Magruder’s American Government
1st Edition
ISBN: 9780133306996
Textbook solutions
All Solutions
Page 247: Chapter Assessment
Exercise 1
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Alexander Hamilton was one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, the first Treasury Secretary, and a founding father of the United States of America. He wrote about his preferred term of service for the President in Federalist 71. Hamilton writes, “a duration of four years will contribute to the firmness of the Executive in a sufficient degree to render it a very valuable ingredient in the composition; so, on the other, it is not enough to justify any alarm for the public liberty.” (Federalist 71) He argues that four years is long enough for the President to work toward their policy goals but not so long that he loses sight of the will of the people. His proposal was eventually included in the Constitution, and Article II Section 1 of the U.S Constitution defines the term of the President as 4 years. However, there was no inclusion of term limits until the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951.
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**Alexander Hamilton** is considered the **right-hand man of G. Washington**, who is one of the most important founding fathers of the Constitution and the U.S. generally. Hamilton supported the idea that the government will benefit from centralization. He is an **author to some of the Federalist Papers** that helped ratify the Constitution. Furthermore, Hamilton **helped resolve revolution war debts** through his financial plan and **participated in making the of the national bank**.
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The Constitution notes that the executive power should reside in the position of the president, whose term shall be four years long.
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The **main argument of Hamilton supporting the four-year presidential term** of office was because he believed that the president should attain his spot for at least four years. Moreover, Hamilton stated that four years is enough for the president to influence the American people and have enough time to make fundamental changes due to his power; it was a rightly balanced term.
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**Alexander Hamilton** was the right-hand man of G.Washington, author of the Federalist Papers, and more. Hamilton advocated the four-year presidential term of office as he believed it was a **rightly balanced time to make fundamental changes**. The Constitution also notes that the presidential term of office should be four years long.
Exercise 2
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The functions of the executive are executed through the roles of its political body and are significant to the whole nation.
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The **role of the cabinet** is of great importance to the executive branch. Its function is to point the president to any concerning matter that is the duty of the officials’ under him. The vital role of the cabinet **in case of the presidential disability** is to review it and declare the disability so that the vice president can step in as an acting president and carry out the role. This is per the twenty-fifth Amendment.
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The **vice president** is the **only individual who takes the president’s spot in the case of the president’s absence**. Thus, the vice president has to be qualified and well informed, or we can say capable. The Vice president has to be involved in fluctuating political situations that concern the president, act as a direct representative of the president, advise the president, and help him execute political actions if necessary.
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The **president** takes the lead in **foreign affairs, war situations, and national defense** because he is the chief executive of the military forces. **Diplomacy, economic decisions, and international deals** are the jobs of the president as well. He is regarded as the representative of the nation and is usually held accountable for success and failures. Furthermore, the president can be referred to as the chief of state, military, diplomacy, administration, executive director, party chief, and chief citizen.
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To sum it up, all the executive roles act, in some way, as a support to the president.
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See the steps for an explanation.
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Under the terms of the 25th amendment, the Cabinet has a crucial role in determining presidential disability.
The text of Section 4 states, “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.” (Section 4 of the 25th Amendment).
Essentially, if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet (currently it would require 8 Cabinet members) believe the President is unfit for office, they inform Senate and House leadership in writing. The Vice President immediately becomes Acting President and the ousted President must appeal to Congress. The ousted President can attempt to regain the powers of their office, but the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet must again communicate in writing that they are unfit to serve. The decision would then pass to Congress. It would require a 2/3 vote in both chambers in order to formally remove the President. It is important to note that Section 4 of the 25th Amendment has never been utilized. The amendment was written and ratified in reaction to the assassination of President Kennedy.
Exercise 3
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The **key in presidential power is that the power rests in the hands of one man**; the president is chief of economics and diplomacy, military commander, chief citizen, party chief, and we can say the head of the state.
