1. Presidents and Vice Presidents Chapter 8 Section 1

2. Duties of the President The constitution grants the president: –power as commander in chief of the armed forces, –the authority to appoint—with Senate’s consent—heads of executive departments, federal court judges, and other top officials, –the duty to ensure that all the laws of the United States are faithfully executed, and –lawmaking power.

3. Section 1 The President’s Term and Salary Originally the Constitution did not specify how many four-year terms a president could serve. –The Twenty-second Amendment, passed in 1951, limited the president to two terms. Congress decides the President’s compensation—or salary ($400,000) compensation Money is not the reason that people seek the presidency.

4. Section 1 Presidential Qualifications Article II, Section 1 defines the formal requirements for the presidency: –A native natural-born citizen of the United States -at least 35 years old –a resident of the United States for at least 14 years The same requirements apply to the vice president.

5. Section 1 Extremely liberal or conservative candidates have little chance of being elected. Major parties usually choose candidates who are moderate. Presidential Qualifications (cont.) Candidates typically have experience in government.

6. Section 1 Presidential Succession After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, the nation realized that the Constitution’s rules for presidential succession were inadequate.presidential succession In 1967, the Twenty-fifth Amendment was ratified to clarify success to the presidency and vice presidency. Line of Presidential Succession

8. Section 1 The next in line to the presidency after the vice president is the Speaker of the House. The Twenty-fifth Amendment says that when a president is disabled, the vice president becomes president. Presidential Succession (cont.)

9. Section 1 The Vice President’s Role The Constitution gives the vice president two duties: –The vice president presides over the Senate and votes in that body in case of a tie. –Under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, the vice president helps decide whether the president is disabled and acts as president should that happen.

10. Section 1 Before the Eisenhower administration, the vice presidency was almost a purely ceremonial office. Vice presidents today now often participate in policy meetings, undertake special assignments, and are members of the National Security Council. The Vice President’s Role (cont.)