The Presidency: To persuade or not to persuade?
- Created by: Q_
- Created on: 07-04-19 17:52
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- Is the President's power still the power to persuade?
- NO
- In an era of partisanship, few members of Congress from the opposition party are open to presidential persuasion, especially on big-ticket items.
- Partisanship also makes persuasion a less useful tool for the president trying to persuade voters to support him and then pressurise uncooperative members of Congress to do the same.
- Presidents nowadays tend to have low approval ratings (and high disapproval ratings) and therefore their persuasion is much less effective.
- Second-term presidents have always found their persuasive power to be very limited.
- Barack Obama Support Scores
- 2009: 96.7% (unified)
- 2010: 85.8% (unified)
- 2011: 57.1% (divided)
- 2012: 53.6% (divided)
- 2015: 45.7% (divided)
- 2012: 53.6% (divided)
- 2011: 57.1% (divided)
- 2010: 85.8% (unified)
- 2009: 96.7% (unified)
- Barack Obama Support Scores
- YES
- The president has no formal disciplinary hold over members of Congress.
- Party discipline in Congress, although tighter than it used to be, cannot guarantee votes for the President.
- The president may be faced with one or both houses of Congress controlled by the other party.
- The president is dependent upon members of Congress for legislation, confirmation of appointments and treaty ratification.
- The presidents 'direct authority' has limited use.
- The president can offer his support for things members of Congress regard as important.
- NO
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