POL 313

The Presidency

The Popular Connection

presidential power paradigm

What is the relationship between the President and the people?

Should we distinguish between the person who occupies the office and the institution?

The President and the Public: A Troubled Alliance

In The Citizen's Presidency, Buchanan argues that the key to the presidency and

presidential power is the relationship between the president and the people.

According to Buchanan, the constitutional powers given to the president are weak

President's often have to "take the Jacksonian approach"

(ie., go directly to the people) in order to get things done

The Jacksonian approach is even more powerful today because of

the impact of the media on public perceptions of the president and presidency.

Buchanan argues that the president is vitally affected by public support in 5 ways:

1) Congress becomes more responsive to presidential initiatives

2) relations with "professional Washington" improve

3) foreign allies and adversaries respond to presidential initiatives

4) the media is more generous in its coverage

5) the President is more resourceful and vital

"In theory, support is won by meeting public expectations for "competent" or "good"

or "great" presidential performance. The presidency-public relationship

is thus based upon and implicit agreement that imposes obligations

of reciprocity on the two parties: support in return for services rendered,

services rendered in return for support.

Over the past several decades, diminished support is a fact.

For Buchanan this trend is disturbing.

He argues that the different potential explanations for the trend,

yield different solutions:

If diminished support stems from a succession of flawed, incompetent, or otherwise inadequate presidents who don't deserve support….

The solution is:

better presidential candidates! (Do we need to change the selection process?)

If it is the public's fault because they have unrealistic expectations….

The solution is:

get citizens to have more realistic expectations.  (How do we change public expectations?)

If it is the public's fault and we need to refine the system…

The solution is

?? (Buchanan suggests a single six-year term)

Children's Images of the Presidency

There have been two major studies of the political socialization process

that have direct bearing on our study of the presidency:

Hess-Easton study

Greenstein study

the general findings may be summarized as:

1. The child's initial point of contact with the political system is the President

(by 4^th grade nearly 90% of children can identify the President by name)

2. The first step in the socialization process is done without evaluation

3. When evaluation is ascribed (ie. Pres is "good" or "bad") it is a reflection

of the parents evaluation, not the child's

4. The president is initially "personalized" (ie., he gives things) but as child

grows the evaluation becomes more sophisticated

IMAGE	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8th
Executive (supervises the country)	9	25	42	31	32
Budgetary (Expenditures...taxes)	0	7	5	41	26
Legal (Vetoes...makes laws ...enforces)	21	11	13	25	47
Communicative (speeches .....meetings)	6	9	8	9	12
Individual (Golfs, paints, etc)	6	16	3	0	9
International (countries....wars)	12	32	28	50	69
Benevolent (Does good things)	24	7	8	3	6
Normative	6	14	8	3	6

By the time people reach adulthood possess a more sophisticated view

although elements of early socialization are evidenced:

1. Views of the President are still generally benign

2. Although adult assessment of performance varies, the overall

assessment of presidential performance is generally favorable

3. Crisis in American politics (especially foreign crisis) brings about

a rallying around the president

4. Citizens seem to perceive and evaluate the President as a person

rather than in terms of policy commitments, skill, and record

See the following:

I Like the President Index

1. More nearly than any other person, the President represents our country.

2. One sleeps better knowing a president one trusts is running the country.

3. We are fortunate because our Presidents usually make the right decisions.

4. Most people don't appreciate how hard the President works.

5. Since the President has more knowledge than any other person, he will probably make the right decisions.

6. Just seeing or hearing the President makes one feel good.

7. Although prior to the Presidency he was an ordinary person, being President makes one a wise person.

Our President Right Or Wrong Index

1. The President should be given a chance to work out his policies before being criticized.

2. Even though you feel the President did wrong, once he makes a commitment, he should be supported.

3. When the President makes an appeal, we should not only listen but do what he asks.

4. No matter what the President does, it is our duty to support him.

Rally Around the President in A Crisis Index

1. In times of domestic crisis we should rally around the President.

2. In times of foreign crisis, we should rally around the President.

3. When there is a crisis abroad, one should not ask questions or demand answers from the President.

4. When there is a crisis at home, one should not ask questions or demand answers from the President.