President Obama Waxing & Waning of his Presidential Power:
- Waxing: Growing powers
- Waning: Shrinking powers.
- Obama felt this during his single presidency over two terms.
- His power was waxing after being elected on a wave of optimism in 2008, welcomed by Black Americans. He also had control of both Houses of Congress.
- Following the economic crisis, but Obama used his first 100 days and was rewarded with the highest approval ratings for that period since the 1970s.
- Economic stimulus, support for automobile industry and Obamacare.
- In 2010, the Republicans won a majority in the House and Obama’s power was waning as Conservatives loathed who thought Obamacare expanded the role of federal government too far into people lives.
- Obama fought back with his waxing powers by using executive orders to avoid becoming a lame duck President.
- His powers to protect illegal immigrants from deportation was deemed unconstitutional by the courts.
- Finally his power had been waxed to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court was blocked by the Senate which refused to consider his nominee.
Executive
Orders:
- Under Obama: Used a lot in terms of LGBT rights – people with HIV were no longer barred from entering the country and would not be discriminated against in terms of buying a house. Finally, same-sex couples could now take family and medical leave.
- Can go back and forth in terms of can be revoked. Family planning clinics were stopped by Regan, re-introduced by Clinton and stopped by Bush in his second day of office before being re-introduced by Obama. Presidential Ping-Pong.
- Can be deemed unconstitutional by the courts. In 2014, DAPA allowed an indefinite delay in their deportation but Texas along with Republican governors claiming that such a programme could not happened without Congress approval.