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As the **times passed and the world was progressing, the state demanded more action from the government**, especially in times of emergencies, and that action is executed through the president. Even though Congress checks and approves some of the president’s decisions, it does not take away from him being probably the most important individual of the state. Furthermore, he represents the states and makes important political, diplomatic, and economic decisions. The presidential power is generally greater in foreign affairs than it is in domestic ones. This implies that the **president has the power to be a chief of the economy**, and **his actions are not specifically defined in the Constitution.**
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The powers of the president that are not listed in the Constitution can be referred to as **inherent powers**; **they are assumed**. This comes from a “loosely” defined presidential power in the Constitution: “the executive power shall be vested in a President” which is then **expressed through the president’s actions, not necessarily through the constitutional law**. The inherent power is open-ended. Therefore, it gives the president space to execute and in that way it is hard to be checked by the branches.
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The president has to fill two other roles as well: chief citizen and party chief. The **chief party** automatically makes the president the leader of the political party controlling the branch. The Constitution does not mention political parties despite them being an important matter. Being a **chief citizen** suggests that he needs to work for the public and represent the people. The relationship between the president and the people is based on trust.
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All of the stated above implies powers of the president that are not specifically defined in the Constitution. They give the president an open space to operate and execute in his own particular way.
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See the steps for the explanation.
Exercise 4
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To successfully write the research paper, make sure you thoroughly cover and understand all local, state, and national segments of filling the public offices. The chart below will come in handy to get the bigger picture. Ensure to acknowledge who has the power to make appointments and conformations and why is that so.
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The appointments process has to be in the consent of the Senate. It is because it **balances the complexity of the federal governmental system**, and the power is divided in this way, so the state **does not accumulate dictatorial characteristics**. This is the concern of the Senate if it was not involved in the decision-making process, leaving the president to appoint who he wants and when he wants; this can be a dangerous extent of the power. Checks and balances, and division of power are the principles that the appointment process leans on.
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**On the state level**, the judges, for example, are usually appointed by the state governor. The decisions for the process are based on the state legislators since the president is more oriented on foreign and federal issues.
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See the steps for the explanation.
Exercise 5
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Different legislators have a role to fill public offices, and as the extent of the government level decreases from a federal to the local level, the authorized legislators involved in making public offices change. Some are election-based, for example, the governor.
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**Vice presidents** are the **presidential nominees**. They are chosen by the president and then have to get approved by Congress. The **presidents** are selected differently; they are **elected by the people** and win with a majority vote. This is because the U.S. is based on the people governing the government. Therefore, presidents are chosen based on the people’s consent.
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The **president’s role** in selecting the vice president is that he **nominates the vice president** to be confirmed by Congress. The president is elected differently. The **people chose the president** through elections. See above for more explanation.
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The presidential candidate has an important role in the selection of a running mate and potential Vice President. They will usually seek someone who appeals to a different group of people and make their overall ticket more appealing. In the early days of the United States, the Vice President was simply the person who came in second in the election. However, this was quickly changed with the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804. The new model required the college of electors to vote for both a President and a Vice President but in the same manner.
Exercise 6
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The Constitution is the basis of the U.S. federal government. It gives its branches a certain extent of power over other branches to balance the system by ensuring none of the branches is too powerful.
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**Definition of veto** is an authorized right to reject decisions and proposals from a governmental body, such as Congress.
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**Veto is a valuable presidential tool** because it **allows the president to check on the legislative branch**. This gives the president the ability to react to anything concluded not to be wise, proper, or perhaps constitutional. When the president does not approve Congress’s decision, the proposal or a bill to become official needs Congress’s two-thirds votes.
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The **veto is an example of checks and balances** because it allows the **president to overrule Congress’s decisions** if he finds them wrong. For the purpose of bringing balance to the governmental system and making sure the lawmaking body is not too powerful.
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A veto is a power of the President to block or reject legislation passed by Congress. When a bill is vetoed, Congress can either try to override the veto with a 2/3 vote in both the House and the Senate, or let the veto stand and the legislation is effectively dead. The veto is a valuable tool to the President because the threat of a veto can be leveraged to influence legislation as it is being written. The veto is an important aspect of checks and balances. The President checks the power of Congress with the veto, but they have a check in return with the threat, however unlikely, of a veto override. This requires cooperation between the Executive and Legislative Branches as bills are being written.
