Daniel Aaron Lazar » US GOV: The Executive

Outline of Wilson and Dilulio

Dan Lazar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:05:30 +0000

Clinton and the Veto

Dan Lazar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:03:42 +0000

George C. Edwards, a professor of political science at Texas A&M University, calls Bill Clinton‘s use of the veto “nearly unprecedented.” Presidents typically veto bills to prevent something they dislike from happening — the creation of new domestic programs or entitlements, for example.

Clinton’s most successful use of his veto power was not to block Republicans — although he did halt most of their efforts to cuts taxes and shrink domestic programs — but to get increased spending for his domestic priorities.

Read “Versatility with the Veto”

Bush as the “Accidental Radical”

Dan Lazar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:01:45 +0000

George W. Bush has been compared to a number of other presidents, such as Ronald Reagan, Harry Truman, and even William McKinley. It may say something, however, that at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner earlier this year, when National Journal’s Carl Cannon brought up the topic of former presidents, Bush expressed singular admiration for FDR. “He was a strong wartime leader, and a very strong commander-in-chief,” Bush remarked.

Had he pursued the subject, Bush might have found further parallels. Not the least is that Bush, like Roosevelt, is an accidental radical. He is an amiable establishmentarian who finds himself with the opportunity to effect transformational change, and who is seizing that opportunity and pushing the system to its limits. Or beyond.

Read the Jonathan Rauch piece “Accidental Radical” from the 2003 National Journal

Reagan and The Shrub Compared

Dan Lazar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:58:12 +0000

Like a lot of Republicans who have watched both Reagan and Bush at close hand, Michael Deaver [the shrewd public relations man who played Karl Rove to an earlier president, Ronald Reagan] sees uncanny similarities between them. The presidents are alike in their outlooks and career paths, in their agendas of tax-cutting and confrontational deployment of American power, in the ideological mix of their advisers. (Whatever you read about the president’s inheritance from his father and Gerald Ford, the Reagan DNA is dominant in the staffing, training and planning of the Bush administration.) More than that, there are important similarities of character and temperament. And both are simple men who have made a political virtue of beingÂ in Bush’s word: misunderestimated by the political elite.

Read “Reagan’s Son”

Electoral College Assignment

Dan Lazar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:52:46 +0000

In this lesson your will examine how the Electoral College works in order to better understand how Americans elect their president. This issue has become especially timely since the 2000 election when George W. Bush became president after winning the most electoral votes but losing the popular vote. In 2004, the election was once again a close one.

Your task is to explore the resources below and to respond to the questions provided at the bottom of this post. Be prepared to summarize, analyze and debate the Electoral College in class.

The Federal Electoral College Commission

National Archives: U.S. Electoral College FAQs

Online NewsHour Extra: How the Electoral College Works

Online NewsHour: November 23, 2000

Online News Hour: December 18, 2000

An Op-Ed from the NY Times

Electoral College Response Sheet