Ch 13 Sec 1 chief of state: the ceremonial head of government chief executive: the leader of the executive branch and holder of executive power under the Constitution chief administrator: the director of the executive branch chief diplomat: the main architect of the nation’s foreign policy and its chief spokesperson to the world commander in chief: the leader of the nation’s armed forces chief legislator: the main author of the nation’s public policies chief of party: the leader of the political party controlling the executive branch chief citizen: the representative of all the people and the champion of public interest

Essential Question Does the current electoral process result in the best candidates for President?

Chapter 13: The Presidency Section 1

“There should be no bitterness or hate where the sole thought is the welfare of the United States of America. No man can occupy the office of President without realizing that he is President of all the people. -Franklin Roosevelt

Objectives – I CAN: Describe the President’s many roles. Understand the formal qualifications necessary to become President. Explain how the President’s term of office has changed over time. Describe the President’s pay and benefits.

Introduction What are the roles and qualifications of the office of the President? The President’s roles include: Chief of state Chief executive Chief administrator Chief diplomat Commander in chief Chief legislator Chief citizen Qualifications for President include being 35 years old, a natural born U.S. citizen, and having lived in the United States for 14 years.

Presidential Roles The President acts as chief of state, the ceremonial head of the U.S. government and the symbol of the American people. The President is the chief executive, holding the nation’s executive power in domestic and foreign affairs. The President is the chief administrator, directing the more than 2.7 million civilian employees of the executive branch.

Presidential Roles, cont. The President is the nation’s chief diplomat, the main architect of American foreign policy and the nation’s chief spokesman to the rest of the world.

Presidential Roles, cont. The President is the commander in chief of the 1.4 million men and women of the nation’s armed forces.

Presidential Roles, cont. The President is the chief legislator, proposing laws that set the congressional legislative agenda. The President is the unofficial head of the political party that controls the executive branch. The President is the unofficial chief citizen, expected to champion the public interest and be the representative of all the people.

Formal Qualifications What are the three requirements a potential President must meet to be eligible for office? The President must be a natural born citizen of the United States. The President must be at least 35 years of age. The President must have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. Checkpoint Answer: The President must be a natural born US citizen, a US resident for at least 14 years, and be at least 35 years of age. 11

Terms in Office The Constitution sets no term limits for the presidency. George Washington set the custom of serving two terms. Franklin Roosevelt broke this custom by being elected to four terms from 1932 to 1944.

Terms in Office, cont. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1944, limits Presidents to no more than two full elected terms in office. If a President succeeds to the office after the middle of a term, he or she can still seek two full terms. No President can serve more than 10 years in office.

Views on Term Limits Many people, including some Presidents, have argued that the two-term rule unfairly limits the right of the people to choose their President. Some say it also weakens a President’s influence at the end of the second term in office. Supporters say the amendment protects against abuse of executive power. Some have argued for a single six-year term, which would free the President from worrying about reelection.

Presidential Succession If a president dies, resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment, the Vice President succeeds to office The plan of succession was established with the Presidential Succession Act of 1947

Pay and Benefits Congress decides the President’s annual salary. This salary cannot be changed while a President is in office. The current salary, set in 2001, is $400,000 a year plus $50,000 a year for expenses. The Constitution forbids the President from receiving any other pay from the government or the States while in office. 16

Pay and Benefits, cont. The President also receives many benefits, including the White House, Air Force One, Camp David, a fleet of cars, a large staff, a suite of offices, excellent healthcare, and many other fringe benefits.

Review What are the roles and qualifications to be president?

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Ch 13 Sec 3 & 4 presidential elector: one of a group of individuals who cast the formal votes that choose the President electoral vote: one of two votes cast by an elector, one for President and one for Vice President electoral college: the group of people chosen from each State and the District of Columbia to formally select the President and Vice President Presidential succession: the scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled swing voter: a voter who has not made up his or her mind at the start of a campaign battleground State: a State in which either candidate could win district plan: a plan in which each State chooses electors as it chooses members of Congress presidential primary: an election in which a party’s voters choose state delegates to the national convention and/or express a preference for their party’s presidential nomination winner-take-all: contest where the candidate who wins gets all the delegates chosen at the primary proportional representation: a system that gives a primary candidate a proportion of delegates equal to their percentage of the vote

Objectives – I CAN: Explain the Framers’ original provisions for choosing the President. Understand how the rise of political parties changed the process of choosing a President as set out in the Constitution.

Introduction How did the process of choosing a President change over time? At first electors cast two votes for president, each for a different candidate. The winner became President and the runner-up became Vice President. The 12th Amendment added separate electoral votes for President and Vice President. Electors also pledged to vote for their party’s candidates.

The Constitutional Debate The Framers of the Constitution debated whether to have the President chosen by Congress or by the popular vote of the people. Opponents of congressional selection felt it would upset the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. Opponents of popular election felt that the people would not know enough about the candidates to make wise choices.

