Unit Three: The Presidency

(Executive Branch)

• Unit Three, Lesson One

Notes

What are the qualifications and terms to become President of

the United States?

President of the United States

• Most powerful political leader in the U. S., perhaps the world

• Head of the Executive Branch

• Article II established the Executive Branch, President, and Vice President

What are the formal qualifications necessary to become President?

• 35 years old

• Native-born citizen (must be born here)

• Lived in the U. S. at least 14 years

What are the unwritten qualifications necessary to become President?

• All but one have been white• All have been men• All have been Christian (43 Protestant, 1

Catholic)• Many have attended college• Many have been lawyers and Senators

First Presidents

• JFK was the only Catholic President

• Geraldine Ferraro (D) 1984 was first woman to run for VP

• Rev. Jesse Jackson (D) was first African American to run for President

• Barack Obama (D) is first African American to win the White House

Kennedy

Ferraro

Jackson

How is the President compensated?

• $400,000 / year (Obama makes 2x amount that Clinton did)

• $50,000 for expenses• Receive about $150,000 / year pension and

$150,000 for staff after retirement• 100’s of assistants

White House Florist

White House Chef

How is the President compensated?

Air Force One

“The Beast” Secret Service

Marine OneWhite House Camp David

Election and Terms of Office

– 4 year terms– No law requires political parties to nominate

candidates – tradition– 2 term limit

• 22nd Amendment (1951)• Washington began tradition, broken only by FDR

(elected 4 times)

• Unit Three, Lesson Two

Notes

How does the Constitution provide for Presidential

succession?

What is the role of the Vice President?

• The Constitution only gives the Vice President two duties besides becoming President if the President is removed from office:1) to preside over the Senate, and2) to help decide the question of

presidential disability Qualifications are the same as President

Today, the Vice President often performs diplomatic and political chores for the President

Current Vice President Joe Biden

How is the Vice President compensated?

• Current salary is $202,900

• Free residence and staff

• No limit to the # of terms – none have served more than 2

Vice Presidential House on 34th Street at the Naval

Observatory

How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?

• Presidential succession is the plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled.

• In 1841, Wm. Henry Harrison becomes the 1st President to die in office– VP John Tyler declared himself

President• The Presidential Succession Act

of 1947 set the order of succession following the Vice President.

• The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, made it clear that the Vice President will become President if the President is removed from office.

How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?

• Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment provide procedures to follow when the President is disabled.

• The Vice President is to become acting President if(1) the President informs Congress, in writing, “that he

is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” or

(2) the Vice President and a majority of the members of the Cabinet inform Congress, in writing, that the President is thus incapacitated.

Presidential Succession

• 1973 – VP Spiro Agnew (R) forced to resign, Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as VP

• 1974 – Nixon resigns in Watergate scandal, Ford became President and appointed Rockefeller as VP (only non-elected Pres)

• 1985 – George HW Bush was acting President for 8 hours while Reagan underwent surgery

Nixon

Ford

9 times in our history a VP has become

President because of a death or resignation

Cabinet• Following the Vice President, congressional leaders would be

next in line for succession followed by the presidents Cabinet.

• Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet

More Info…

• http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet

• www.votesmart.org

• Individual Cabinet Pages

• Unit Three, Lesson Three Notes

• What roles does a President fulfill?

What are the President’s many roles?

• Because someone is President, it entitles them to fulfill many roles, or jobs, at any given moment since they are the head of the executive branch of government

Chief Executive– The Constitution vests the President with the executive power of the United States,

making him or her the nation’s chief executive.– Responsible for carrying out nation’s laws– Issues executive orders – have the force of law (i.e. 9/11 air flights grounded)

• Used in the time of crisis – Appoints all Cabinet members and other high ranking officials (Senate approval)

Chief Diplomat– As the nation’s chief diplomat, the

President is the main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.

– Responsible in dealing with other countries– Appoints ambassadors (with Senate

approval)• Government official who represents the

U. S. in a foreign country– Makes treaties (with 2/3 Senate approval)

• Formal agreement between 2 countries• Usually bypasses Senate with

executive agreements (agreement between leaders)

Kennedy signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, October 1963

Commander in Chief

– The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s armed forces.

– Leader of all armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines)

– Only the President can order troops into battle

Legislative Leader

– The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation’s public policies.

– Has strong influence on legislation – but needs a member of Congress to introduce a bill

– President’s State of the Union Address is way to influence laws

• Must give annually on the state of affairs in the U. S. and usually tells where the U. S. is heading

Party Leader

– The President acts as the chief of party, the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.

– Is the leader of his party (Democrat or Republican)

– Works to raise money for his party and members of his party running for office

Judicial Leader

– Has power to appoint all federal judges including USSC Justices (with approval of Senate)

– May grant pardons – declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment for breaking a law

– May issue reprieves – an order to delay punishment until a higher court can rule

– May grant amnesty – a pardon for a large group of people

Chief of State

– The President is chief of state. This means he is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation.

– Represents all

people of the U. S.– Symbolic role

Bush at Reagan’s Funeral, 2004

Chief Guardian of the Economy

• In this role, the president is concerned with such things as unemployment, high prices, taxes, business profits, and the general prosperity of the country.

• The president does not control the economy, but is expected to help it run smoothly.

• Unit Three, Lesson Four Notes

What are the various powers of the executive branch?

Presidential Power

Article II, the Constitution’s Executive Article, begins this way:

“The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”

With these few words, the Framers established the presidency.

How has presidential power grown over time?

• Over the course of American history, the champions of a stronger presidency have almost always prevailed.

• The nation’s increasingly complex social and economic life has also influenced the growth of presidential power.

• By passing laws and expanding the role of the Federal Government, Congress has increased presidential power as well.

• The ability to use the mass media, as every President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has, aids in gathering and holding public attention.

What powers does a President have?

• Military powers:– In every war, the President has held the power

over Congress– War Powers Act

• President must tell Congress within 48 hours if he has placed troops somewhere

• He has 60 days unless Congress authorizes longer

• Diplomatic powers:– Executive Agreements and Treaties– May recognize foreign nations

What powers does a President have?

• Executive powers:– Executive orders, appointments, pardons,

reprieves

• Legislative powers:– Veto power

• Economic planning:– Appoints the Chairman and members of the

Federal Reserve Board– Must submit an economic report to Congress

What powers does a President have?

• Executive privilege:– Right to confidentiality and to refuse to testify

before or provide information to Congress – not absolute

• Impounding:– Can simply not execute bills passed by Congress

• Persuasion:– Can appeal to the American public, call members

of Congress, etc.