1. The Presidency

2. Term of office and benefits 4-year term –At first, no limit on # of terms, but Wash. set 2- term precedent –FDR elected to 4 terms –1951-22nd Amendment limits it to 2 terms Salary-$400,000 Benefits –Free medical coverage, nice place to live (100 plus on WH staff) –Pension-$193,000 –Expense Acct. $50,000

3. –$100,000 non-taxable travel –$19,000 entertainment Presidential succession –Vice-president-replaced by congressional vote –Speaker of House –Dept. Heads in order in which the depts. were created. Electoral College –Created because Founding Fathers didn’t trust the average citizen to vote. Some wanted Senate to elect the president. (parliamentary system)

4. –# electors equal to # of congress people for each state plus three for DC, Puerto Rico, Guam –Vote for electors from your state, not the pres. Electors chose by each party –Candidate who wins the popular vote in a state gets all the electoral votes for that state (winner take all) –270 electoral votes needed to win –If no one gets 270, election goes to House of Reps, each state gets one vote. 26 to win –After close votes, system called into question Bush-Gore 2000, Florida and the “hanging chads”

5. President head of Executive Branch –Supposed to enforce laws –Composed of departments Each headed by a Secretary of … Member of the Cabinet Power of Cabinet varies with pres. Nixon started trend of delegating more power to personal advisors than Cabinet Sources of presidential power –Constitution-very vague-open to interpretation President is Commander-in-Chief –What does this mean? –Did Bush have authority to launch attack against Iraq or Afghanistan? »Only Congress can declare war –Power granted by Congress

6. »Gulf of Tonkin Resolution-use of force to protect Americans in Southeast Asia-LBJ, Gruening –Power by popularity May be media creation Role of Chief Executive –Head of State Represents US in international relations-could be ceremonial as in Brit. Queen –Chief Executive Runs executive branch –Appoints judges –Executive orders-force of law-very tricky constitutionally »Ban on deep water drilling –Influence on Congress »Staff can write legislation and get it introduced by supportive Congresspeople

7. »State of Union Address-yearly to the Congress »Veto power –International »Power to make treaties-must be approved by 2/3 Senate vote –Recognition of foreign governments »Cuba since 1959 »Nicaragua under Oretega »China till Nixon »Iran currently Commander-in-Chiet –Enforce foreign policy decisions Chief economic planner –Congress has real power, but pres sets the tone Leader of their party

8. Questions Should the term of the president be changed from the present four years? Why or why not? Can anyone be president in the United States? Is this bad? Why or why not? Should the Electoral College be abolished? Why or why not? Define the role of the executive branch-give details Should members of the cabinet be given more power to veto presidential actions? Why or why not? Define the role of the State Department-be specific