Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidency

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Great Expectations –Americans want a president who is powerful and who can do good. –Yet Americans do not like a concentration of power because they are individualistic and skeptical of authority.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who They Are –Constitutional Requirements: Must be 35 years old Must be a natural-born citizen Must have resided in U.S. for 14 years

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who They Have Been –White, Male, Protestant... except –John F. Kennedy (Catholic) –Barack Obama –All manner of professions, but mostly –political ones (former state governors, for example)

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who They Have Been –All manner of professions, but mostly –political ones (former state governors, for example) –And now a little matching

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They Got There –The Normal Road to the White House Most presidents have been elected to office. Once elected, the president serves a term of four years. In 1951, the 22 nd Amendment limited the number of elected terms to two... Or one if has served more than 2 years of another president’s term

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They Got There –Succession The vice president takes over if the president leaves office due to death, resignation, or removal. Under the 25 th Amendment, the vice president becomes acting president if the vice president and president’s cabinet determine that the president is disabled.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who was seriously disabled for his last 1.5 years in office, but no one except a few knew? –Woodrow Wilson

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They May Leave –Impeachment Impeachment is an accusation, requiring a majority vote in the House. Charges may be brought for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” If impeached, the president is tried by the Senate with the Chief Justice presiding.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They May Leave –Name the 2 Presidents Impeached Andrew Johnson William Jefferson Clinton Why Was Clinton impeached? Perjury Obstruction of Justice Abuse of Power

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They May Leave –Who is the only president to resign from office? Richard Milhous Nixon

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Our four assassinated presidents were: –Abraham Lincoln (1865) –James Garfield (1881) –William McKinley (1901) –JFK (1963)

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who became president after the death? –Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson –James Garfield Chester Arthur –William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt –JFK Lyndon Johnson

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents How They May Leave –Who was the last president (other than JFK) to die in office? Franklin Roosevelt –Who replaced him? Harry S Truman

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. The Presidents Who was the only president not elected to be either president or vice-president? –Jerry Ford –Who was appointed to replace the VP... –Spiro Agnew, who resigned after being charged with accepting bribes –Ford became president after Nixon resigned

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Presidential Powers National Security –Serve as Commander in Chief of the armed forces –Make treaties with other nations (subject to agreement of 2/3 of Senate) –Nominate ambassadors (subject to agreement of majority of Senate) –Receive ambassadors – conferring diplomatic recognition on other governments

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Presidential Powers Legislative –Present state of the union to Congress –Recommend legislation to Congress –Convene both houses of Congress on extraordinary occasions –Adjourn Congress if the House and Senate cannot agree on adjournment –Veto legislation, which Congress can overrule –With 2/3 vote of each house

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Presidential Powers Administrative –“Take care that the laws be faithfully executed” –Nominate officials as provided for by Congress (w/agreement of majority of Senate) –Request written opinions of administrative officials –Fill administrative vacancies during congressional recesses

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman. Presidential Powers Judicial –Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses (except impeachment) –Nominate federal judges (needs confirmation by majority of the Senate)