The Presidency

Qualifications Article II of the Constitution Natural Born citizen. Lived in U.S. for 14 years. At Least 35 years old. Should any be added? Should any be removed?

Pay and Benefits In 2000 – President got a pay raise - $400,000. Nice expense account Air Force One Lifetime pension Free Residence Ability to make money after office

Presidential Powers and leadership Commander-in-Chief Make Treaties Appoint officials Chief Executive Veto Power (1454 to 200) –FDR Grant Pardons Executive Orders –Desegregating the military

Informal Powers Precedent Custom Tradition Interpreting Executive Power Creating Executive Agencies

Informal Sources of Power Status of the office – only nationally elected official. Known as the most powerful person in the world Prior experience = status Bush Sr. – head of the CIA Public support – HUGE!!!!

Informal Continued Network and ties to other leaders Johnson’s Senate ties Personality Reagan – effective with domestic public Clinton – very effective with foreign leaders Bully-Pulpit

Electoral Process 270 – set since 1911 Four times President won popular but lost election (Poor Gore) Faithless electoral – 9 times

Constraints on Power Power is shared with other institutions - Congress - Budget Chain of Command - Stops between Presidential decisions and government * Reelection and fixed terms

Presidential Style Do it all – Carter Control – Nixon Delegate Responsibility – Reagan Small Group Control – Bush Sr.

Historian Survey Ranked Presidents in ten different Categories Public PersuasionLeadershipEconomic Management Moral AuthorityInternational Relations Administrative Skills Relations with Congress Setting a VisionEqual Justice for All Performance within context of time

Results Lincoln – 1 st FDR – 2 nd Washington – 3 rd T. Roosevelt – 4 th Truman – 5 th Wilson – 6 th Jefferson – 7th Kennedy – 8 th Eisenhower – 9 th LBJ – 10 th Clinton – 21 st Buchanan – 41st