Exercise 7
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Recognition is the formal acknowledgment by the President of a country’s sovereignty and existence. President Roosevelt’s recognition of Panama during their fight for independence from Colombia gave the fledgling nation legitimacy. The same can be said for President Truman’s recognition of Israel in 1948. The formal recognition of a nation by the President of the United States affords the country standing and credibility on the world stage.
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The American foreign policy is based on the goals of prosperity and security. Foreign policies are focused outwardly as they deal with any matter outside of the U.S. territory with a goal to better the nation and the world.
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**Formal recognition from a potent force like the U.S. is an influential and significant factor in global politics, diplomacy, and economy**; it provides credibility to a country. Recognition is based on international politics and diplomacy. It is so powerful that it can influence and dictate the outcome of political actions on the globe.
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The formal recognition of **Israel** (by president Truman in 1948) and **Panama** (by president Roosevelt 1903) gave both of the nations legitimacy and “wind in the back”.
Exercise 8
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The margin of the impact that individuals, political parties, and the media have has dramatically increased through time. The nation’s power was growing, which means more responsibilities, which implies more impact, especially in modern times of the internet when information is accessible to everyone.
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The role of the first lady has changed since the beginnings of the federal government. First ladies used to have an informal and behind the curtains role. The **role was not as public as it is today**, it was rather private. Nowadays, the **first lady is a public role** that is not elected by the government. However, some actions are considered political ones, like possible verbalization on political matters concerning the nation or the president, or that can even mean aiding the cabinet to support the president. As a matter a fact, the first lady has her own office and personal staff.
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Outside of being an informal advisor, attending ceremonies and functions along with the president. The **first lady is a symbolic role** that involves important actions.
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Looking at **the role of the first lady** from a broader point of view, it has **benefited and empowered women** across the country and perhaps the world because everything is broadcasted so everyone sees the deeds for themselves.
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The role of the First Lady has undoubtedly changed and evolved. While the early First Ladies might have publicly focused more on the social and hostessing aspects of their role, their behind the scenes influence on their husbands cannot be understated. While Abigail Adams had no official office or agenda, she was an important advisor to her husband President Adams. Going into the 20th Century the First Ladies took a much more active public role. The Office of the First Lady was created and a staff was provided. This allowed First Ladies to be much more proactive in promoting their chosen causes. One example is First Lady Betty Ford’s mission to raise awareness of breast cancer. She made her own diagnosis public, and her candor caused a societal shift in discussions around breast cancer and women’s health.
Exercise 9
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The Korean peninsula is a territory in East Asia divided into North and South Korea. It has an important political location because it is located between three great world forces: Japan, China, and Russia. The Pacific Ocean creates a distance between the U.S. and Korea.
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President **Truman ordered the U.S. military force to make their way to South Korea** back in 1950. The reason was to help the democratic South Korea in the **resistance against communist** North Korea. The American government wanted to hold back the communist force and preclude a domino effect of communism. If South Korea got invaded, the following country could be Japan. This is relevant to the U.S. because of an economic interest in Japan. Neither is it a good outlook to U.S. politics if that side of the globe is under communism.
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The **United States has a continuous interest** in North and South Korea and **any state that might disrupt the balance of foreign matters** that concern diplomacy and economics. The U.S., as a goal, intends to contain any force that might disrupt international balance and peace. It is the goal of U.S. foreign politics to bring prosperity and better the world.
Exercise 10
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Federa list 51 discusses the importance of checks and balances in order to restrain the worst impulses of men and achieve limited government. While popular sovereignty ensures that power flows from the people, that power must be further fractured to ensure no one person or agency can overreach. Madison writes, “The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself.” ( Federalist 51) Madison argued that giving each branch of government a check on the power of the others would ensure that no branch would become too powerful. The President and Executive Branch have several checks on the other two branches. Article I Section 7 of the Constitution gives the President the power to veto, a powerful tool the President can use to check Congress. The President also utilizes a check on the Judiciary by issuing the initial nominations that select potential judges as found in Article II Section 2. The President also has the power of the pardon as stated in Article II Section 2.
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The **Federalist Paper 51** states the exact specifications of checks and balances in the government. It also provides claims to support the separation of powers.
