1. Chapter 13 - The Presidency
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

2. Section 1- The President’s Job Description

3. THE PRESIDENT’S Top Eight ROLES
The President must simultaneously assume many different roles while in office some examples include:
1.) Chief of State
Ceremonial head of government—the symbol of all people in the nation
In some nations, the chief of state reigns but does not rule (ex. Queens in England & Denmark)

4. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLES 2.) Chief Executive
Constitution give President “executive power”
Immensely broad in both domestic and foreign affairs
“The most powerful office in the world”
The President IS NOT all-powerful
Checks and balances regulate power

5. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLES 3.) Chief Administrator 4.) Chief Diplomat
Director of the Executive Branch
Administration employs more than 2.7 million civilians and spends $3 trillion per year
4.) Chief Diplomat
Main architect of American foreign policy

6. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLES 5.) Commander in Chief 6.) Chief Legislator
1.4 million men and women in armed forces and nation’s entire military arsenal are subject to direct and immediate control
6.) Chief Legislator
Main architect of public policy
President sets the overall shape of Congressional agenda

7. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLES
President initiates, suggests, requests, insists, and demands that Congress enact much of the major legislation proposed
The first six roles come directly from the Constitution but they do not complete the list
7.) Chief of Party
Acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch

8. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLES 8.) Chief Citizen
President is expected to be the “representative of all the people”
Work for and represent the public interest
FDR said the office was “pre-eminently a place of moral leadership”
President must play these roles simultaneously

9. The Struggles of Playing Duel Roles
Two Illustrations
Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon
Each was a strong and relatively effective President during their early years
LBJ’s actions as commander in chief during the Vietnam War seriously damaged he credibility that he chose not to run for re-election in 1968

10. The Struggles of Playing Duel Roles
The Watergate Scandal proved to be Nixon’s downfall.
The way he filled the roles of party leader and chief citizen so destroyed Mr. Nixon’s presidency that he was forced to resign the office in disgrace in 1974 or face certain impeachment and removal

11. FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
1.) A natural born Citizen…of the United States
A person born abroad to American citizen parents is legally an American citizen at birth
2.) Be at least 35 years old
JFK was the youngest person ever elected at 43
Theodore Roosevelt reached the office through succession at 42

12. FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
Six other people took the oath of office before age 50: James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses Grant, James Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Barack Obama
Donald Trump is the oldest person to be elected President at 70 years and 220 days old
Ronald Reagan took office at 69 and when he completed his 2nd term he was the oldest to have been President at 77 years old

13. FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
3.) “Have been fourteen years a resident within the United States”
This has been defined to mean 14 years or more not necessarily consecutive (Ex. Hoover(1928) and Eisenhower (1952) both spent time outside the USA)
More than 100 million people today meet the qualifications to be President

14. THE PRESIDENT’S TERM
Framers considered different lengths: 4 years with possible re-election; 6 or 7 years in 1 term only
Hamilton stated in the Federalist Papers #71 that four years was long enough to gain experience, demonstrate abilities, and establish stable choices
Until 1951 there was no limit to the number of terms

15. THE PRESIDENT’S TERM Several Presidents refused more than 2 terms
FDR broke tradition by winning a third (1940) and a fourth (1944) term
22nd Amendment (1951) set a limit of 2 terms
A term is defined as 1 day past 2 years
Example: if a person assumed the office 1 day past the 2-year mark in the previous person’s term, the new person could complete that term and serve 2 more terms of their own (10-year max)

16. THE PRESIDENT’S TERM
Many people, including Truman, Eisenhower, and Reagan have called for repeal of the 22nd Amendment because they say it takes away the people’s ability to choose who is President
Several Presidents have called for a single 6-year term. This would free up the President from having to worry about getting re-elected

17. PAY AND BENEFITS President’s salary determined by Congress
It can neither be increased nor decreased during his term (Article II, Section 1, Clause 7)
Salary:1789-$25,000; 2001-$400,000
$50,000 expense allowance was added to salary and subject to income tax
Constitution prohibits any other emolument (pay)

18. PAY AND BENEFITS Non-pay benefits the president has access to:
The White House is a 132-room mansion
A sizable suite of offices and a large staff
A fleet of automobiles
Air Force 1, and other planes and helicopters
Camp David a resort hideaway in the Catoctin Mountains, MD
The finest medical, dental, and other health care
Generous travel and entertainment funds and much more

