President and Vice President A vice president, stepping into a president’s role, faces a daunting assignment. President Truman, assuming the office when Franklin Roosevelt dies, told the press, “I don’t know whether you fellows ever had a load of hay fall on you but when they told me yesterday what happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the plants had fallen on me.” –Harry Truman, 1945

Activity What qualities and characteristics do you think are necessary in a president?

Duties of the President Presidents today have enormous power and responsibility. For example, the Constitution makes the president the commander in chief of the nation’s armed forces. The Constitution gives the president responsibility to appoint-with Senate consent-heads of executive departments, federal court judges, and other top officials. In foreign policy, the president makes treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate, meets with heads of state, hosts foreign officials, and appoints ambassadors to represent the U.S. in other countries.

Most Important Duty of the President The most important duty of the president may be to ensure that all the laws of the United States are “faithfully executed.” A president may pardon people convicted of federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment, or reduce a person’s jail sentence or fine. Each year the president delivers a State of the Union message to Congress, in addition to other messages from time to time. Today Congress expects a president to take some leadership in proposing policy changes.

President’s Term and Salary Originally, the Constitution did not specify how many four-year terms a president may serve. George Washington set a long-held precedent when he served for eight years and refused to run for a third term. However, in 1940 and 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt broke this tradition when he ran for a third and a fourth term.

22nd Amendment Reaction to Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms in office and concern over too much executive power led Congress to propose and the states to ratify the Twenty-second Amendment in 1951. The amendment secured the traditional presidential limitation of two terms, while allowing a vice president who takes over the presidency and serves two years or less of the former president’s term to serve two additional terms. Thus, it is possible for a president to serve up to 10 years.

Salary of the President The Constitutional Convention determined that president should receive compensation. The Constitution did not specify the amount of salary, but left the matter for Congress to determine. Between 1969 and 2001, the president received $200,000 a year in taxable salary and $50,000 a year for expenses connected with official duties. In 1999, Congress raised the amount to $400,000, starting with the new president in 2001. There is also a non-taxable travel allowance of up to $100,000 a year. Congress cannot increase or decrease the salary during a president’s term.

Benefits of the President Other benefits (some that are necessary for security reasons) are provided to the president. For example, Air Force One, a specially equipped jet, as well as other planes helicopters, and limos are made available to the president and close assistants. Presidents receive free medial, dental, and health care. They live in the White House, a 132-room mansion with a swimming pool, bowling alley, private movie theater, and tennis courts. The White House domestic staff does the cooking, shopping, and cleaning for the president’s family.

Salary and Benefits (continued) The government pays the expenses of operating the White House. Items the government does not pay for, however, can amount to thousands of dollars each month. The cost of all personal entertainment, such as receptions and dinners not directly related to government business, is paid by the president. When presidents retire, they receive a lifetime pension, now $148,000 a year. They also have free office space, free mailing services, and up to $96,000 a year for office help. When presidents die, their spouses are eligible for a pension of $20,000 a year. While these benefits offer financial security to the president and his family, money is not the reason that people seek the presidency.

Constitution Requirements What are the Constitutional requirements for someone to be president?

Government Experience Many other qualities are necessary for a person to have a real chance of becoming president. Ronald Reagan was governor of California Bill Clinton served as governor of Arkansas George W. Bush served as governor of Texas Barack Obama was a Senator from Illinois A political career provides the opportunity to form political alliances necessary to obtain a party’s nomination as well as the name recognition necessary to win votes

Importance of Money A serious candidate for the presidency must have access to large amounts of money. Running for the presidency means raising money from supporters and using one’s own personal finances. Congress has set an upper limit on how much money a candidate can spend. If candidates spend more than the limit, they lose millions of dollars of public funds that the Federal Election Commission distributes to eligible candidates.

Personal Characteristics Presidents generally have been white, married, Protestant, financially successful men.

Thinking Question What do you think is the most important quality of a president?

Presidential Succession Eight presidents have died in office-bullets struck down four, and four died of natural causes. After John F. Kennedy was killed in 1963, the country realized that the rules for presidential succession the Constitution established were inadequate. The nation needed a new set of rules to determine who would fill the president’s office in case of a vacancy. Four presidents died of natural causes – William Henry Harrison (pneumonia after long inaugural speech) (1841), Zachary Taylor (cholera morbus) (1850), Warren Harding (Heartatack) (1923) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Cerebral hemorrhage) (1945). Four presidents were assassinated – Abraham Lincoln (Shot by john Wilkes Booth) (1865), James A. Garfield (shot, but hung on for months but doctors could never find the bullet to remove it) (1881), William McKinley (Shot in stomach, docs coiukdn’t find bullet and he died from gangrene infection) (1901) and John F. Kennedy (shot in Dallas) (1963).

Order of Succession Ratified in 1967, the Twenty-fifth Amendment established the order of succession to the presidency and spelled out what happens when the vice presidency becomes vacant: “Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.” “Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.” -Twenty-fifth Amendment, 1967

What would happen? What would happen if the offices of president and vice president both became vacant at the same time? The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 established the order of succession. According to this law, the next in line for the presidency is the Speaker of the House. The president pro tempore of the Senate follows the Speaker. Next in line are the cabinet officers, starting with the secretary of the state. The other 13 department heads follow in the order in which Congress created the departments.

Thinking Question Why is an official presidential line of succession needed?

Presidential Disability What happens if a president become seriously disabled while in office? According the the Twenty-fifth Amendment, the vice president becomes acting president under one of two conditions. First, the vice president assumes the president’s duties if the president informs Congress of an inability to perform in office. Second, the amendment says that the vice president will take over for the president if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet or another body authorized by law informs Congress that the president is disabled. This would happen if a disabled president was unwilling or unable to inform Congress that they could not continue their presidential duties.

The Vice President’s Role The Constitution gives the vice president only two duties. First, the vice president presides over the Senate and votes in that body in case of a tie. Most vice president spend very little time in this job. Second, under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, the vice president helps decide whether the president is disabled and acts as president should that happen.

Vice President Fourteen vice presidents have become president. Of these, nine vice presidents have succeeded to the office upon the death or resignation of the president.

Vice President Responsibilities A vice president’ work and power depend upon what responsibilities, if any, the president assigns. The presidents before Eisenhower usually ignored their vice presidents. Since Eisenhower, however, presidents have tried to give their vice president more responsibility.

Modern Responsibilities Vice presidents today often participate in policy discussions and special assignments such as making speeches defending the president’s policies. In addition, they are involved in diplomatic activities such as representing the president overseas. Vice presidents are also members of the Nation Security Council.