basis for their executive orders. The courts give presidents broad limits for
orders about foreign policy and the military because of the president’s role as commander in
chief.
Presidents can easily give executive orders, but later presidents can easily change them. In 1984
President Ronald Reagan gave an executive order limiting federal funds for family-planning
groups who performed or supported abortions in other countries. President Bill Clinton changed
this order when he took office. President George W. Bush then put back the limits that President
Reagan had ordered. President Barack Obama brought back the funding for such groups.
 Sometimes the president disagrees with Congress about which
programs to create and the way to run them. The president may
impound, or refuse to spend, funds Congress has approved to
carry out programs. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson did not
spend money Congress set aside for new gunboats because he
believed they were no longer needed.
Supporters of impoundment argue that it is a normal power of the
IMPOUNDMENT executive branch. Opponents argue that impoundments go against
the will of the people who have elected the legislators who
OF FUNDS created and funded the programs.
A president’s power to impound funds is limited. President Richard
Nixon impounded large amounts of money for programs he opposed.
Groups that would have been helped by the programs took Nixon to
court. The court ordered the president to spend the money. Congress
later passed a law to stop the impounding of large amounts of money
without congressional approval. The law also strengthened the
budget power of Congress.
 A president can also grant reprieves and pardons for
federal crimes. A reprieve delays legal punishment. A
pardon frees a person from legal punishment. People
who receive them have usually been convicted of a
federal crime. An exception happened in 1974.
President Gerald Ford gave Richard Nixon a full
REPRIEVES, pardon before Nixon could be charged for any crimes
he might have committed during the Watergate
PARDONS, AND scandal. Many people felt angry and shocked by the
pardon, but President Ford had the legal power to grant
AMNESTY it.
The president may also grant amnesty. Amnesty is a
pardon for a group of people who have broken the law.
President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty to young men
who left the country rather than be drafted during the
Vietnam War.
 The Constitution makes the president commander in
chief of the armed forces of the United States. The
Constitution does not give many details about the
powers included in this role. This is the reason
presidents have said that they have all the powers
COMMANDER needed to defend the nation or make war against an
enemy. They have said they can do this if they do not try
IN CHIEF to use the power of other branches or break the law. The
president may also use the military, or armed forces, to
deal with serious unrest in the nation. For example,
presidents have used federal troops to control riots in
American cities. The president may also send troops to
help when a natural disaster, such as a flood, happens.
 Congress puts an important limit on the president’s role as commander in chief. Congress has the
power to declare war and appropriate, or give, money to pay for the military. However, presidents
have sent American troops into action many times without a formal declaration of war.
In the early 1900s, several presidents sent military forces into other countries to support leaders who
were friendly to the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt sent American troops to support
rebels in Panama fighting for independence from Colombia.
President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Vietnam without an official declaration of war. Instead
Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. It authorized the president to use troops in Vietnam.
The conflict in Vietnam continued. Congress decided that the president had abused his power by
POWER TO continuing to use American troops. Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 to limit the
president’s power to make war without a declaration by Congress. The War Powers Act said

MAKE WAR presidents could not send troops into combat for more than 60 days without the approval of
Congress. This law also said Congress could order the president to take troops out of an undeclared
war. President Nixon vetoed the law, but Congress overrode his veto. However, the law has not
really changed presidents’ actions in making war.
Presidents have ordered military actions many times since the War Powers Act passed. This has caused
debates about the meaning of “combat troops” and when the War Powers Act should apply.
President George H.W. Bush did not seek approval from Congress when he ordered an invasion of
Panama to remove the dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Was approval required?
In 2001 President George W. Bush began the “war on terrorism” by sending troops to Afghanistan.
Congress passed an Authorization to Use Military Force in Afghanistan by many more “yes” votes
than “no” votes. Later Bush asked for approval to send a much larger military force against Iraq. In
October 2002, Congress passed a resolution that allowed the president to use U.S. armed forces in Iraq.
In 2011 President Obama did not get approval for airstrikes against Libya by the 60-day deadline.
 The president makes key decisions about the way the
military will be used. The president is a civilian, not
an active member of the military, but many
MILITARY presidents have served in the military. Generals,
admirals, and other military leaders run the armed
OPERATIONS forces on a day-to-day basis. Presidents get regular
AND STRATEGY reports from the military and national security
leaders who collect information about other nations.
They tell the president about threats to the country
and problems around the world.
