POLI 1100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Press Secretary, W. M. Keck Observatory, Joe Biden
22 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
I. Presidency Wrap-Up
a. Double expectations gaps. 2 gaps
i. First gap: expect president to fix policy problems, but tools are more limited
than many Americans think. (how is this consistent with Inherent powers)
1. Powers that are read between the lines. Overtime, modern presidents
have been reading into more powers.
2. Economic crash of 2008. When economy crashed, people expect
president. (Bush and Obama). Both of them try to do as much as they
can possibly do. But often times these powers are subtle. And there are
things that the president cannot really touch. Congress acted, but
president cannot formally introduce legislation. President could try and
persuade.
ii. Second gap: want the president to fulfill two roles: head of state and head of
government.
II. Executive branch: who are the real presidential advisors?
a. Cabinet?
i. No, because the group of them are interested in maintaining their own
department
ii. Their primary concern is policy and what their own section is doing
iii. Example: might cut food stamps. But secretary of agriculture is not okay with
that, because this would result in the department would lose a lot of money.
b. The executive office of the president
i. Another group of agencies. Big difference is this group of agencies is a bit more
malleable. President can add an agency etc.
ii. Example: office of management and budget. Crunch budget numbers for the
president.
iii. Example: national security council.
iv. But, most of the executive office of the president have to be confirmed by the
senate, and so they have other interests they are thinking about
c. The white house/personal staffers
i. No specific example.
ii. Press secretary: sarah sanders. Very stressful job. Shows how much president
has to trust people ho he hires. These are presidet’s real adisors. This group
is not confirmed by the senate. Group of advisors closest to president are not
confirmed by senate and not ones mentioned in the constitutional.
iii. Chief of staff: brought in to clean things up. Kelly. Do’t last log, oerorked.
iv. Days are 24/7.
v. Not chosen because they are experts. Chosen because they are loyal to the
president.
d. The vice president and the first lady
i. Constitional role of vice president: 2 jobs. Wait for president to die. Second,
president of the senate. Not at senate very often, only in cases of tie.
ii. Role of VP is very much up to president.
iii. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney:
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
2 gaps: first gap: expect president to fix policy problems, but tools are more limited than many americans think. (how is this consistent with inherent powers, powers that are read between the lines. Overtime, modern presidents have been reading into more powers: economic crash of 2008. When economy crashed, people expect president. (bush and obama). Both of them try to do as much as they can possibly do. And there are things that the president cannot really touch. Congress acted, but president cannot formally introduce legislation. President could try and persuade: second gap: want the president to fulfill two roles: head of state and head of government. But secretary of agriculture is not okay with that, because this would result in the department would lose a lot of money: the executive office of the president, another group of agencies. Big difference is this group of agencies is a bit more malleable.
