Saturday, November 22, 2008

Notes: 11/18/08

Impeachment: The Constitution provides a way to remove a president before his term is over. The House may, by majority vote, impeach the president for “Treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. “Since the House impeached the president, the case goes to the Senate, which tries the president and with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding. By a two-thirds vote, the Senate may convict and remove the president from office.

The Executive Branch established:
1) One of the most important of the president’s resources in office is his White House staff (White House Office).
A. Each president has some key order, including his Chief of Staff and his National Security Advisor [also Press Secretary, Doctor, and Personal Lawyer]. Although an important player, the Chief of Staff’s appointment does not require Senate approval.
B. The extended White House staff constitutes the Executive Office of the president. This includes the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Counsel of Economic Advisors, and other specialized staff. Some have used “pyramid” model in which most assistants report in a hierarchy to a Chief of Staff. Others have used the “circular” model with many cabinet secretaries and assistants reporting directly to the president.
C. The “right way” for a president to organized his staff. Each president creates the structure that he thinks will work best for him, though sometimes finding the right balanced takes trial and error.

2) The Executive Office of the president consists of agencies that report directly to the president and perform staff services for him. The president appoints the top positions but, unlike the White House staff, Executive Office appointees must be confirmed by the Senate. Examples: National Security Council, OMB, and the National Economic Council.

3) Vice Presidents have traditionally been “standby equipment.” They are usually chosen to give balance and appeal to the national ticket. They are usually used in major advisory capacity. However, Al Gore was given a more public role than usual, and Dick Cheney was major force behind President Bush, particularly in shaping the response to 9/11. The 25th Amendment also establishes that the office of vice president is vacated. The president nominates a new vice president when assumes office which both houses of Congress approves the nomination by a majority vote. A vice president who serves the presidency would then nominate a new vice president to Congress.

4) The Cabinet is composed of the heads of the major departments in the Executive Branch and a number of other key officials, such as the Director of the OMB.
A. The cabinet is not used as a collective decision-making body. Cabinet meeting may not be particularly important to the president, though he may value the advise of individuals members of the Cabinet.
B. Presidents do not always know Cabinet secretaries very well. Cabinet secretaries may also be too concerned with the wishes of their clientele groups.
C. With the growth of the White House staff and the Executive Office of the president, there is a little need to rely on the Cabinet as an addressing body.

The president as a national leader:
1) Presidents carry into office a broad political vision that reflects their ideology and priorities.

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