The Unitary Executive

This chapter examines the theory of the unitary executive and its deployment in the Trump presidency afgainst the specter of a Deep State. The theory asserts that the president possesses all the executive power, that the incumbent alone is the executive branch. The idea is that anything less than complete control over administration by that individual risks an obfuscation of responsibility, clouding the judgments on presidential performance that “the people” get to deliver retrospectively in the next election. This reading of the Constitution is often joined to a strikingly plebiscitary conception of American democracy. This chapter takes up two issues of special interest. The first is an alternative “republican reading” of the Constitution which anticipates inter-branch collaboration in the control of administrative power. The second is the relationship between the vesting clause of Article II, on which the unitary theory is based, and the selection procedure, which has changed radically since its original constitutional formulation. The chapter concludes by pointing to the distortions of constitutional meaning introduced by joining an expansive reading of the vesting clause to contemporary selection mechanisms.

The first hundred days of the Biden administration and the us foreign and security policy

The paper deals with the foreign and security policy of the United States of America during the first hundred days of the Biden administration. Ever since Franklin Delano Roosevelt?s first term, the presidential performance at the beginning of the administration has been measured by the first hundred days of a president?s term. The most important intentions about what is to be achieved, the selection of the team, key appointments, and the establishment of the National Security Council System, the most important speeches, and concrete moves towards regional and functional issues, say a lot about what the foreign and security policy of an administration will look like. President Joe Biden is no exception. Moreover, his insistence that the circumstances in which the United States finds itself are a truly ?Rooseveltian moment? contributed to the first hundred days of his administration being monitored with special attention. The authors start from the hypothesis that Biden, owing to his experience in government and a good reading of the circumstances in which America and the world find themselves, established a good and functional national security system as well as a clear list of foreign policy priorities. He, like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, found the appropriate balance between values and interests, means and goals, pragmatism and principle. The authors conclude that, although the first steps are promising, it remains to be seen whether Biden will reach the highest standards set by his famous predecessor, especially in the face of some unforeseen and unexpected events.

Sweet Micky’s Allure

Though dismissed as jest at the time, in the mid-1990s Sweet Micky declared himself the “President of Konpa” and composed lyrics that avowed his seriousness for the job. Martelly’s play-acts at “presidential” performance suggest that he methodically crafted a political product inherently entangled with his musical product. Fundamental to Martelly’s stage persona are betiz, which encompass obscenities, off-color jokes, and sexual innuendo and which are considered typical carnivalesque behavior. Demonstrating that this staged vulgarity is nothing new, this chapter considers the long history of betiz as documented back to the colonial era. Such expressions have been key to the discursive practices of madigra bands of the 1930s, Coupé Cloué’s konpa hits of the 1960s–1980s, the rara bands of today, and even the Vodou lwa (spirit) Gede. This chapter reveals the deeper work of betiz, in navigating structures of power and oppression while establishing conditions for physical release and psychological healing.

Attribute-Priming Effects on Presidential Approval: The Role of Risk Perception and Trust in Government Regulation

Combining data from a content analysis of leading newspapers, a random-sampled national survey ([Formula: see text]), and a semantic network analysis of Facebook postings, this study applies Network Agenda Setting and attribute-priming effects to examine how perceptions of risks, benefits, and trust in government regulation influenced the public’s evaluation of the Presidential performance in the 2012 controversy over imports of American beef in Taiwan. The results show that only perceived risks to health directly affected the public’s evaluation of the President; other types of risks damaged the public’s trust in government regulation, which consequently harmed their evaluation of the President’s performance.

Thinking about students: a personal perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on undergraduate student education, consider how campuses can address student needs as reported by the Lumina Foundation project, and provide suggestions to campus leaders for ways in which they can place higher priority on meeting student needs. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the form of a reflective essay. Findings The campus president should be the chief education officer as well as the chief executive officer. Research limitations/implications While this essay is based on a single president’s experiences, it provides new dimensions for assessing leadership. Practical implications This essay provides a way of setting criteria for presidential searches and for assessing presidential performance. Social implications This essay provides examples of how a president can add value to the campus setting and local community. Originality/value This is an original approach and an original piece of work that draws on my experience and talks on campus.