Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [213]
Presidential powers: In addition to the explicit powers of the presidency set out in Article II of the Constitution, the position carries a number of implicit powers granted by Congress and, of course, by the bully pulpit of the presidency. These powers are available to a president hoping to garner support from an engaged constituency. Presidential powers are far-ranging and almost always extended in wars or emergencies. Much can be done without the approval of Congress, including use of executive powers to direct federal agencies; wartime powers as commander-in-chief; executive agreements with foreign countries not requiring a formal and ratified treaty; and emergency powers to meet a myriad of emergencies.
American history abounds with stories of presidents pushing the limits of their power, usually in wartime and emergencies. Given the use of their bully pulpit and a propensity for Americans to support their president in times of crisis, the scales weigh heavily in the president’s favor. But over time, after the crisis subsides, the executive branch seems to fall back into equilibrium with the congressional and judicial branches.
Smart grid systems: This power-grid infrastructure uses digital technology and a two-way communication system between the power supplier and the end user of the energy. With sensors, measurement and control devices, smart meters, and other “smart” systems, it regulates the production, transmission, distribution, and consumption of electrical power on an as-needed basis. Its full potential could be realized by developing a national, interconnected power grid with high voltage power lines “smartly” connected to local utilities and distantly located power facilities.
A smart grid power structure is a prerequisite to optimizing the long-distance transfer of renewable energy. It would allow for distributing solar power from Arizona to factories in the Midwest, or wind-farm energy from Minnesota to handle midafternoon peak loads in Nevada. The book envisions a national energy grid highway plan reminiscent of President Eisenhower’s initiative to build a national highway system to move automobiles in the 1950s.
Chapter 51:
Joint sessions and meetings of Congress: There is a distinction between a joint session and joint meeting of Congress. A joint session requires a concurrent resolution from both houses of Congress to meet and usually hosts the State of the Union or other presidential address. A joint meeting occurs with unanimous consent to recess and meet and is usually reserved for officials other than the president such as foreign leaders or dignitaries.
Foreign dignitaries have addressed joint meetings of Congress more than a hundred times. One such leader was Winston Churchill, who gave three addresses to Congress; Middle Eastern leaders including President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, King Hussein of Jordan, and Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin of Israel have also held the floor.
Chapter 52:
Protectorate relationships: In international parlance, a protectorate relationship is one in which a sovereign country accepts the protection of a more powerful country. The protectorate retains its sovereignty as a nation but usually relinquishes some part of its foreign policy or international trade sovereignty to the protector nation.
A powerful Arab nation might wish to exert control over another Arab country by use of a protectorate arrangement to avoid the outward appearance of an armed attack. The attack by Saddam Hussein against Kuwait in 1991, for instance, generated an outcry of anti-Arab feeling toward his regime for his actions against an Arab neighbor. This book assumes such a scenario is in play.
Chapter 55:
Demand-reduction strategies: Current energy practices are wasteful, inefficient, and expensive, but they also provide target-rich opportunities for significant energy-saving improvements. It has