School politics class: Donald Trump bans citizens of 12 countries from coming to US

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Specification:

• AQA Component 3.2.1.3: The executive branch of government: president

• Edexcel Component 3.4: Interpretations of the US presidency

Background: what you need to know

This article discusses the travel ban imposed by President Trump on citizens of 12 countries which he judges to be a threat to US national security. The proclamation echoes the ban that he imposed during his first term, predominantly on travellers from Muslim countries, which aroused opposition from civil liberties groups and was cancelled by Joe Biden in 2021. In an equally controversial move, Trump has also blocked foreign students from coming to study at Harvard University.

The travel ban is likely to face legal challenges, as did the 2017 measure, although in the end the Supreme Court backed Trump’s right to impose it. Watch this unfolding story as a case study in the exercise of presidential power.

Click the link below to read the article and then answer the questions:

Donald Trump bans citizens of 12 countries from coming to US

Question in the style of AQA Politics Paper 2

• Explain and analyse three ways in which the US president can exercise power over the political process.

  [9 marks]

Question in the style of Edexcel Politics Paper 3

• Evaluate the view that the USA has an ‘imperial’ presidency.

  You must consider this view and the alternative to this view in a balanced way. [30 marks]

  TIP: The ‘imperial presidency’ theory dates back to the 1960s and means that presidents can stretch the legal powers of the office to enhance their power. Be aware of limitations on presidential power as well: how can Congress or the Supreme Court provide checks and balances? How can a president’s popularity, or the impact of unexpected events, affect their power?

Graham Goodlad, Portsmouth High School