Presidential Power Worksheet.

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Michigan State University POLITICAL 103 POL 103/4 Presidential Power Name: Jared Drabek Discussion One Are safety and terrorism still influential in how we evaluate a president or do economic conditions override all other considerations in evaluating a president’s prestige? Yes, safety and terrorism still are influential, after 9/11 they ...[Show More]

Michigan State University
POLITICAL 103
POL 103/4 Presidential Power Name: Jared Drabek

Discussion One

Are safety and terrorism still influential in how we evaluate a president or do economic

conditions override all other considerations in evaluating a president’s prestige?

Yes, safety and terrorism still are influential, after 9/11 they became more apparent. But it does

override economic conditions. Depending on the situations it can raise or lower their approval

ratings. If the economy is doing poorly the presidential approval goes down, and vice versa.

When 9/11 happened and Bush took action his approval went up.

Discussion Two

Political scientist, Clinton Rossiter argues that:

"The president is not a Gulliver, immobilized by 10,000 tiny cords. He is, rather, a kind of

magnificent lion who can roam freely and do great deeds, so long as he does not try to break

loose from his broad reservation. There is virtually no limit to what the president can do if he

does it for democratic ends and through democratic means."

Based on our previous discussion of the presidency and this lecture, would you agree or

disagree?

I disagree, the president can do many things, but there is a reason for checks and balances. A

president has limits, only in certain situations that those limits can be pushed. Such as an act of

terrorism, or war.

Discussion Three

Examine figure 11.3 on page 381. What appears to affect presidential popularity the most? What

raises it? Lowers?

War time situations seem to affect popularity the most, also they raise

approval ratings, such as the ending of the Persian Gulf War, and 9/11. While

bad economic times lower ratings, such as when unemployment was almost

8% and when Bush signed the bailout plan.