Changes

The president is commander-in-chief of the military.  He controls its operations, and supervises its conflicts with foreign militaries.  After Congress declares war (and even when it does not), the president makes the decisions about where American troops go.  President Lyndon Johnson would personally review and make decisions about daily bombing runs in Vietnam. President Lincoln was hiring, firing, and ordering generals during the Civil War.

The president is commander-in-chief of the military.  He controls its operations, and supervises its conflicts with foreign militaries.  After Congress declares war (and even when it does not), the president makes the decisions about where American troops go.  President Lyndon Johnson would personally review and make decisions about daily bombing runs in Vietnam. President Lincoln was hiring, firing, and ordering generals during the Civil War.

The president is responsible for all foreign policy.  He appoints the ambassadors, and decides what treaties to negotiate and sign.  But 2/3rd approval by the Senate is required for any treaty to become law.  The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established so-called “free trade” between the United States and Mexico and Canada.  President Clinton bypassed the requirement of Senate approval by arranging for Congress to pass the treaty directly into federal law.  Why do you think he did that?  (Answer: it only requires a majority to pass a law rather than 2/3 in the Senate to ratify a treaty).

The president is responsible for all foreign policy.  He appoints the ambassadors, and decides what treaties to negotiate and sign.  But 2/3rd approval by the Senate is required for any treaty to become law.  The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) established so-called “free trade” between the United States and Mexico and Canada.  President Clinton bypassed the requirement of Senate approval by arranging for a "lame duck" Congress to pass the treaty directly into federal law.  Why do you think he did that?  (Answer: it only requires a majority to pass a law rather than 2/3 in the Senate to ratify a treaty).

The president also has legislative authority in signing or vetoing new laws.  If the president’s political party is in control of Congress, then he has implicit control over its agenda too.  The president typically submits a budget each year for Congress to pass in order to pay for the operations of the government and all its programs.  Typically Congress will add spending to that budget and include it in one massive bill for the president to sign.  An attempt to give the president “line-item veto” authority to strike out certain spending items was held to be unconstitutional.  But at the state level, where there is not a strict separation of powers, “line-item veto” authority does exist in many states.

The president also has legislative authority in signing or vetoing new laws.  If the president’s political party is in control of Congress, then he has implicit control over its agenda too.  The president typically submits a budget each year for Congress to pass in order to pay for the operations of the government and all its programs.  Typically Congress will add spending to that budget and include it in one massive bill for the president to sign.  An attempt to give the president "line-item veto" authority to strike out certain spending items was held to be unconstitutional.  But at the state level, where there is not a strict separation of powers, "line-item veto" authority does exist in many states.

The president also has the power to make appointments, particularly to the judiciary.  He nominates new judges, especially those needed to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court.  These judges can serve for the rest of their lives, and thus can hold power for more than 30 years.   

The president also has the power to make appointments, particularly to the judiciary.  He nominates new judges, especially those needed to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court.  These judges can serve for the rest of their lives, and thus can hold power for more than 30 years.   

== Appointment Power ==

== Leader of the Executive Branch ==

 

 

The Senate’s defeat of Reagan’s nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987 was a watershed, because it was purely political.  A majority of senators felt Bork was too conservative, and the attacks and ultimate rejection of his nomination became known as “Borking” a presidential pick.  He later wrote a popular book describing the politicization of the judiciary.

The president supervises the executive branch, and fills thousands of positions in the numerous federal agencies.  Senate approval is required for the highest positions, such as the "Cabinet" officials who directly advise the president.

President Bush will likely complete his current term without picking a single Supreme Court justice.  This is surprising because several vacancies were expected.  Chief Justice Rehnquist in particular, nearly 80 years old, was expected to step down so that a Republican president could choose his replacement.  It is possible that President Bush talked him out of retiring in the hopes that Republicans will have greater power in the Senate after the 2004 elections, and that Bush will still be in power.  This is risky: libreal Justices Brennan and Marshall decided against retiring during President Carter’s term, but then faced 12 long years of Republican control of the White House.  Old age forced Justices Brennan and Marshall reluctantly to retire in the meantime, during the first President Bush’s term, and their spots were filled by Justices Souter and Thomas.

When George Washington was president, there were only three Cabinet officials: State, War (now Defense), and Treasury.  But as the federal government has expanded over the past 223 years, so have the number of positions.  There are now 15 Cabinet officials, and confirmation of appointments by the president is required to these positions.  Typically the president fills these positions with members of his own political party; usually they are governors, former governors, or senators who were defeated for reelection.  If Mitt Romney wins the presidency this year, then he would likely nominate Chris Christie to the Cabinet-level position of Attorney General, and perhaps Rick Santorum to the Cabinet-level position of the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Each position in the Cabinet corresponds to the head of an administrative agency in the executive branch.

== Leader of the Executive Branch ==

=== Agencies ===

== Foreign Policy ==

== Foreign Policy ==

== References ==

== References ==