AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 13/14 STUDY GUIDE INFORMATION

President’s Job Description Chief of State-Ceremonial head of the government Chief Executive-”Executive Power” job is to enforce laws Chief Administrator-Head of the federal government-3 million employees Chief Diplomat-Architect of Foreign Policy; Secretary of State is responsible to speak for the President Commander in Chief-In charge of the military –Command Authority to Generals; final say with Pres. (Truman) Chief Legislator-Helps set Congressional agenda Chief of Party-Leader of the party in power Chief Citizen-Represents the American people

Formal Qualifications Natural Born Citizen Minimum age of 35 years of age –JFK-youngest elected –T. Roosevelt-youngest to serve –Ronald Reagan-Oldest (69) Must have lived in the US for 14 years

Term of Office 4 year term; can be re-elected once with a maximum served as 10 years “Two-term tradition” set by George Washington, broke by FDR. Led to the 22 nd Amendment limiting presidential terms.

Pay and Benefits Pay is set by Congress; 1969-$200,000 –Raised to 400,000 in 2000 Benefits: Expense Account, Use of the White House, Staff and Offices, Presidential Yacht, Limos, Air Force One, Camp David (Presidential Retreat), Free Medical Care, Pension of $143,800 per year

Presidential Succession Originally tradition set by John Tyler (Harrison); 1967 the 25 th Amendment was added to move the VP to the Presidency upon death/resignation 1947-Presidential Succession Act –Set the line of Succession to the Presidency PresidentVice-President Speaker of the House Senate President Pro Tem Cabinet Positions in the Positions they were created; S.S., S.T., S. D., Att. General, …….

Presidential Disability Section 3 & 4 of the 25 th Amendment –President can either inform Congress that he is unable to perform his duties –Vice-President and a majority of the Cabinet can inform Congress of the President’s inability to function

Vice-Presidency Two Formal Duties: –Preside over the Senate –Help decide Presidential disability VP Succeeding the President –Importance of the job; one step away from the Presidency –Often times they are chosen to “balance the ticket”

Presidential Selection Original Provisions: Electoral College –Framers intended that Electors use their own judgment; vote their conscience –Today they are more “Rubber Stamps”-vote as the popular vote of their state did –Originally electors had 2 ballots and both were cast for the president; whoever had the majority was president and whoever came in second was Vice- President; if there was not majority the elections moved to the House of Representatives

Rise of Political Parties Electoral College-affected by political parties; today the President and VP would be of different parties Election of 1800-to defeat John Adams the Democratic Republicans ran two strong Candidates/Aaron Burr & Thomas Jefferson; after receiving the same amount of electoral votes the election was decided by the House 12 th Amendment-added to alleviate problems with the Political Parties –Electors would still have two votes, but one would go for president and the other to their running mate for VP –Insured that President and V-p would be of the same party

Electoral College Today 538 total votes –House of Representatives (435) plus Senate (100) plus District of Columbia (3) –Necessary to become President-270 Choosing Electors: –Each political party from each state selects a body of electors equal to the number of representatives and senators they have in DC –Minimum number is 3; vote as there popular vote of their vote has voted Counting Electoral Votes: –“Winner take all”-if you win the popular vote of that state you win all of that states electoral vote

Flaws in the Electoral College Defects: –Popular Vote will contradict the Electoral Vote –Constitution does not require electors to vote as their state did “Faithless Electors”-happens rarely” –Election could be decided by the House of Representatives (potentially gives small states more power) Only possible if a minor party can win electoral votes; last done in 1968

Proposed Reforms District Plan-Electors would be chosen the same way, but two would vote for the winner of the popular vote; the rest would vote as voters did in their district Proportional Plan –Same % of electoral Vote as Popular Vote Direct Popular Election –Would do away with the Electoral College; based simply on popular vote National Bonus Plan-Electoral College would stay the same except the winner of the popular vote would automatically win 102 electoral votes

President’s Veto Power Pass the bill Veto the bill “10 day rule”-let it sit for ten days and then it automatically becomes law “Pocket Veto”-only can be used at the end of the session; session ends before the ten days is up the bill is automatically vetoed

Key Terms ElectoratePlatformAmnestyCabinetPardon Executive Agreement Executive Order TreatyRecognitionReprieveCommutation Keynote Address

Key Term-Definitions Electorate-People who actually vote in an election Platform-Basic statement of party policy Amnesty-Granting of a general pardon to a group of law violators Cabinet-President’s informal advisory body Pardon-Forgiveness of a crime granted to an individual

Key Terms-Continued Executive Agreement-President on his own can make this agreement with the head of another foreign state Executive Order-A directive, rule or regulation made by the President that has the effect of a law. Treaty-Formal agreement between two or more sovereign states Recognition-Presidential authority to accept the legal existence of another country

Key Terms-Continued Reprieve-Postponement of the execution of a sentence Commutation-The lessening or reducing of a sentence Keynote Address-Comes at the National Convention; Is a speech by a high ranking member of the party at the first session of the convention