The Electoral College The Framers agreed on a plan put forth by Alexander Hamilton. They created the electoral college, a special body of presidential electors representing each state. Each state would have as many electors as it had senators and representatives in Congress. The state legislatures would decide how presidential electors would be chosen in each state. 25

The Electoral College, cont. Each elector would cast two electoral votes, each for a different candidate. The candidate with the most electoral votes would become President. The candidate with the second-most votes would become Vice President. The Framers did not anticipate the rise of political parties competing for the presidency.

Ted ED – The Electoral College

Review How did the process of choosing a President change over time? At first electors cast two votes for president, each for a different candidate. The winner became President and the runner-up became Vice President. The 12th Amendment added separate electoral votes for President and Vice President. Electors also pledged to vote for their party’s candidates.

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Chapter 13 Sec

Objectives – I CAN: Describe the role of conventions in the presidential nominating process. Evaluate the importance of presidential primaries. Understand the caucus-convention process. Outline the events that take place during a national convention. Examine the characteristics that determine who is nominated as a presidential candidate.

Introduction Does the nominating system allow Americans to choose the best candidates for President? The widely used presidential primary system does force candidates to prove their political abilities before moving on in the nominating process. Whether the current system produces the most skilled candidates remains a matter of debate. 32

Nominating the President The system of nominating the President is not mentioned in the Constitution and has been created by the two major parties. Each party’s national committee sets the time and place of its national convention. The committees also assign each State party a certain number of convention delegates. In 2016, the Republican convention had 2,380 delegates and the Democrats had 4,233 delegates.

Selecting Delegates The Republican Party leaves the process of picking delegates largely up to State laws. The Democratic Party also enforces some national party rules to promote participation by minorities, women, and grass-roots organizations. NOTE TO TEACHERS: The above image shows delegates at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Presidential Primaries How do State laws affect the presidential primary system? The details of delegate-selection vary from State to State. In some States, the presidential primary chooses party delegates to the national convention. In others it expresses a preference among presidential contenders. In some States it does both. Many States choose early dates for their primaries. Checkpoint Answer: The rules for the primary process vary widely from state to state due to different state laws. However, many states have chosen to hold their primaries early in the election year to increase the influence their state may have on the selection of a presidential candidate. NOTE TO TEACHERS: In 2008, 16 states held their presidential primary on the same day, Super Tuesday, Feb. 5th 35

Primaries Today State primaries were once winner-take-all affairs. The Democratic Party’s rules now ban this method, forcing many States to change their primary laws and abandon it.

Primaries Today, cont. Most States now use the proportional representation method. More than half the primary States now hold a preference primary, with the delegates being chosen at a State party convention, usually based on the preference vote.

Evaluation of the Primary Why are primaries considered vital to the nomination process? They force potential nominees to test their political strength and prove their worthiness as main contenders. Primaries also make the nomination process more democratic. Primaries are less important to the party in power, which typically will either nominate the sitting President or the candidate endorsed by the President. Checkpoint Answer: Primaries make the nomination process more democratic and force potential candidates to prove their political worth, though this is less critical to the party in power, which tends to nominate the President or the candidate endorsed by the President. 38

Primary Reform Proposals Critics have suggested that a series of regional primaries or a single national primary would be more efficient than the long, costly State-by-State primary system. Cartoon Question Answer: The cartoon implies that the states of Iowa and New Hampshire have disproportional influence on the presidential nominations due to their early position in the process. What does this cartoon imply about the first state primary and caucus?

Caucuses In States that do not hold primaries, caucuses choose the delegates to the national convention. Party voters attend local caucuses where they vote for delegates to attend district conventions. The district conventions choose delegates to the State convention, which then selects the State delegates who will represent the party at the national convention.

The National Conventions Today a party’s nominee is usually decided before the convention. Conventions have three key goals: Naming the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates Uniting the party’s factions and leaders in one place for a common purpose Adopting the party platform, stating its basic principles, policy goals, and objectives for the campaign and beyond. Conventions also draw media attention for the party and its candidate.

National Conventions, cont. Conventions meet for 3-4 days, organized around many speeches by party leaders, adoption of the party platform, and the keynote address celebrating the party and its candidates. The convention closes with the State delegations voting for the presidential nominee and the nominee’s acceptance speech.

Race for the Presidency The race for the presidency begins long before the election. One to four years before the election, potential candidates begin to explore their chances, organize, and raise funds. From January to June of the election year, primaries and caucuses help decide the party’s frontrunner. In August and September, major parties hold conventions, adopt platforms, and nominate their presidential candidate.

Race for the Presidency, cont. From September to November, the presidential candidates hold debates and give speeches. On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, the voters cast their ballots and choose the president-elect.

Who is Nominated? Sitting presidents eligible for another term are usually nominated. Nominees have almost always held elected office, with governors being the most common nominees. A long public record is common but not a necessity.

Who is Nominated?, cont. The overwhelming majority of nominees have been white, male, Protestant, and married. Women and minorities had not been serious major party candidates until 2008, with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vying for the Democratic nomination and Obama winning the presidency. Republican nominee John McCain was the oldest major party presidential candidate in history.

Review Does the nominating system allow Americans to choose the best candidates for President? ?

