The U.S. Presidency Article II: The Executive Branch

Who Would You Choose? What traits, characteristics, or standards do you think a Presidential candidate must possess/meet in order to be considered truly qualified for the position? Study the 10 candidates. Circle your top three choices.

Who Are They? CANDIDATE #1 NAPOLEON BONAPARTE  CANDIDATE #2 GEORGE WASHINGTON CANDIDATE #3 ABRAHAM LINCOLN  CANDIDATE #4 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT CANDIDATE #5 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CANDIDATE #6 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CANDIDATE #7 AL CAPONE CANDIDATE #8 ADOLF HITLER  CANDIDATE #9 JULIUS CAESAR CANDIDATE #10 RONALD REAGAN  Subtitle Goes Here.

Qualifications What does it take to be the president?

Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents 69% politicians 62% lawyers >50% from the top 3% wealth and social class 0.5% born into poverty 69% elected from large states 100% male 99% Caucasian 97% Protestant 82% of British ancestry 77% college educated In your notes, list some informal requirements Presidents share.

Fortunate Son Think-Pair-Share What do you think this song is about? What’s going on? Compare and contrast these lyrics to the demographic characteristics of presidents. What connections can you make between the lyrics and those statistics? How do the lyrics relate to the American presidency? What do you think is the overall message of the songwriter?

FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS

Constitutional Requirements Age: Citizenship: Residency: 35 years old natural-born citizen 14 years

INFORMAL QUALIFICATIONS

Let’s Play Four Corners!

1 2 Four Corners 3 4

GENDER: A qualified Presidential candidate must be a male

Religion: A qualified Presidential candidate must be a strongly devoted Christian

Appearance: A qualified Presidential candidate must be physically attractive

A Good Speaker: A qualified Presidential candidate must be very charming and charismatic

Education: A qualified Presidential candidate must have a college degree

Wealth: A qualified Presidential candidate must come from a wealthy background

Military Service: A qualified Presidential candidate must have previously served in the armed force

Political Experience: A qualified President must have prior political experience

Informal Requirements Government experience Money Moderate political beliefs Personal Characteristics White, married, protestant, middle-class

TERM AND BENEFITS Subtitle Goes Here.

was the first president Term of Office 4 years 22nd Amendment Limited the president to serving 2 terms or no more than 10 years was the first president FDR to serve more than 2 terms

Salary and Benefits 400,000 salary (1991) Lives in the White House $50,000 expense account $100,000 travel expenses Salary and Benefits 400,000 salary (1991) Lives in the White House Fleet of planes, cars, helicopters Country home (Camp David) Secret Service protection Pension (148,000/yr) Medical and dental care

Succession Who’s next?

President Pro-Temp of Senate Line of Succession PRESIDENT Vice-President Speaker of the House President Pro-Temp of Senate Cabinet Members (in order of creation)

Presidential Succession Act 1947 Established the line of succession after the Vice-president

20th Amendment “Lame Duck Amendment” If the President-elect dies before the inauguration, the Vice-President-elect becomes the president

25th Amendment (1967) Presidential Succession President Vacancy In cases of presidential death, resignation or removal, the vice-president becomes president Vice-President vacancy If V.P. office is vacant, the President appoints one with Senate approval.

25th Amendment (1967) Presidential Disability Vice-president becomes acting president under two conditions President informs Congress of his inability to perform his duties VP and majority of the Cabinet inform Congress of the president’s disability President may resume powers of office at any time by simply informing Congress the disability no longer exists

Nixon and the 25th Nixon elected 1968 & 1972 1ST V. P. Spiro Agnew resigned b/c of income tax evasion Nixon appointed Gerald Ford VP Nixon resigned because of the Watergate scandal Ford became President Ford appoints Nelson Rockefeller VP

Roles & Duties

President Bush holds cabinet meeting in October, 2005 Chief Executive President Clinton with Janet Reno, the first female Attorney General, February, 1993 head of the executive branch AKA = the Bureaucracy in charge of federal departments and agencies Sees that the laws passed by Congress are carried out Examples: Impoundment Executive orders Remove appointed officials

Queen Elizabeth and President Reagan, 1983 Chief of State Performs ceremonial duties Represents the nation to foreign countries Examples: Lighting the national Christmas Tree Giving awards and medals Hosting White House dinners and foreign leaders Camp David Accords Attending funerals for foreign leaders

Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan signing the INF Treaty, 1987 Chief Diplomat Directs US foreign policy Makes decisions about the relations the US has with other countries in the world Examples: Issuing sanctions Making Treaties Placing an embargo on Cuba Recognition of foreign governments

President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act, 1935 Chief Legislator AKA Chief Agenda Setter Sets the “agenda” for our country what issues are important and what to do about them Proposes legislation to Congress President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act, 1935 Examples: State of the Union Address The budget

Pres. Johnson decorates a soldier Commander-in-Chief Head of the armed forces May send troops anywhere in the world for any given reason Pres. Johnson decorates a soldier in Vietnam, October, 1966 Examples: Undeclared wars like Korea and Vietnam Visiting troops

Chief of Party Head of his political party President Reagan & Vice-President Bush accepting their party’s nomination in 1980 Chief of Party Head of his political party Provide leadership for his political party Assists in election & appointment of party members to office Examples: Raising money for candidates of his party Planning campaign strategies Nominating cabinet members

President Bush at Ground Zero after 9-11 Chief Citizen Representative of the Nation One person who is elected by all of the people Expected to represent all of the people Voice of the nation – lead country through disasters President Bush at Ground Zero after 9-11 Examples: Visiting disaster areas Comforting the nation