 The United States has fought conventional wars, or wars fought in the usual way,
for hundreds of years, with large armies in foreign countries. People can see
those wars happening. However, the United States has fought a new kind of
war for the last 15 years. It is called a “shadow war” because the fighting
happens secretly. This kind of war uses special operations troops, like the Navy
SEALs, and private contractors. It also uses armed drones—remote-controlled,
pilotless aircraft that fire missiles. The drone’s purpose is to find and kill
terrorists in faraway places. Many people think these new tools of war have
lower costs and lower risks than conventional wars.

SHADOW WAR President Bush began this shadow warfare after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
President Obama has greatly increased it. The Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) and Defense Department are in charge of this program under the
president’s direction and authority. Navy SEALs killed Osama Bin Laden in
Pakistan as part of this program. CIA drones killed two American citizens who
were engaged in terrorist action.
Many shadow war actions are classified. This means information about them is not
given to the public. The Obama administration has gone to court to fight efforts to
make this information public. Some people are concerned that making war in
secret makes it hard to make public officials explain their actions. Some are
concerned that it has changed the CIA from an intelligence agency that collects
information to a type of military group. Some experts believe such activities will
 Presidents often say they have a right to greater powers during a war to protect the nation. Congress
is also more likely to give the president special powers at home and abroad in wartime. During
World War II, Franklin Roosevelt demanded and received power from Congress to control
prices, ration gas and food, and control factories that made tanks, guns, and other war materials.
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush increased presidential power to
fight terrorism. Congress passed the USA Patriot Act that gave the president and executive
branch more power. The government could collect information and detain, or hold, anyone
THE suspected of terrorism. The act made it much easier to carry out wiretaps and searches. It
allowed secret searches of the homes and records of U.S. citizens without a search warrant.
PRESIDENCY Many people oppose the Patriot Act and other government actions taken since September 11, 2001.
They believe that the government has taken away basic constitutional rights when the country is
IN TIMES OF not really at war. They also say the Patriot Act is unconstitutional. Supporters say there are times
when greater national security, or protection of a nation, is needed. They say the Patriot Act and
WAR other actions balance the need for freedom with the need for security. The law has been
reauthorized, or passed again, in 2005 and 2010, with small changes that deal with concerns
about it.
President Bush also took other actions to fight terrorism. In 2002, he persuaded Congress to create a
new federal department, the Department of Homeland Security. Its purpose is to coordinate all the
ways the government is fighting terrorism. The Bush administration also began to indefinitely
detain foreigners and U.S. citizens who were captured in battle. However, in 2004 the Supreme
Court ruled in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld that the president had to give the detainees, or the people being
held, a chance to challenge their detention in court. In 2006 the Court rejected the government’s use
of special courts called military tribunals to put suspected terrorists on trial.
 The president directs the foreign policy
of the United States. This means he or
she makes key decisions about U.S.
relations with other countries. The
CHIEF president is the nation’s chief diplomat.
DIPLOMAT The president can make and sign treaties,
sign executive agreements, and recognize
foreign governments. However, the
president is limited in this role by
Congress.
 The president is the only one who has the power to make and sign treaties.
These are formal agreements between the governments of two or more
countries. This is part of the president’s role as chief diplomat. However,
two-thirds of the Senate must ratify all treaties. This is part of the
constitutional system of checks and balances.
The Senate is very serious about its duty to ratify treaties. Sometimes it has
TREATIES AND refused to approve a treaty. After World War I, President Wilson was one
of the three world leaders who created the Treaty of Versailles. That
DIPLOMATIC treaty described what had to be done to end the war. It also made the
United States a member of the League of Nations. The U.S. Senate
RESOLUTIONS refused to ratify the treaty. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed two
treaties that gave control of the Panama Canal, which was under
U.S. control, to the government of Panama. Many in the Senate did not
approve of the treaty, and it had taken them years to ratify it.
Congress can also pass foreign policy laws. It can limit or deny money for
foreign policy plans by its power of appropriations. Congress can also pass
diplomatic resolutions. These resolutions do not have the force of law, but
they can influence the president and U.S. relations with other countries.
 Presidents have two advantages over Congress when dealing with foreign
policy. Presidents have greater access to information, and they are able
to take decisive action. Presidents have access to more information
about foreign activities than most members of Congress do. This
information is sometimes labeled as secret. Executive agencies give
the president information he or she needs to make key decisions about
TREATIES AND foreign policy. These agencies include the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA), the State Department, the Defense Department, and the
DIPLOMATIC National Security Council (NSC). Presidents use this information to
RESOLUTIONS plan and explain the actions they want to take. Members of Congress
might not have access to this information. That makes it hard to
question the president’s decisions.
