The US Presidency | Edexcel A-Level Politics (9PL0)
The US Presidency
- 41 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 3 Route B: the USA, one route of two
- Component 3
Covers the American executive: the powers the Constitution grants, the informal power to persuade and to act by order, the relationships and limits that constrain a President, and the argument over whether the office is imperial or imperilled..
It covers formal sources of presidential power, informal power, persuasion and the Executive Office, relationships with Congress and the Court, and limits on power and the imperial presidency debate and presidential case studies.
Sample questions from The US Presidency
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Formal sources of presidential power
What is the presidential pardon power?
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A formal constitutional power allowing the President to grant pardons and reprieves for federal offences, exempting individuals from punishment. -
Formal sources of presidential power
What is an electoral mandate in the context of the presidency?
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The claim of authority a president derives from winning election, with larger victory margins and higher turnout strengthening the perceived mandate to pursue their policy agenda. -
Informal power, persuasion and the Executive Office
Who theorised that presidential power is essentially the power to persuade?
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Richard Neustadt. -
Informal power, persuasion and the Executive Office
What is the role of the National Security Council (NSC)?
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To advise the president on national security and foreign policy matters, coordinating policy across military, intelligence, and diplomatic agencies. -
Relationships with Congress and the Court, and limits on power
How does presidential power typically change over the course of a term?
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It is often strongest immediately after election and weakens as mid-term elections approach and opposition mobilises. -
Relationships with Congress and the Court, and limits on power
How does the election cycle constrain presidential power?
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Approaching elections shift political calculations, mid-term losses often reduce congressional support, and second-term presidents become lame ducks. -
The imperial presidency debate and presidential case studies
What are informal presidential powers?
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Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but derived from practice, interpretation, and political circumstances, including executive orders, executive agreements, and the bully pulpit. -
The imperial presidency debate and presidential case studies
How did President Trump use informal powers during his presidency?
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Trump extensively used the bully pulpit through social media and rallies to appeal directly to supporters, and issued numerous executive orders on immigration, trade, and deregulation.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Formal sources of presidential power | Recall questions on the head of state and head of government roles, command of the armed forces, the pardon, treaties, appointments and the veto, the electoral mandate, and executive orders and how they are overturned. | 10 |
| Informal power, persuasion and the Executive Office | Recall questions on the effect of crises, cabinet influence, Neustadt and the power to persuade, the personal qualities and approval ratings behind it, and the roles of EXOP, the NSC, the OMB and the White House Office. | 10 |
| Relationships with Congress and the Court, and limits on power | Recall questions on the honeymoon period, divided and unified government, and how Congress, the courts, the Constitution and the electoral cycle limit a President. | 11 |
| The imperial presidency debate and presidential case studies | Recall questions on the imperial and imperilled theses, and on how Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump used formal and informal power. | 10 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,101 questions with their answers.