American Government - UNIT 4 - The Executive Branch The Presidency

Roles of the president: chief executive – actually runs the government commander in chief – civilian leader of the U.S. military. chief agenda setter

Roles of the president (cont.): representative of the nation chief of state – U.S. symbolic leader. foreign-policy leader political party leader

Constitutional requirements and terms of the office of the presidency: be a native-born U.S. citizen be at least 35 years old have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years can serve two four-year terms but no more than a total of 10 years in office.

“Traditional” Requirements (Unwritten Qualifications) Presidents historically….. ….all (except one) have been white ….all have been male ….all (except one) have been Protestants

“Traditional” Requirements (Unwritten Qualifications) ….most raised in well-to-do families, in small towns and rural areas (in big states) ….most had a college education

Order of presidential succession: Vice-President – Joe Biden Speaker of the House of Representatives – John Boehner president pro tempore of the Senate – Daniel Inouye cabinet members, in the order of their department’s establishment

4.Secretary of State – Hillary Clinton 5.Secretary of the Treasury – Timothy Geithner 6. Secretary of Defense 7. Attorney General 8. Secretary of the Interior 9. Secretary of Agriculture 10. Secretary of Commerce 11. Secretary of Labor 12. Secretary of Health and Human Services 13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 14. Secretary of Transportation 15. Secretary of Energy 16. Secretary of Education 17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs 18. Secretary of Homeland Security

Presidential Perks

Presidential Perks SALARY = $400,000/yr.

ZERO YEAR CURSE According to a legend Tecumseh had placed a curse on Harrison, claiming that every President to be elected in a year ending with the number zero (which happens every 20 years) would die in office. It is called the Curse of Tecumseh and sometimes called the "zero-year curse". Harrison (elected 1840)- took two hours to read inaugural address, got pneumonia and died a month later, Lincoln (elected 1860) –assassinated in a theater, Garfield (elected 1880)- assassinated. Shot in July but died in September.

ZERO YEAR CURSE McKinley (elected 1900) – died eight days after he was shot from gangrene, Harding (elected 1920) – died of either a heart attack or stroke- wife refused autopsy, Roosevelt (elected 1940) died from cerebral hemorrhage during 4th term, and Kennedy (elected 1960) assassinated. Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980, broke the curse, though there was an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981. The next president in the line was George W. Bush, elected in 2000.

The president’s executive powers: executing laws appointing key officials executive privilege

The president’s foreign-policy powers: making treaties making executive agreements diplomatic recognition

The president’s judicial powers: appointing Supreme Court justices appointing federal judges granting reprieves, pardons, and commutations

The president’s legislative powers: recommending legislation vetoing legislation lobbying members of Congress