The power of the president in foreign relations has been increased by the
ability to take decisive action. In Congress there are 435 representatives
and 100 senators who must agree on an action. One person leads the
executive branch, and one person is able to act quickly. The president is
the one who must take action in an international crisis.
 The president also has the power to make executive agreements with other
countries. Executive agreements are agreements between the president and
the head of a foreign government. They are as legal as treaties, but they do
not need Senate approval. Most executive agreements involve ordinary
matters. However, some presidents have used them to make more serious
agreements with other countries. Franklin Roosevelt loaned American
ships to the British during World War II in exchange for leases on British
EXECUTIVE military bases. The British were fighting Nazi Germany, but the United
AGREEMENTS States had not entered the war. Roosevelt knew the Senate would not
approve a treaty because many senators did not want war. He used an
executive agreement instead to help the British.
Some presidents have kept executive agreements secret. Congress passed a
law in 1972 to stop this. It said the president must tell about all executive
agreements signed each year. Some presidents have ignored the law and kept
secret the agreements they thought were important to national security. In
1969 Congress learned that several presidents had kept secret many executive
agreements giving military aid to other countries.
 The president decides whether the United States will
recognize the governments of other countries. The
president also decides whether the U.S. will have
official relations with a country.

RECOGNITION Presidents sometimes use recognition as a tool to

influence other countries. For example, since 1961
OF FOREIGN presidents have refused to recognize the Communist
government of Cuba. This is meant to show that the
GOVERNMENTS United States does not approve of the policies of the
Cuban government. In 2011 the United States
recognized an opposition group in Libya. That group
controlled a part of the country but was recognized as
the legal government of the whole country.
 The Constitution gives Congress the power to make laws, not the
president. However, most bills become laws only when the president
signs them. A small number become laws even when the president
opposes them.
Most presidents have great influence on the types of laws that are
proposed and the way the laws are written. Article II, Section 3 of the
INFLUENCING Constitution says the president must report to Congress on the state of
the nation and recommend laws that he or she thinks are needed.
LEGISLATION
The president usually describes the new laws he or she thinks should be
passed in the annual, or happening once each year, State of the Union
address to Congress. The address explains the president’s ideas about
solving key problems in the country.
The president can propose laws, and Congress may accept those ideas.
Congress may also reject or change the president’s proposals. The
judicial branch also limits the president’s power to influence
lawmaking. The federal courts can rule that laws are unconstitutional.
 The president works to influence Congress in several ways. These include drafting bills and
sending a suggested annual budget and economic reports to Congress. The president has
a large staff to help with these activities. When the president and the majority in
Congress are from the same political party, the president’s plans are more likely to
succeed.
Presidents’ success is sometimes measured by how often they get the vote they want in
Congress. President George W. Bush’s success rate was about 75 percent during the six
TOOLS TO years there was a Republican majority in Congress. Bush’s success rate dropped to 38
percent after Democrats gained control of Congress in 2006.
INFLUENCE A president’s relations with members of Congress and outside events might also influence
CONGRESS how well they work together. President George W. Bush wanted Congress to pass laws to
fight terrorism in the weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Many laws,
including the USA Patriot Act, quickly passed with large majorities. Support for the
president in Congress and the public increased greatly after the attacks.
The president must work harder to influence Congress when the president and the majority in
Congress are from different political parties. Presidents often meet with members of
Congress from both parties to share their views. Both sides must often compromise to
pass important legislation. For example, in 1983 Republican President Ronald Reagan
worked with Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill to create a bipartisan, or including
both parties, plan to fund Social Security.
 President Lyndon B. Johnson was a strong leader who persuaded Congress to pass
legislation he called the “War on Poverty.” Johnson had served in both the
House of Representatives and the Senate before becoming president, and he
was friendly with many lawmakers. He was also known for his excellent
political skills.

TOOLS TO Presidents may give political favors to get support from Congress. They may visit
the home state of a member of Congress to support his or her reelection. A
INFLUENCE president may start a new federal project that will bring money and jobs to a
member’s home state or district.
CONGRESS Public support can help a president influence lawmakers. Congress represents the
people, and its members notice whether the people support the president.
Congress is more likely to support a popular president’s proposals and policies.
It is less likely to support an unpopular president.
Congress passed President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty legislation.
However, Congress strongly opposed Johnson when he became unpopular during
the Vietnam War. His ability to lead was almost destroyed.
