Title: How Presidents Get Things Done
Headings: 13.2
How Presidents Get Things Done

13.2 How Presidents Get Things Done
Learning Objectives
Link
Agenda-Setter for the Political System
Chief Lobbyist in Congress
Legislative Liaison
The Veto
Signing Statements
Presidential Scorecards in Congress
Chief Executive
Appointment Powers
Executive Orders
War Powers
Presidents and the People
Public Approval
Polls
Speechmaker-in-Chief
Video Clip

Content: Because the government and media report the inflation and unemployment rates and the number of new jobs created (or not created), the public is consistently reminded of these measures when judging the president’s handling of the economy. And certainly the president does claim credit when the economy is doing well. Yet the president has far less control over the economy and these economic indicators than the media convey and many people believe. A president’s opportunities to influence public policies depend in part on the preceding administration and the political circumstances under which the new president takes office. Stephen Skowronek, Presidential Leadership in Political Time (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008). Presidents often face intractable issues, encounter unpredictable events, have to make complex policy decisions, and are beset by scandals (policy, financial, sexual). Once in office, reality sinks in. Interviewing President Obama on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart wondered whether the president’s campaign slogan of “Yes we can” should be changed to “Yes we can, given certain conditions.” President Obama replied “I think I would say ‘yes we can, but…it’s not going to happen overnight.’”