POLS 3150
Executive Branch
Final Exam Review

Legislative Politics

• Sources of conflict
• Determinants of success
  
• Institutionalized process for legislative clearance
  

Executive Politics

• Organization of Executive Branch
  
• Functions and Selection
  
  • Cabinet and Bureaucracy
    
  • Executive Office of the President
    
  • White House Office
    

Judicial Politics

• Appointments
  
  • Considerations
    
  • Process
    
    • Role of Senatorial Courtesy
• Tensions between Judiciary and Executive
  
  • FDR's "court-packing" plan
    
  • Cases
    

    U.S. v. Nixon (1974) Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982) Clinton v. Jones (1998) Train v. City of New York (1975) Clinton v. New York (1988)

    Ex Parte Merryman (1861) Ex Parte Milligan (1866) U.S. v Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation (1936) Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) Myers v. U.S. (1926) Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer (1952)

Economic Policy

• Ability of President to control the economy
  
  • Limitations on President's control of:
    • Fiscal policy
      • Budgeting process
      • Mandatory v. Discretionary spending
    • Monetary policy
• Economic Policy Makers
  
  • Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
    
  • Treasury Secretary
  • Council of Economic Advisors
  • U.S. Trade Representative
  • Federal Reserve Board

Foreign Policy

• Executive Agreements v. Treaties
  
• Diplomatic Recognition
• War Powers
• Two Presidencies Thesis
• Management of National Security policy
  
  • National Security Council
  • Special Assistant for National Security Affairs

Terms you should know:

Brownlow Report budgetary clearance cabinet departments Chadha decision chief of staff Council of Economic Advisers congressional oversight continuing resolution court packing plan executive agreements Executive Office of the President executive orders going native

Federal Reserve Board impeachment impoundments intermestic policy legislative clearance legislative veto micromanagement National Economic Council National Security Council Office of Legislative Affairs Office of Management and Budget pocket-veto

presidential coattails recissions regulatory clearance reorganization authority senatorial courtesy Senior Executive Service sole organ theory solicitor general Tenure of Office Act two presidencies thesis War Powers Act White House Office

Essay Questions
Once again, ONE of these three questions will appear on the final.  The selection of the question will be entirely random so it would be in your best interest to be prepared to write an essay in response to any one of them.

1. Discuss the nature of the relationship between the president and congress.  What are reasons these two branches can come into conflict with each other, what tools do each have in dealing with one another, and how has this relationship evolved over time?

2. Describe the process for the selection of federal judges. What criteria are used by presidents in selecting nominees for the federal bench? How and why has the White House changed in its approach to the judicial selection process throughout the 20th century?

3. Discuss the different levels of institutional support in the executive branch for the modern presidency. Explain the importance of each as well as the potential problems they pose to a president seeking to govern and control the executive branch.