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In the given quote, **Madison states** that each of the branches must be able to check on the other two. According to the Constitution, the body that administers a branch needs to be capable and motivated to check on the other branches so no branch becomes too powerful.
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The **President has an exclusive right to veto a bill passed by the legislative branch**. Even though the bill can still be passed if it accumulates two-thirds votes of Congress. This allows the President to check on the legislative branch.
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The judicial branch reviews whether actions are following the Constitution and brings a corresponding verdict. However, the **President is the one who nominates the judges and Supreme Court justices** who can then create an evaluation. This gives the President a power over the judicial branch.
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The president is also a commander of the U.S. forces, can grant pardons, and makes treaties with a two-thirds Senate vote.
Exercise 11
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**Major responsibilities of the government in foreign policies** include regulating international trade, declaring wars, and taking care of the national military forces.
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The **presidential powers are considered the strongest in foreign affairs** as the president is the chief of diplomacy, the economy, and the military.
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**Executive agreements** are politically binding. It is an agreement between the leaders of a government that is not ratified by the legislative branch.
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**Treaties** are legally binding and are considered to be formal agreements and pacts between sovereign states. Treaties have to be ratified.
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The **president can also** appoint and accept ambassadors, declare a war, and give formal recognition in the name of the U.S.
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One can argue that the President exercises their strongest role in the arena of foreign affairs. The President serves as chief diplomat and is responsible for much of the international role of the United States. One way the President can wield this power is through the use of treaties and executive agreements. Both are agreements between foreign nations, but they do have differences. One key difference between an executive agreement and a treaty is that an executive agreement does not require the approval of the Senate. Treaties remain in place when a new president takes office, executive agreements do not unless the incoming president wishes them to. Recognition, or the formal acknowledgment of a country by the President is another foreign affairs power available to the President.
Exercise 12
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The Presidential Succession Act was signed by President Truman in 1947. The Act served to formalize the order of succession to the presidency. The majority of the time, the presidency is normally filled by elections every four years. However, sometimes the President dies and the office must be filled in another manner. The Presidential Succession Act created the order and process for who would ascend to the presidency. If the President dies or is unable to serve, the Vice President will assume the office of President. If the Vice President is unable to do so, the Speaker of the House is the next in line. Following the Speaker is the Senate pro tempore. From there it moves to Cabinet Secretaries starting with the Secretary of State.
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The **U.S. presidents come to the position** of being the chief executive **by-election**; major consent in the people’s votes.
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In the case of the president not being able to carry out his role or dying, the vice president takes his position and fills the president’s office. This process is called the **Presidential Succession Act**. The Presidential Succession Act was introduced in 1947.
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When the vice president is incapable and cannot fill the presidential office in the process of succession, the presidency is then passed to the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Exercise 13
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**Citizen is an indidvidual who is protected by the government’s laws**. However, citizens have to give back to the system so they have certain obligations in order to make the system function properly. Some of those obligations, duties, and responsibilities are paying taxes, oblige the law, and serving on a jury when called. For example, doing a **public good** is another citizen activity in which he can make donations to a charity or employ in the field that involves helping others.
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The **first ladies aim to benefit the society** by spreading positive and useful messages. Their role is to lead with example, do the public speaking, and campaigning.
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**Michele Obama** served as a role model who advocated nutrition, education, physical activity, and poverty awareness.
**Melania Trump** advocated the well-being of youth and supported individuals against cyberbullying through her public-awareness campaign “Be Best”.
**Eleanor Roosevelt** was a big supporter of women in the workplace, the individual rights of African Americans, and the rights of war refugees.
**Melania Trump** advocated the well-being of youth and supported individuals against cyberbullying through her public-awareness campaign “Be Best”.
**Eleanor Roosevelt** was a big supporter of women in the workplace, the individual rights of African Americans, and the rights of war refugees.
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All of the stated above serves the public in a good way by directly helping it through messaging and political activities.
