1. Presidential Succession
Ch 13 Sec 2

2. Warm-Up What are the qualifications to be President?
What are the benefits of being President?

3. Line of Presidential Succession
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
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 Veteran Affairs 18. Secretary of Homeland Security

4. Process for Succession
According to the Constitution, the Vice President took over the “powers and duties” of the president but not necessarily the office.
In practice the Vice President took over the office and became President. This started with John Tyler taking over for William Henry Harrison in 1841.
The 25th Amendment solidified the process.
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the line of succession.
Each new cabinet position is added to the end of the list.

5. Presidential Disability
Initially, there was no allowance for a President being incapacitated for whatever reason.
Woodrow Wilson could not meet with his cabinet for 7 months after having a stroke.
Section 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment outlines the process:
The President can inform Congress they can’t perform their duties.
The Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet inform Congress that a President is incapacitated.
The President can inform Congress that the incapacity is gone. The VP and the Cabinet can disputethis.
The provisions have been used twice. Once with Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

6. Roles of the Vice-President
Capture important states - Ex. Texas, California, PA, New York, etc. “Balancing the Ticket”
Experience and knowledge – Cheney and Bush – “Assistant President”