20. Section 2-Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency

21. Key Terms Presidential Succession Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Balance the ticket

22. The Constitution and Succession
Presidential Succession-How a presidential vacancy is filled if president dies, resigns or is removed from office
The Constitution stated that the Presidential powers would dissolve to the Vice-President in the event that the President can no longer carry out his duties

23. Presidential Succession
Vice President John Taylor was the first V.P. to fill the Presidential void in 1841
Constitution did not provide a direct path for succession until the 25th Amendment was passed in 1967
This officially states that the vice-President will succeed the President

24. Presidential Succession Act 1967
Set the line of Presidential Succession
Vice-President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore
Secretary of State
Rest of the 14 members of the cabinet

25. Presidential Disability
Until the 25th Amendment there were serious gaps in the line of succession
Neither Constitution nor Congress made provisions for a disabled President
For 180 years the nation tempted fate
Garfield
Wilson
Reagan
All disabled for a period of time

26. Presidential Disability
Sections 3 and 5 of the 25th Amendment fill disability gap
Vice-President becomes acting President if:
President informs Congress is writing he will be unable to perform his duties
VP and majority of Congress decide president is incapable
Vice President Al Gore

27. Presidential Disability
President can resume powers by notifying Congress
Vice-president and majority of congress can make a challenge
Congress has 21 days to decide the matter

28. Presidential Disability
25th Amendment has been used three times
Ronald Regan presided for George Bush for 8 hours because of surgery
2002, 2007 Dick Cheney for George W. Bush for medical procedures
Vice President Dan Quayle

29. Vice President Joe Biden
The Vice Presidency
Constitution pays little attention to the office but they have two formal duties:
1.) To preside over the Senate
2.) To help decide the question of presidential disability
Throughout history the office treated with little importance
Vice President Joe Biden

30. Vice President Spiro Agnew
The Vice-Presidency
Most who have served over time have made unkind comments
The job is heartbeat away from the presidency
Balance the Ticket-When a person is chosen as a running mate who can strengthen the ticket for the presidential candidate
Vice President Spiro Agnew

31. The Vice President Today
Presidents have made them more important
Dick Cheney seen as the most influential V.P. ( )
Vice president Biden spent 36 years in the Senate and the head of the Foreign Relations Committee
Vice President Dick Chaney

32. Vice President
The Vice President is seen as a “true assistant President”
The Vice-president is not subject to removal from office by the President they must have Congresses approval
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller

33. Vice Presidential Vacancy
There has been eighteen total vice presidential vacancies
Nine times by succession to President
Twice by resignation
Seven times by death
Whenever there is a vacancy the President shall nominate the Vice-President, approved by majority of both houses
Rockefeller and Ford
Vice President Gerald Ford

36. Section 3- Presidential Selection: The Framer’s Plan

37. Key Terms
Presidential elector
Electoral vote
Electoral college

38. Original Provisions
The Framer’s gave more time to the matter of choosing a president then any other matter
Could not decide if Congress should choose or give the direct vote to the people
Congressional selection was eventually chosen

39. Original Provisions
Most Framers though a direct vote would lead to disorder
President and Vice president were to be chosen by a body of electors
Presidential electors were to be chosen by each individual states legislature.

40. Original Provisions
Each state would have as many electors as it would have senators and representatives in Congress
Each state would cast two electoral votes
Each for a different candidate

41. Original Provisions
The candidate with the most votes was named President and the next highest vote getter was Vice President
Framers intended the electors to be enlightened and respectable citizens

42. The Rise of Parties
Electoral College-The group of people (electors) chosen from each State and D.C. charged with formally selecting the President and the VP
Early on flaws started to develop

43. The Election of 1800 System broke down during the election of 1800
Two well defined parties emerged the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans
Each party nominated a President and Vice President

44. The Election of 1800
Each party also nominated 73 people to serve as electors
There was a tie for the Presidency between Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson
Each elector had two votes and had to vote for two different people
They voted for candidates representing their party
It took 36 separate ballots but the House of Representatives finally chose Jefferson

45. The Election of 1800 Produced Three New Elements:
1.) Party nominations for President and Vice President
2.) Nomination for candidates for presidential electors in state’s who pledged their votes for their party
3.) Automatic casting of votes in line with the pledges

46. 12th Amendment The 12th Amendment was added to Constitution in 1804
It separated the presidential and vice presidential offices during elections
One set of ballots would be cast for President
One set of ballots was cast for Vice President
Same system that exists today

47. Section 4-Presidential Nominations

48. National Conventions
Both the Republicans and Democrats use National Conventions as their parties nominating device
Both parties picked the time and the place to hold their convention
2012 Presidential Election
Republic National Convention–Tampa, Florida
Republican National Convention
Democrat National Convention–Charlotte, North Carolina Democratic National Convention
Each state is given a certain number of delegates to represent the state.

