1. Unit Three: The Presidency (Executive Branch)

2. Unit Three, Lesson One
Notes
What are the qualifications and terms to become President of the United States?

3. President of the United States
Most powerful political leader in the U. S., perhaps the world
Head of the Executive Branch
Article II established the Executive Branch, President, and Vice President

4. What are the formal qualifications necessary to become President?
35 years old
Native-born citizen (must be born here)
Lived in the U. S. at least 14 years

5. What are the unwritten qualifications necessary to become President?
All but one have been white
All have been men
All have been Christian (43 Protestant, 1 Catholic)
Many have attended college
Many have been lawyers and Senators

6. First Presidents JFK was the only Catholic President
Geraldine Ferraro (D) 1984 was first woman to run for VP
Rev. Jesse Jackson (D) was first African American to run for President
Barack Obama (D) is first African American to win the White House
Kennedy
Ferraro
Jackson

7. How is the President compensated?
$400,000 / year (Obama makes 2x amount that Clinton did)
$50,000 for expenses
Receive about $150,000 / year pension and $150,000 for staff after retirement
100’s of assistants
White House Florist
White House Chef

8. How is the President compensated?
Marine One
White House
Camp David
Secret Service
Air Force One
“The Beast”

9. Election and Terms of Office
4 year terms
No law requires political parties to nominate candidates – tradition
2 term limit
22nd Amendment (1951)
Washington began tradition, broken only by FDR (elected 4 times)

10. How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?
Unit Three, Lesson Two
Notes
How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?

11. What is the role of the Vice President?
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 Qualifications are the same as President
Today, the Vice President often performs diplomatic and political chores for the President
Current Vice President Joe Biden

12. How is the Vice President compensated?
Current salary is $202,900
Free residence and staff
No limit to the # of terms – none have served more than 2
Vice Presidential House on 34th Street at the Naval Observatory

13. How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?
Presidential succession is the plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled.
In 1841, Wm. Henry Harrison becomes the 1st President to die in office
VP John Tyler declared himself President
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 set the order of succession following the Vice President.
The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, made it clear that the Vice President will become President if the President is removed from office.

14. How does the Constitution provide for Presidential succession?
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.

15. Presidential Succession
1973 – VP Spiro Agnew (R) forced to resign, Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as VP
1974 – Nixon resigns in Watergate scandal, Ford became President and appointed Rockefeller as VP (only non-elected Pres)
1985 – George HW Bush was acting President for 8 hours while Reagan underwent surgery
Nixon
Ford

16. 9 times in our history a VP has become President because of a death or resignation

17. Cabinet
Following the Vice President, congressional leaders would be next in line for succession followed by the presidents Cabinet.
Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

18. More Info… http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet
Individual Cabinet Pages

19. Unit Three, Lesson Three Notes
What roles does a President fulfill?

20. What are the President’s many roles?
Because someone is President, it entitles them to fulfill many roles, or jobs, at any given moment since they are the head of the executive branch of government

21. Chief Executive
The Constitution vests the President with the executive power of the United States, making him or her the nation’s chief executive.
Responsible for carrying out nation’s laws
Issues executive orders – have the force of law (i.e. 9/11 air flights grounded)
Used in the time of crisis
Appoints all Cabinet members and other high ranking officials (Senate approval)

22. Kennedy signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, October 1963
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.
Responsible in dealing with other countries
Appoints ambassadors (with Senate approval)
Government official who represents the U. S. in a foreign country
Makes treaties (with 2/3 Senate approval)
Formal agreement between 2 countries
Usually bypasses Senate with executive agreements (agreement between leaders)
Kennedy signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, October 1963

23. Commander in Chief
The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s armed forces.
Leader of all armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines)
Only the President can order troops into battle

24. Legislative Leader
The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation’s public policies.
Has strong influence on legislation – but needs a member of Congress to introduce a bill
President’s State of the Union Address is way to influence laws
Must give annually on the state of affairs in the U. S. and usually tells where the U. S. is heading

25. Party Leader
The President acts as the chief of party, the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.
Is the leader of his party (Democrat or Republican)
Works to raise money for his party and members of his party running for office

26. Judicial Leader
Has power to appoint all federal judges including USSC Justices (with approval of Senate)
May grant pardons – declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment for breaking a law
May issue reprieves – an order to delay punishment until a higher court can rule
May grant amnesty – a pardon for a large group of people

27. Bush at Reagan’s Funeral, 2004
Chief of State
The President is chief of state. This means he is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation.
Represents all
people of the U. S.
Symbolic role
Bush at Reagan’s Funeral, 2004

28. Chief Guardian of the Economy
In this role, the president is concerned with such things as unemployment, high prices, taxes, business profits, and the general prosperity of the country.
The president does not control the economy, but is expected to help it run smoothly.

29. Unit Three, Lesson Four Notes
What are the various powers of the executive branch?

30. With these few words, the Framers established the presidency.
Presidential Power
Article II, the Constitution’s Executive Article, begins this way:
“The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
With these few words, the Framers established the presidency.

31. How has presidential power grown over time?
Over the course of American history, the champions of a stronger presidency have almost always prevailed.
The nation’s increasingly complex social and economic life has also influenced the growth of presidential power.
By passing laws and expanding the role of the Federal Government, Congress has increased presidential power as well.
The ability to use the mass media, as every President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has, aids in gathering and holding public attention.

32. What powers does a President have?
Military powers:
In every war, the President has held the power over Congress
War Powers Act
President must tell Congress within 48 hours if he has placed troops somewhere
He has 60 days unless Congress authorizes longer
Diplomatic powers:
Executive Agreements and Treaties
May recognize foreign nations

33. What powers does a President have?
Executive powers:
Executive orders, appointments, pardons, reprieves
Legislative powers:
Veto power
Economic planning:
Appoints the Chairman and members of the Federal Reserve Board
Must submit an economic report to Congress

34. What powers does a President have?
Executive privilege:
Right to confidentiality and to refuse to testify before or provide information to Congress – not absolute
Impounding:
Can simply not execute bills passed by Congress
Persuasion:
Can appeal to the American public, call members of Congress, etc.