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Ch 13 Sec 4 and 5 swing voter: a voter who has not made up his or her mind at the start of a campaign battleground State: a State in which either candidate could win district plan: a plan in which each State chooses electors as it chooses members of Congress proportional plan: a plan that gives each presidential candidate a share of the State electoral vote equal to his or her share of the State popular vote direct popular election: a plan that would abolish the electoral college and replace it with a direct popular vote for president national popular vote plan: a plan to reform the electoral system to accomplish a direct popular vote caucus: a closed meeting of party members who select delegates to a national convention national convention: a quadrennial meeting where major parties select their presidential ticket platform: a party’s formal statement of principles keynote address: the speech opening a national convention

Objectives – I CAN: Describe the features of the presidential campaign. Explain how the electoral college provides for the election of the President. Identify several flaws in the electoral college system. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of proposed reforms of the electoral college.

Introduction Does the election process serve the goals of American democracy today? This question is still widely debated. Critics note that the current electoral process does not always elect the winner of the popular vote. Supporters note that the winner of the popular vote usually wins the presidency and that the current process preserves the influence of the individual States. 51

Presidential Campaigns Presidential campaigns now begin long before the party conventions. Candidates focus their time and money on battleground States and swing voters, trying to persuade uncommitted voters to support vote for them.

Presidential Campaigns, cont. Voters are bombarded with ads, interviews, speeches, and press releases. Since the 1960s, candidates also routinely debate each other in nationally televised events.

Presidential Campaigns, cont. What role does the popular vote play in a presidential election? The people vote for presidential electors, rather than directly for a candidate. Checkpoint Answer: The people vote for presidential electors, who then elect the president. 54

Choosing Electors Presidential electors cast the actual votes for President and Vice President. Electors are chosen by the results of the State popular vote on election day. Electors meet at their State capital after the election and cast one electoral vote for President and one for Vice President. The results are sent to Washington and tallied. The Framers expected electors to use their own judgment, but now electors are expected to vote for their party’s candidates.

Counting Electoral Votes Each State has as many electors as it has members of Congress. Each State receives at least three electors, two for its Senate seats and one for the House.

Counting Electoral Votes The winner-take-all system gives all a State’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the State popular vote. How does this graphic show the impact of the winner-take-all system? Graphic Question Answer: Obama won a significantly greater majority in the electoral college than he did of the popular vote, because each state that he won gave him all of its electoral votes regardless of the margin of his popular vote victory there.

Defects in the Electoral College The winner-take-all system and the unequal distribution of State electoral votes means that the winner of the electoral vote might lose the popular vote. This has happened five times. Sixteen Presidents have won with less than a majority of the popular vote. NOTE TO TEACHERS: The other four instances in which the winner of the electoral vote lost the popular vote took place in 1824, 1876, and 1888.

Bush v. Gore In 2000, Al Gore narrowly won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the electoral college by one vote. Florida’s popular vote was disputed, leading to a recount stopped by a 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court, giving Bush Florida’s 25 electoral votes.

The House Electors are not required by the Constitution to pick the winner of the popular vote in their State. It is possible that a presidential election will need to be decided in the House. House votes are by State, not individual members, which gives small States undue influence. If a majority of State representatives cannot agree on a choice, the State loses its vote. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Only two elections have been decided in the House, the last time in 1824. 60

The House, cont. The House vote also requires a majority of 26 States, which could be difficult to achieve. A minority party could also control a majority of state delegations. What does this cartoon imply about the electoral college? Cartoon Question Answer: The cartoon implies that the electoral college is woefully out of date for the needs and wants of 21st century American presidential politics.

Proposed Reforms The district plan lets every State congressional district select its own electors by popular vote. The proportional plan gives each candidate a share of the State electoral vote equal to their share of the State popular vote. These plans require no constitutional amendment but do not guarantee that the winner of the national popular vote will win the election. More elections might have to be decided by the House. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Under the district plan, each state also elects two electors for the entire state, just as it elects two Senators in statewide elections.

Direct Popular Election The direct popular election plan abolishes the electoral college. Voters would vote directly for President and Vice President. The plan has popular support but faces several obstacles: It would take a constitutional amendment to get rid of the electoral college. It would make individual States less important. It would force candidates to campaign everywhere, at great expense. 63

National Popular Vote Plan The national popular vote plan calls on States to reform the electoral college and has wide support. All State electoral votes would be given to the winner of the national popular vote. All States would enter into a compact that would make this change effective only if approved by States totaling at least 270 electoral votes. So far only 4 States have successfully changed their electoral laws. But 20 other States have tried.

Defending the Electoral College What are the arguments for keeping the electoral college system? It is a known process. Reforms may have unknown flaws. The present system usually identifies the president-elect quickly and clearly. The electoral college promotes the nation’s two-party system. Only two presidential elections have ever gone to the House of Representatives. Checkpoint Answer: The electoral college is a known system with known flaws, it usually works clearly and quickly, it promotes the nation’s two-party system, and has only resulted in the House of Representatives deciding an election twice. 65

Review Does the electoral process serve to goals of American democracy?