Impeachment

Impeachment Process What is impeachment? Role of the House: Accusing the president of “treason, bribery, or other “high crimes and misdemeanors” for which he may be removed from office Role of the House: In charge of impeachment or accusing the president Role of the Senate Holds trial on impeachment charges determines guilt / removal

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Reason Congress passes the Tenure of Office Act forbidding a president from firing an appointed official without approval from Congress Johnson feels law is unconstitutional and fires his Secretary of War House impeaches Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act Outcome acquitted by one vote

Impeachment of Bill Clinton Reason Perjury in a grand jury testimony Obstruction of justice Outcome acquitted

The American President At the Movies: Roles of the President

Presidential Powers Key Powers of the President

Formal Powers of the President Constitutional or enumerated powers of the presidency Found primarily in Article II of the Constitution

Chief Executive Powers Execute the law “Faithfully execute the laws” Consult the Cabinet Granting Pardons Grant pardons (forgiveness) for federal offenses except for cases of impeachment Appointing Officials Nominates federal judges, Cabinet and ambassadors with approval of the Senate Fill vacancies during recess of Senate

Diplomatic Powers Diplomatic Recognition Treaties Official agreements between the US and foreign countries Requires approval of 2/3 of the Senate Diplomatic Recognition Decides whether US will recognize governments of other countries

Diplomatic Powers Diplomatic Recognition Treaties Executive Agreements Official agreements between the US and foreign countries Requires approval of 2/3 of the Senate Executive Agreements “unofficial” agreements = pacts between the President and leaders of foreign governments Do not require senate approval Diplomatic Recognition Decides whether US will recognize governments of other countries

Military Powers Committing Troops War Powers Act (1973) As head of the armed forces, can send troops anywhere in the world – often into combat “undeclared wars” like Korea and Vietnam War Powers Act (1973) Passed by Congress to limit president’s ability to commit troops into combat Must notify Congress within 48 hours Cannot send troops into combat for more than 60 days without consent of Congress

Legislative Powers Recommends Legislations Vetoing Legislation Proposes legislation to Congress State of the Union Address Vetoing Legislation Rejecting laws passed by Congress or Pocket Veto May be overridden by 2/3 vote of Congress (4%) Lobbying Gaining support for his agenda Ex: invitations to dinner at the White House, phone calls, campaign help

Informal Powers Those powers not explicitly written in the Constitution Similar to “necessary and proper” powers of Congress In the modern era (since 1933), the President’s informal powers may be significantly more powerful than his formal powers

Executive Orders Orders issued by the President that carry the force of law Examples: Clinton’s “Don’t ask don’t tell” gays in the military policy FDR’s internment of Japanese Americans GWB trying suspected terrorists in military tribunals Notice for Japanese “relocation,” 1942

Executive Agreements International agreements, usually related to trade, made by a president that has the force of a treaty; does NOT need Senate approval Examples: Jefferson’s purchase of Louisiana in 1803 GWB announced cuts in the nuclear arsenal, but not in a treaty usually trade agreements between US and other nations

Executive Privilege Claim by a president that he has the right to decide that the national interest will be better served if certain information is withheld from the public, including the Courts and Congress Example: United States v. Nixon (1973) – presidents do NOT have unqualified executive privilege (Nixon Watergate tapes)

Questions for Discussion Why are informal powers more important than formal powers, particularly to modern presidents? Identify several advantages and disadvantages of the use of the president’s informal powers. Has the use and perhaps abuse of the informal powers created an “Imperial Presidency?” Defend your answer.

Presidential Quotations

President Harry S. Truman "I sit here all day trying to persuade people to do the things they ought to have the sense to do without my persuading them. That's all the powers of the President amount to." Truman, 33rd President, 1945-53

President John F. Kennedy “No easy problem ever comes to the President of the United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody else has solved them.” President Kennedy’s nationally televised address during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October, 1962

President Lyndon B. Johnson “The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.” President Johnson, 36th President, 1963-69

President Richard M. Nixon "Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the manner in which the president personally exercises his assigned executive powers is not subject to questioning by another branch of government." In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, President Nixon departs the White House after his resignation, Aug., 1974

President George W. Bush “To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say 'Well done.' And to the C students, I say 'You, too, can be president of the United States.'” President George W. Bush, speaking at Yale University's 300th commencement ceremony President Bush, 43rd President, 2001-present

Chief Executive Powers Executive Orders rules that have the force of law Spells out details of policies and programs Congress enacts Executive Privilege “right to remain silent” about things confidential to the job Appointing Officials Appoints federal judges, Cabinet secretaries, and ambassadors with approval of the Senate

US v. Nixon (1974) Nixon refuses to turn over secretly-recorded White House conversations regarding the Watergate cover-up Court rules Nixon must hand over the tapes to the House Nixon resigns

Judicial Powers Reprieves Commutations Pardons Amnesty Postponement of legal punishment Commutations Lessens the severity of legal punishment Pardons Release from legal punishment Amnesty Group pardon to people for an offense against the government Ex: draft dodgers in Vietnam

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Presidential Roles

President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall, 1963 Head of State President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall, 1963

Chief Executive

President Bush aboard U.S.S. Lincoln, May, 2003 Commander-in-Chief President Bush aboard U.S.S. Lincoln, May, 2003

President Clinton delivers the State of the Union Address, 1997 Chief Legislator President Clinton delivers the State of the Union Address, 1997

Crisis Manager Vice-President Johnson sworn in aboard Air Force One after President Kennedy’s assassination, 1963

Moral Persuader President Roosevelt and the “Bully Pulpit,” 1910 President Lincoln during the Civil War, 1862