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Many First Ladies have supported causes to serve the public good. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy supported the arts and brought many performing groups to the White House. First Lady Pat Nixon advocated for a national volunteer program. First Lady Betty Ford worked toward women’s equality and the Equal Rights Amendment. First Lady Michelle Obama was an enthusiastic voice for healthier food and eating habits. These women have served the public good by using the power of their position and office to bring awareness and focus to their chosen issues.
Exercise 14
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While writing the paper, make sure to approach all the matters with equity and inclusion. Acquire knowledge through the research so you can write a good synopsis.
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Research and understand the United States’ foreign policies and the power and role of the president. You can probably make a whole paragraph on the foreign policies and then get into the depth of the relationship with China. By that time, you should have enough knowledge to understand the reasons behind the president’s actions.
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The best choice for the topic would perhaps be business and economic issues. You will probably find the most information on that topic because China is one of the U.S.’s largest goods partners.
Exercise 15
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**Theodore Roosevelt** was the youngest president of the United States. He is known for his progressive movements, domestic policies, supporting citizen rights, pure food, and having created the United States Forest Service to protect wildlife.
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The **Stewardship Theory** is when presidential actions derive from beliefs that aim to serve the national interest by doing whatever is necessary unless the Constitution forbids it.
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**Theodore Roosevelt viewed the presidency as an executive open space for leadership** and verbalization of concerning political issues. He viewed it as the executive space for someone to act according to their beliefs and the character they are, to make an effective moral leader. Roosevelt believed in the Stewardship Theory as it allows assertiveness that is, in Roosevelt’s view, crucial to true and authentic leadership.
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The **Stewardship Theory must have positively affected the presidency** because it motivates presidents to act humanly and achieve their national interest goals through their set of beliefs and individualistic actions. At the end of the day, presidents are human beings as well so it is acceptable that they act and should act based on their beliefs, intuition, and character. The Stewardship Theory embraces this line of thinking.
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President Theodore Roosevelt’s Stewardship Theory represented a shift in how Presidents viewed both their responsibilities and limitations. He believed that the duties of President called for more than merely executing the will and laws of Congress. He believed that the President should advocate for his own agenda and have policy goals outside those of Congress. This changed the presidency and expanded the scope of presidential responsibilities. Not every subsequent President followed Roosevelt’s view, but his view of the presidency was fully realized with the actions of his cousin President Franklin D Roosevelt. FDR’s expansive view of the presidency and the programs he implemented would permanently change the office.
Exercise 16
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The **delegates of a political party choose their presidential candidate**. Usually through the parties **caucuses and primaries**, where a presidential candidate wins based on the major delegate votes.
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When the nominees pass through the process of primaries and caucuses, the political parties make a **national convention** where they finalize their selection for the presidential candidate. When one candidate at the national convention wins with **major votes from his party**, he chooses a running mate: the vice president.
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The individual the president picks when choosing a running mate to fill **the role of the vice president**, should be **capable and well informed** in politics, so he can properly assist the president or take his place if necessary.
Exercise 17
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**Presidents are considered to be the leader of the nation**. Their attitude can be positive or negative, while their character can be active or passive. Throughout history, it turned out that the most successful presidents had traits of positive and active traits of personalities.
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**Personalities are a massive key to presidential success**. The best leaders are characterized by an enthusiastic attitude, self-driven to lead and succeed. The president has to have a **strong vision** for the country and be highly motivated.
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The **communication skills**, written, but more importantly the verbal and nonverbal ones, have to excel. Being a smooth talker can only take you that far. What counts the most are **actions and presence** followed with sophisticated communication makes a great combination. Having **charisma** definitely has an impactful influence, and being influential is relevant.
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A great leader has to have the **willingness to take risks** that might even be unpopular ones. To take risks, one has to have strong charisma and deeply rooted beliefs based on justice and prosperity so he can take his own advice, listen to his intuition, and not depend on anyone. **Morally committed** to doing the right things every day, no matter the circumstances is what makes a leader.
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The most outstanding leaders are known for **not cracking under pressure**, and they carry out vital and brave decisions in times of crisis and emergencies. So finding a balance between empathy and the ability to make calm decisions is a crucial one. As far as the U.S. government is concerned, working effectively with Congress can help out tremendously.
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