Notes- 11/19 (4th Period)

The President as a National Leader

1. Presidents carry into office a broad political vision that reflects their ideology & priorities

• a. Lyndon Johnson saw gov't as a positive force for promoting justice & equality
• b. Reagan wanted to reduce size of gov't

2. Presidents central role in political system gurantees attention for his agenda. However, this doesn't guarantee success in Congress.

3. Thusly, the president is the Chief Lobbyist; he spends considerable time working to get legislation passed

• a. he might:
• 1. use media to draw attention to programs/legislation
• 2. remind legislators of his high public approval rating
• 3. make use of partisan majority, IF his party controls Congress
• 4. have a legislative liaison staff to help him in lobbying legislators
• ---b. White House will work directly with interest groups to try to get them to activate members and to get their Washington DC representative to lobby Congress directly

4. Part of the presidents job is to lead his party

• a. because parties are relatively weak in the US, it is an informal duty
• b. often acts as "fundraiser-in-chief" for his party and whichever candidates they are running for election that year

The President as World Leader

1. American presidents are now entering a new era in which there is more emphasis on managing economic relations with the rest of the world

• a. trade relations important, but complex

2. Periodically, a president faces grave situations in which conflict is iminent

• a. how he handles these crises can be critical to the success of his presidency

Presidential Character

1. A president's actions in office reflect something more than his political views. They also reflect the inner forces that give rise to his basic character