The PresidencyWhy should we care about the president?We have more influence over the president than we may think. If one is to unite with like minded individuals one can easily reach the president with a message. The President can be reached through letters sent to the White House.The president has a large influence over current issues and his opinion. On the other hand the president may not listen to citizens if he is determined on his opinion.What if parts of the federal government were privatized?· Governments have sold government-owned agencies and companies to private investors.· Many federal government agencies could be privatized· This could happen:o Issue and sell shares directly to anybody who wants to buy themo Offer to sell government agencies to existing corporations that already might be engaged in similar lines of businessNot everyone would benefit from privatization· Any federal government agency that became privatized would be subject to the rigors of the marketplace· They would be forced to take account of the true costs of all of its operations· Some labor-management disputes might take longer to resolve because the parties wouldbe reluctant to pay for mediation servicesThe Nature of Bureaucracy Public and Private Bureaucracies· Bureaucracy: the name given to an organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific instructions· Handling of problems requires a division of labor and individuals should concentrate on their skills· Public vs Private organizations:o Private: a single leader, serve private interestso Public: serve all citizens, not organized to make a profitModels of Bureaucracy· Weberian Model: Max Weber. Bureaucracy is rational, hierarchical organization in which decisions are based on logical reasoningo The power in a bureaucracy flows from the top downwardso They resolve problems through data analysis not gut feelings· Acquisitive Model: top-level bureacurats will always try to expand the size of their budgetso They want to maximize the size of their budgets and staff which are visible through the power in the public sectoro Bureacurats also want to sell their products· Monopolistic Model: lack of competition in either circumstance leads to inefficient and costly operationso They have no competitors and act accordinglyo They are not penalized for chronic inefficiency and have little reason to adopt cost-saving measuresThe Size of the BureaucracyThree new departments: State, War, TreasuryGovernment Employment Today· Attempts to measure the size of the federal bureacucracy leave out men and women of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines· Growth from 1982 – 2008 was mainly at the state and local levels· If all goverbment employees are counted, more than 16% of all civilian employment is account for by the government· Spending by all levels of government would only be 11% of the GDP. In 2013, it is approx.. 39%Federal Spending· Most Americans have a very inaccurate idea of how the federal budge is spent· A third of all federal spending goes to two programs – Social Security and Medicare· Medicaid: a joint federal-state program that provides health-care services is the largest of these programs· Traditional cash welfare accounts for only 0.4% of the budget (18% billion)· Interest payments on the national debt are 5%· Military defense and veterans benefits are an additional quarter of a wholeHave Army Rules Caused Unnecessary Fatalities?· Army’s response time is special because its medevac helicopters are special· The added weight of the guns would make it impossible to carry so much equipment· But these arguments are unpersuasiveo Army rules prohibit request to the Air Force for medevac assistanceKerelos:-The many roles of the President:Chief legislator pg388- The role of the president as Chief Legislator is influencing the making of laws.Most presidents Try to execute this power by establishing their own bill but some presidents have not been so successful in get their bills by congress. For example Bush had a 70% success rating when the Republicans had control of the house however once the democrats won control bushes success ratings fell to 34%. The president is required by article II section 3 by the constitution to give a state of the Union address every january telling congress and the American People to Propose his legislative program. President con propose legislation however congress does not have to pass it. So how then does the president Pass bills and laws? He does so by persuasion and meeting with various congressional leaders, and making public announcements. There are also white house staff who are former congress members with extensive experience who lobby congressmen onbehalf of the president. A more threatening strategy by the president is vetoing legislation of congress to get his way. - Other presidential powers: pg393- President has power to line item veto meaning he can cross out certain portions of the legislation without vetoing the wholelegislation. Congress has established law which gives the president powers such as declaring national emergency. This is called Statutory powers. Constitutional + statutory powers = Expressed powers. Inherent powers- power given by the constitution that the executive branch should make sure the laws be faithfully executed.-The Presidents power to persuade- pg 394- The constitution gives a majority of power to congress so that the executive does not have enough power to lead very well. However because of this the President must establish a personality profile for himself, so that the people see him successful and trust his decisions. As a result thePresident can better persuade congress and the American people. - The constituencies and Public Approval- pg 395- Due to certain decisions and the nature of times, public approval can affect the president's ability to pass legislation and make future decisions for the country Cindy: pg 396: Barack Obama and Popular Approval: During Obama’s first year in office,he received very high approval ratings from voters. His positive image was enhancedthrough his youth, energy, and new outlook. Obama’s approval started declining due to economic crisis and government failing to improve unemployment figures. “Going Public”: Ever since 1900s, and increase