Powers Presidential Constitutional Powers -executive -administrative -commander-in-chief -diplomatic -economic management -interpreting constitutional powers -delegating responsibilities Extra -popular leader -only official elected by entire country -party leader -can influence party platform -agenda politics -institutional presidency -its not just a person, but an organization President as a persuader *president and the media -Reagan: Teflon president -Obama, great with media and teleprompter -Bush: opposite of Obama -commentators can raise issues -48 million dont have health insurance today (252 million have it) *president and national agenda politics -Bush: Medicaid drug plan, signed into office; medical savings account -January messages: state of the union, budget messages (action forcing cycles) -cycle is long enough to gauge public opinion -Clinton didnt understand legislative politics *personal power and its limits -media, constitution, how much the public will bear factors Executive Powers The Bureaucracy Role I. of bureaucrats Technical roles -how wide hallways have to be, other technical implementation; senators dont want to get that specific -reactive; they dont know whats necessary until after the implementation -not initiating, responsive -FDA is an example (approves new pharmaceuticals) they have an ongoing role, but its still reactive; reacting to drug coming out, automatically go to check it -health care is carried out at grassroots, so there is a lot of variation -limits to administrative discretion Political roles -first political roles: secretary of state, secretary of war, postmaster general - discontinuity -power doesnt lie in person, but in position
Allocation of funds Formulation of regulations Monitor performance II. Can bureaucrats rewrite laws? Implementation - Congressional committees, interest groups influencing each other III. Limits to administrative discretion Increase in administrative discretion due to: Increases in laws -more law, more interpretation Increases in regulations