Chapter 13, VA and US Government

Chapter 13: The Presidency

Chapter 13: The Presidency

Section 1: The President’s Job Description

Chief of State

The Ceremonial head of the government, the symbol of all the people in the nation

Chief Executive

The Constitution gives him the executive power, which is very broad in domestic and foreign affairs

Chief Administrator

The president is the director of the Federal Government, heading one of the largest government machines the world has known

Dept of Justice, Dept of Homeland Security, FBI, CIA

Chief Diplomat

Main architect of foreign policy

Commander-in-Chief

The leader of the nation’s armed forces.

1.4 million men and women in uniform and nation’s entire military arsenal are subject to the president’s direct control

Chief Legislator

The main architect of public policies. Usually the president sets the overall shape of the congressional agenda

Chief of the Party

The president acts as the acknowledged leder of the political party that controls the executive branch

Chief Citizen

The president is expected to be representative of all the people

Formal Qualifications

Natural Born Citizen

35 years old (JFK was 43)

Lived in the US for at least 14 years

Presidential Term

4 - year term

F. Roosevelt sought and won 4 terms, this led to the 22nd Amendment

22nd Amendment

Max of two full terms or ten years

Original Pay was $25,000 a year, now it is $400,000 a year.

$50,000 a year expense allowance

Think of all the benefits

White House

Fleet of Autos

Air Force One

Camp David

Best Medical Attention

Section 2: Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION is the scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled

25th Amendment in 1967

In the case of death or removal from office, the Vice President becomes the President, doesn’t just take over the job

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION ACT OF 1947

Speaker of the House and then the President Pro Tem of the Senate are next in line

Line of Succession

Vice President

Speaker of the House

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

Secretary of State

SECRETARY OF TREASURY

Secretary of Defense

The succession line is followed by the remaining Cabinet positions in order of when they entered the Cabinet

What is the last line of succession?

Homeland Security

What happens if a President lives but is unable to complete their job?

Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment

VP becomes acting President if the President informs Congress in writing that he cannot do it, or the VP and a majority of Cabinet members inform Congress in writing

Importance of the Vice Presidential Office

To preside over Senate

To help decide the question of Pres disability

Sometimes to advise the President should he or she desire it

Many Vice Presidents argued that it is largely an unimportant position. Thomas Jefferson said, “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination ever conceived.”

Usually the VP is chosen to balance the ticket

The presidential candidate chooses a running mate who can strengthen his changes of being elected

If there is a vacancy, the Pres can nominate a new one with the confirmation by a majority vote of both CHAMBERS OF CONGReSS

Section 3: Presidential Selection: The Framers’ Plan

Early in the Constitutional Convention, most of the delegates wanted CONGRESS to select the president

They changed their mind because they felt that this would give too much power to Congress

The final plan dealt with the ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The president and VP are chosen by PreSIDeNTIAL ELECTORS

The electors would cast two ElECTORAL VOTES (now just one)

Section 3: Presidential NominationsPresidential Primaries and Conventions

Each voters votes for one member of a party for their choice as their party’s candidates

There are DELEGATES assigned to each candidate proportional to the amount of votes they received in each state

At the NATIONAL CONVENTION for each party, the candidates for president and vice president for each party are chosen

The national party chooses the number of delegates each state receives. these than vote for their candidates at the NATIONAL CONVENTION.

What are some informal qualifications that you think a president should have?

Section 5: The Election

Arguments against the Electoral College:

You can win the popular election but still lose the electoral election (George W. and Al Gore)

Electors do not always have to VOTE for the candidate favored by the popular votes in their states.

They can “BREAK THEIR PLEDGES”

Third parties can STEAL votes from the two major parties

Arguments in support of E.C.

It is a KNOWN process

In most cases, it DETERMINES the winner quickly and easily

You would need an amendment to change it