49. Presidential Primaries
Presidential Primary
An election in which a party’s voters
Choose some or all of the State party organization’s delegates to their party’s national convention
Express a preference among various contenders for their party’s presidential nomination

50. Caucuses
A closed meeting of members of a political party who gather to select delegates to the national convention.
The Iowa caucuses generally get the most attention, largely because they are now the first delegate-selection event held in every presidential election season.
Iowa Caucus, 2008

51. Securing the Nomination
The National Conventions Have Three Major Goals:
Naming the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates
Bringing the various factions and the leading personalities in the party together in one place for a common purpose
Adopting the party’s platform – it formal statement of basic principles, stands on major policy matters, and objectives for the campaign and beyond.

54. Section 5- The Presidential Election

55. The Presidential Campaign
The campaign itself it organized chaos
Candidates work to show their “best side” and take negative jabs to their opponents.
Television Campaign Ads
Both campaigns focus much of their efforts on swing voters – people who have not made up their mind on who to vote for.
Would-be-presidents also target the battleground states – those states in which the outcome is “too close to call” and either candidate can win.

56. The Presidential Campaign-Debates
The candidates agree to hold debates
Both sides will present and argue over issues that are crucial to the United States.
Obama v. McCain debate
Kennedy v. Nixon Debate –
1st Televised Presidential Debate

57. The Election
When people vote in the presidential election, they do not cast a vote directly for one of the candidates, instead, they vote for presidential electors.
The electoral college elects the President of the United States
The electors are chosen by popular vote in every State on the same day everywhere
The Tuesday after the first Monday in November every fourth year.
2012 presidential election is took place on November 6, 2012
2016 presidential election took place on November 15, 2016
2020 presidential election is set for November 3, 2020

58. Counting the Electoral Votes
270 Electoral Votes are Required to Win
The electors meet in their respective State capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
Electors, then, cast their votes, sign their ballots and are sent to the President of the Senate.
Who wins the majority of the electoral votes becomes president.

59. What happens if no candidate wins the majority of electoral votes?
Candidates need 270 out of the 538 electoral votes to win
If this does not happen:
The House of Representatives chooses the president among the top three candidates voted on by the electoral college
The Senate will choose the vice-presidential candidate among the top two candidates

60. PRESIDENTIAL INNAUGURATION
After all of the votes have been counted, the President of the United States is sworn into office on January 20th on the steps of the Capitol.
Prior to the 20th Amendment, the President was sworn in on March 4th
The President of the United States is sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (Oath of Office).
“I (name of president) do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Usually it is followed by “so help me god” and the playing of “Hail to the Chief”

61. PRESIDENTIAL INNAUGURATION
After the President is sworn into office, it is usually followed by a speech, a parade, and many celebrations throughout the day.

62. PRESIDENTIAL INNAUGURATION

63. Flaws in the Electoral College
The winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency
Electors are not required to vote in accord with the popular vote
Any election might have to be decided by the House of Representatives

64. Proposed Reforms District and Proportional Plans
Under the district plan, each state would choose its electors similar to how the choose members of Congress
Would be required to vote with the popular vote of the state.
Under the proportional plan each candidate would receive a share of each State’s electoral vote
For example, a candidate that won 62% of the vote cast in a State with 20 electors would receive 12.4 of that State’s electoral votes.

65. Direct Popular Election The National Popular Vote Plan
Proposed Reforms
Direct Popular Election
The National Popular Vote Plan
Abolishes the Electoral College
The people would elect the President and Vice-President
The candidate would be elected with the majority of votes
Same as direct popular election; however, no changes would be made to the Constitution.
All States would give their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

66. Defending the Electoral College
Supporters of the Electoral College argue:
It is a known process
The present system identifies the President-to-be quickly and certainly
Helps promote the nation’s two-party system