 Presidents have an important lawmaking tool called the veto. Congress sends
each bill it passes to the president to be signed. The president has 10 days to
sign or veto the bill. If the president takes no action in 10 days, the bill
becomes a law without being signed. However, if the president takes no
action and the Congress adjourns, or stops meeting, during the 10 days, the
bill does not become a law. This is known as a pocket veto. Congress can
override the president’s veto if two-thirds of both houses vote to do so. The
bill becomes law if Congress overrides the veto.
THE VETO Presidents sometimes say they will veto a bill. This threat may force Congress to
stop a bill or change it to fit the president’s wishes. Sometimes this is
successful because it is very hard for Congress to get enough votes to
override a veto.
The president does not have the power to veto individual items in a bill. This
type of veto is called a line-item veto. Congress tried to give the president some
power to veto individual items by passing the Line Item Veto Act in 1996.
President Clinton began to use the new power right away. However, the law was
challenged. In Clinton v. City of New York (1998), the Supreme Court said the
law was unconstitutional. It said that Congress could not give the president the
power to change laws unless Congress changed the Constitution.
 The president’s role as chief economic planner is not named in the Constitution. It developed
over time. The role has grown rapidly since President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
The Great Depression caused a serious economic crisis in the United States during
Roosevelt’s presidency. Twenty-five percent of the people did not have jobs. Roosevelt
persuaded Congress to create many new programs to provide income for the elderly, give
people jobs, regulate banks, and establish federal agencies to run these programs. The
New Deal greatly increased the federal government’s role in the economy. After
Roosevelt, Americans expected their presidents to show strength in leading the nation’s
economy.

ECONOMIC In 1935 Congress passed the Banking Act. It gives the president the authority to appoint the
seven members who direct the nation’s central banking system known as the Federal
PLANNING Reserve System. It is also called “the Fed.” The president can also appoint the group’s
chairman, or leader. The Fed is an independent agency that is separate from the rest of the
government. Politics does not influence it as much as most federal agencies. However, the
president does appoint people who share his or her views about the banking system and
the economy. The Senate must approve the people the president chooses.
In 1946 Congress passed the Employment Act, which gave new duties to the president. This
law directed the president to send an annual economic report to Congress. The law also
created a Council of Economic Advisers to study the economy and advise the president on
economic matters. The law said for the first time that the federal government was
responsible for helping create high employment, production, and buying power.
Congress has continued since 1946 to pass laws giving presidents the power to deal with
economic problems. However, the executive and legislative branches sometimes do not agree
on economic policies.
 One of the president’s duties is to prepare an annual
budget. The president oversees this work and spends
many months with budget officials deciding which
government programs to support and which programs
to reduce. These spending decisions show what the
president thinks is most important. The president will
BUDGETING ask for more money for programs he or she supports
and less money for programs the president does not
support. The president sends the annual budget
proposal to the House of Representatives. Members
debate and change the proposal. Finally Congress
passes a law that creates the budget, and the president
can sign or veto that law.
 The president’s political party expects the chief executive to be a party
leader. The president may give speeches to help party members who
are running for office. He or she may help get people to give money
for the party. The president also chooses the party’s national chair and
often helps decide future election plans.
Presidents are expected to appoint members of their party to government
POLITICAL jobs. These appointments ensure that supporters will be loyal to a
president’s programs. Political patronage, or appointment to political
PARTY office, rewards the people who have helped get a president elected. It can
LEADER be hard for a president to be a political party leader. People expect a
president to represent all Americans. However, political parties expect a
president to be the leader of their own political party. Sometimes these
different roles cause problems. In 1996 President Bill Clinton
compromised with the Republican Congress to pass bills that cut back
federal funding for welfare programs. The liberal members of his party
criticized him for this. The media and the public can be critical when a
president seems to act in a partisan way, which is a way that favors his or
her party.
 Research each of the following U.S. Presidents and summarize their presidencies
with three significant points, plus a link to any articles, images, audio, or video you
found online that characterizes the individual.
 George Washington (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online
resource)
 Thomas Jefferson (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online
resource)
 Andrew Jackson (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online resource)
ALL US PRESI  Abraham Lincoln (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online resource)
DENTS  Theodore Roosevelt (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online
resource)
 Franklin D. Roosevelt (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online
resource)
 Ronald Reagan (summarize 3 points plus include a link to an online resource)
 Which president sticks out to you the most? Why? What is the legacy you
think they should be known for?