Assignment
1. The president of the United States must fulfill four roles. Define and explain each of the roles/duties of the presidency.
2. The presidency has changed over time from expressing the Whig theory to expressing the stewardship theory. Describe these two theories, and describe the office of the presidency today.
3. When people who wish to become the president of the United States publicly declare their candidacy, up to two years might pass before a person is ultimately chosen. Beginning with what some call the "invisible primary" and following through to the general election, trace the path an individual usually takes from first announcement of candidacy to taking the oath of office.
4. What is the electoral college, and what is its relevance in presidential elections? How are the number of electors arrived at? What is the unit rule, and what effect does it have on election strategy?
5. Each president must staff the cabinet, currently consisting of 15 departments. Each cabinet head commands a large organization charged with carrying out executive directives and implementing laws. As a whole, this represents the governmental bureaucracy. Provide a description of the types of employees who make up the bureaucracy and give examples of what they do.
6. Discuss some of the factors that have an impact on presidential leadership, such as surrounding circumstances, the stage of the term, types of issues, relationship with Congress, and public support.
7. Visit the www.whitehouse.gov website. Take some time to examine current issues as well as suggestions for how citizens can participate in government. Have you ever participated in any of these ways? If so, what was the result? Discuss other ways citizens can make their voices known to or can interact with the executive branch of government. What does becoming informed have to do with the duties of a citizen?
8. Contrast the merit system and the patronage system regarding government employment.
9. The federal budget is an actual law. As with any law, there must be an initiation and congressional approval. Trace the federal budget from initiation to approval. How often must the budget be approved?
10. Often called the fourth branch of government, the bureaucracy has tremendous power in its ability to implement policy. Discuss this power.
11. The Congress can hold the president accountable for all actions. Who holds the bureaucracy accountable for its actions or lack thereof? What are some of the methods used for bureaucratic accountability?
12. Define and explain the traditional and new media roles represented by the terms signaling, common-carrier, watchdog, and partisan. Might carrying out one of these roles (for example, the role of watchdog) work against carrying out another (such as the role of commoncarrier)? Consider our high-choice media system, including the availability of political blogs. Does this system contribute to a moreinformed or less-informed public? Explain your answer.
14. Do you think there is a natural tension between the media's role of informing the public and their need to attract an audience (so that they can make a profit in order to survive financially)? How might this tension influence the choices a media group makes about what to report on?
15. Most members of the electorate gain information about government and politics through one or more of a variety of media outlets. The more involved an individual is in the political process, the less reliant that person is on the media for information. Is there a danger to American democracy if too much of the electorate allows the media to interpret political events for them? That is, has the media begun to set the agenda due to general disinterest on the part of the public? The public has the ability to obtain information from many sources that include print, television, radio, political activities, and the Internet. What can the average citizen do to be sure that the information he or
she gathers is as close to true and unbiased as possible? Why is this important in a democracy?