NEW Politics A-level – Presidency Topic
28th February 2018
Our resources will support you in teaching either of the specifications for the new politics A level.
In order to cover the topic of the US presidency comprehensively for both specifications, use our lesson powerpoints in conjunction with the activities, handouts and articles.
| AQA Requirements | PEPED |
| · the executive branch of government in the constitution | Yes |
| · sources of presidential power: | Yes |
| · formal (enumerated and inherent powers outlined in Article 2 of the constitution) | Yes |
| · informal (modern developments such as stretching of implied powers and the creation of institutions such as EXOP) | Yes |
| · constitution, congress and supreme court | Yes |
| · constraints on President’s ability to exercise those powers: | Yes |
| · the effectiveness of formal checks and balances | Yes |
| · key variables such as party support in congress | Yes |
| · the prevailing philosophy of the supreme court | Yes |
| · the attitudes of the media and public opinion | Yes |
| · power and influence of the Cabinet and the Executive Office of the President | Yes |
| · role of the federal bureaucracy and federal agencies. | Yes |
| Edexcel Requirements | PEPED |
| Formal sources of presidential power as outlined in the US Constitution and their use.
· The role as the Head of State and as the Head of Government. The significance of these powers with reference to presidents since 1992. |
Yes |
| Informal sources of presidential power and their use.
• The electoral mandate, executive orders, national events and the cabinet. • Powers of persuasion including the nature/characteristics of each president. • Executive Office of the President (EXOP), including the role of the National Security Council (NSC), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House Office (WHO). • The significance of these powers with reference to presidents since 1992. |
Yes |
| Relationships between the presidency and the following institutions and why this varies:
• Congress and the Supreme Court. |
Yes |
| Limitations on presidential power and why this varies between
presidents: • changing nature of power over their term in office • Congress, the Supreme Court and the Constitution • the election cycle and divided government. • The significance of these limitations with reference to presidents since 1992. |
Yes |
| Interpretations and debates of the US presidency.
• How effectively they have achieved their aims. • The imperial presidency. • The extent of presidential accountability to Congress. • The role and power of the president in foreign policy. · With reference to presidents since 1992. |
Yes |
Scheme of Work
Below is an example scheme of work, complete with flipped learning homework tasks to encourage independence and engagement with the content of the following lessons. This scheme of work would meet all criteria for either examination board.
| Lesson | Objectives/Outcomes | Assessment Opportunities |
| 1. What constitutional powers does the president have? | • To understand the background of monarchical tyranny
• To identify the constitutional powers of the president |
Application Task:
How significant is the President’s power of veto? (15) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: The Presidency in a changing America (McKay p234-242) Stretch & Challenge Task Several attempts have been made to give the President “line-item veto” power, but all have failed (Congress passed a law in 1996 granting line-item veto power to the President, but the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998). Research this power, especially why it has been proposed, the arguments for and against the power, and the results of the court decision. How would this power, if used, affect the legislative process as a whole? |
| 2. How has the power of the president evolved? | • To describe how presidential power has grown during the 20th century
• To explain the reasons for this • To analyse the consequences of this |
Application Task:
N/A Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Informal Sources of Presidential Power and their use (Pearson p365-367) The Imperial Presidency (Pearson p378-380) Limitations on presidential power and why this varies (Pearson p375-377) Stretch & Challenge Task Article: Theodore Roosevelt: Impact & Legacy (Miller Center) |
| 3. How powerful is the president? | • To explain the sources of presidential power, both informal and formal
• To evaluate the extent to which the presidency may be considered ‘imperial’ |
Application Task:
Debating the Imperial Presidency – preparation and research Flipped Learning Preparation Task: The Vice President (Bennett p229-239) Stretch & Challenge Task Article: Don’t Just Impeach Trump. End the Imperial Presidency |
| 4. How important is the vice-president? | • To explain the significance of the vice president
• To analyse the extent of changes to the role of vice president during the tenures of Cheney and Biden • To evaluate the reasons for and consequences of this |
Application Task:
How important is the role of the Vice President?(15) OR Assess the factors that affect the role of the Vice-President. (15) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: The Federal Bureaucracy (Bennett p239-248) Stretch & Challenge Task Increasing the Power: The Role of the Vice Presidency Before and After Dick Cheney |
| 5. How powerful is the federal bureaucracy? | • To explain the composition of the federal bureaucracy and sources of power
• To analyse the problems of presidential control, including the reasons for and consequences of this |
Application Task:
Explain the ways in which Cheney and Biden can be seen as powerful vice presidents. (15) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Power and Influence of the Cabinet and EOP (Pearson p368-372) EOP (Bennett p260-268) Stretch & Challenge Task
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| 6. How significant is the cabinet? | • To explain the influences on the composition of the cabinet
• To analyse the role and extent of influence of the cabinet • To evaluate the extent to which EOP is a rival for the executive power of the cabinet |
Application Task:
Assess the significance of the Cabinet in the executive branch. (15) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Relationships between the Presidency and other branches (Pearson p373—5) Stretch & Challenge Task |
| 7. How is the power of the president limited? | • To evaluate the extent to which the president is restricted by checks and balances
• To evaluate the extent to which the president is able to circumvent checks on his power • To evaluate the extent to which the president is dependent on the ‘power to persuade’ • To evaluate the extent to which checks and balances on presidential power are more significant in domestic than foreign policy |
Application Task:
• To what extent is ‘the power to persuade’ the president’s most important power? (45) • ‘Weak at home, strong abroad.’ Discuss this view of the power of the president. (45) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: • Presidential Persuasion (Bennett p268-275) • Role and Power of the President in foreign policy (Pearson p380-383) Stretch & Challenge Task: • Theories of Presidential Power (Bennett p 277-280) • Limits on presidential power (Bennett p281-283) |
| 8. What determines ‘presidential success’? | • To analyse the extent to which the president is dependent on factors outside his control to be considered a ‘success’ | Application Task:
‘Presidential careers can never live up to expectations.’ Discuss. (45) Flipped Learning Preparation Task: Revision in preparation for end of topic test Stretch & Challenge Task Job Specs for the Oval Office (Donovan, 2004) Hail to the Chief: The Making and Unmaking of American Presidents (Dallek, 1996) |
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