1. Bell ringer
List 5 specific things a President does as part of his (and, eventually, her) job.

2. 2014: State of the Union BINgo!
Pick and write these words on your bingo sheet. Make sure to leave room in the box because you will be asked to summarize what Obama says about these topics.
Health Care
Immigration
Minimum Wage
Job Training
Student Loans
Budget
Tax Codes
Unemployment
Insurance
NSA
Iran
Syria
Affordable Care Act
Gas Prices
Congress
Legislation
Education
Gun Control
Equality
Trade
Military
Family
Defense
War
Debt

3. Exit Ticket
What is one topic Obama talked about that is important to you? Explain.

4. UNIT 4: Executive Branch
The President’s Job Description

5. The President’s Roles Chief of State
The President is chief of state. This means he is the symbol of all the people of the nation.
Duties:
Ceremonial head of the nation
Bestows honors on citizens, addresses the nation in time of crisis, etc.

6. The President’s Roles Chief Executive
The Constitution gives the President the executive power of the United States.
Duties:
Enforces laws, treaties, court decisions, etc.
Issues executive orders
Power check!
Power of impeachment

7. The President’s Roles Chief Administrator
The President is the chief administrator, or director, of the United States government.
Duties:
Directs entire executive branch (“CEO” of law enforcement)
Hires heads of bureaucracy
Power Check!
Congress doesn’t have to agree to fund agencies
Senate can reject presidential appointments

8. The President’s Roles Chief Diplomat
As the nation’s chief diplomat, the President is the main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.
Duties:
Oversees all foreign policy
Appoints and receives ambassadors
Negotiates treaties
Executive agreements
Gives diplomatic recognition
Power check!
Power of the purse
Senate may reject ambassadors or treaties

9. The President’s Roles Chief Legislator
The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation’s public policies.
Duties:
Initiates legislation
Uses power of the media
State of the Union
Signs bills into law
Power check!
Congress doesn’t have to pass legislation
Congress can override veto (2/3 majority)

10. The President’s Roles Commander in Chief
The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s armed forces.
Duties:
Leader/head of the armed forces
Power check!
Congress can choose not to declare war or defund wars
War Powers Act (1974)

11. The President’s Roles Chief of Party
The President acts as the chief of party, the leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.
Duties
Influences and leads political party
Helps members of his party get elected to office

12. the President’s Roles Chief Citizen
The President is expected to be “the representative of all the people.”
Duties:
Leads by example
Gains and keeps the public trust
Puts nation’s interests above himself

13. Which Role?

14. Which Role?

15. Which Role?

16. Which Role?

17. Which Role?

18. Which Role?

20. UNIT 4: Executive Branch
Qualifications, terms, pay and benefits

21. Qualifications for President Article II, Section 1, Clause 5, of the Constitution says that the President must:

22. The President’s Term
Until 1951, the Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms a President could serve.
Traditionally, Presidents limited the number of terms served to two.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for a 3rd term in —then a 4th in 1944!
The 22nd Amendment placed limits on presidential terms— limited to two terms of office.

23. Pay and Benefits (Congress determines the President’s salary, and this salary cannot be changed during a presidential term)
Pay: $400,000/year
Expense Allowance: $50,000
A 132-room mansion (the White House)
Offices and staffing
Other fringe benefits: Presidential Pension, secret service protection, etc.
The White House Camp David, MD

24. Air Force One, Cadillac One, and Marine One
Other Benefits
Air Force One, Cadillac One, and Marine One
Kennedy’s Boeing 707
Marine One
The Boeing 747
Air Force One
Cadillac One

25. The Constitution and Succession
Presidential succession is the plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled.
25th Amendment (1967): Clarified that VP will become President if President is removed from office.
Presidential Succession Act of 1947: Set succession order (post- VP).

27. Presidential Disability
Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment provide procedures to follow when the President is disabled.
The Vice President is to become acting President if:
(1) the President informs Congress, in writing, “that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” or
(2) the Vice President and a majority of the members of the Cabinet inform Congress, in writing, that the President is thus incapacitated.

28. The Vice Presidency
The Constitution only gives the Vice President two duties besides becoming President if the President is removed from office:
1) to preside over the Senate, and
2) to help decide the question of presidential disability.
If the office of Vice President becomes vacant, the President nominates a new Vice President subject to the approval of Congress.
Today, the Vice President often performs diplomatic and political chores for the President.

29. Into the Oval Office

31. Original Provisions
According to the Constitution, the President and Vice President are chosen by a special body of presidential electors.
Originally, these electors each cast two electoral votes, each for a different candidate. The candidate with the most votes would become President, and the candidate with the second highest total would become Vice President.

32. The 12th Amendment
The 12th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1804 following the election of
The major change in the electoral college made by the amendment was that each elector would distinctly cast one electoral vote for President and one for Vice President.

33. Electing the President
The Electoral College System

34. Founders’ Concerns Fear of Congressional Election- why?
Fear of Direct Popular Vote- why?

35. States & their Electors
Electors: members of a party chosen in each state who officially elect the President
Each state:
* 2 Senators + # Representatives = Electoral Votes
* State legislatures decide how electors are chosen
What’s the total number of
electors in the Electoral College?
(Hint: There are 3 extra for D.C.!)

36. “Winner-Take-All” System
Majority of popular vote = ALL of electoral votes!
Party whose candidate wins the largest amount of popular votes wins all of the electoral votes for that state
(EXCEPT Maine and Nebraska- divide proportionally!)
If no clear majority… the House decides the election

37. Election Timeline Presidential Election every 4 years
November: voters cast ballots
December: electors meet in state capitals to vote
(Send tallies to Congress)
January: Congress counts electoral votes
Jan 20: Candidate who won majority is “sworn in”

38. Benefits of Electoral College System
1) Candidate must have broad appeal
Not simply regional or local appeal
If directly elected by popular vote, where do you think candidates would spend most of their time campaigning?
2) Promotes federalism
Keeping states involved!
3) Discourages voter fraud
No benefit to it– same amount of electoral votes regardless

39. Issues with Electoral College System
1) Winner-Take-All is unfair
Makes it possible for someone to lose the popular vote but still win the electoral vote
2) Third Party Candidates
Can change or prevent majority
3) Election by the House
All states counted equally (1 vote)