The Presidency Chapter 8. White House in Pink There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and.

The PresidencyChapter 8

White House in Pink

FUN FACTS

White House Facts

• There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 7 staircases, and 3 elevators.

• Receives approximately 6,000 visitors a day.

White House Weddings:

• Lucy Johnson (Aug. 6,1966)

• Lynda Bird Johnson (Dec. 9, 1967)

• Tricia Nixon (June 12, 1977)

Who has served as president of the United States?

The Beast

• 8 vice presidents ascended to the presidency after their predecessor's death

• 3 vice presidents have been elected once, and then defeated in reelection: John Adams, Martin Van Buren, and George H.W. Bush.

• Only 2 vice presidents have ever been elected and reelected: Thomas Jefferson and Richard Nixon (between these two, only Jefferson served two full terms).

• Richard Nixon is the only one on this list who was not serving as vice president when he was elected.

• Gerald Ford was the only vice president who became president by ascension, secured his party's renomination, and then lost in the general election.

Vice-President

How Many Presidents Have Been Assassinated?

• Abraham Lincoln - was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a confederate sympathizer

• James Garfield - was assassinated by Charles Guiteau, who was upset he was turned down a job in the government

• William McKinley - was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist

• John F. Kennedy - was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, but there are many conspiracy theories as to why he was shot

What Other Assassination Attempts Have There Been?

• Andrew Jackson – someone tried to shoot two pistols, but both jammed (125,000 to 1 chance)

• Teddy Roosevelt – bullet was stopped by a 50 page speech folded over twice and a metal glasses case

• Richard Nixon – tried to fly a commercial airliner into the White House

• Ronald Reagan – survived, but White House Press secretary was permanently disabled; John Hinkley was declared insane and still resides in an asylum today

• Bill Clinton – shot a semi-automatic rifle at the White House from behind the fence

Constitutional Qualifications

Informal Qualifications

1. Natural Born Citizen2. At least 35 years old.3. Resident of the US for at least 14 years before taking office.

1. Public Speaking2. Knowledge in Politics3. Money

Term and Salary• George Washington set precedent by serving 2 terms/ 4 yrs

each.

• 22nd Amendment- secured the traditional presidential limits of 2 terms after FDR.

• Impeachment: “Treason, bribery, High Crimes and Misdemeanors”

-House votes to impeach/ Senate acts as Court and charges the official (Andrew Johnson/ Bill Clinton –none were removed)

• Salary and compensation is not set by the Const. but Congress.

• In 2001, Congress set the salary to $400,000.

• Free Medical Insurance/ White House/Air Force One… etc

• Retirement: Lifetime pension of $148,400 yr.

• If the President die, the spouse is eligible for a pension of $20,000 a yr.

What is the role of the President?

Powers of the President • Article II in the Constitution

• President holds “the executive power” meant to execute or administer the decisions made by the legislature

1. Commander in chief of armed service

• Framer’s intention: keep control of military in civilian hands to avoid military tyranny

• Most powerful and commonly exercised power

• Congress has sole power to declare war, but President may send armed force into a country without approval

• War Powers Resolution (1973)

• Congressional attempt to control presidential military activity

• Goal: Limit the power of the President over war making

• President must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into combat

• Conflicts are limited to 60 days unless Congress takes action

• Congress can extend time from the initial 60 days or can withdraw troops (extra 30 days to withdraw) after 60 days (total of 90 days)

2. Party Leader

• Represents political party

3. Legislative Leader

• Veto power – rejects a bill by returning it to Congress w/in 10 days

• May be overridden by 2/3 both houses of Congress

• Pocket veto – If the President does not sign a bill within 10

days that Congress is adjourning, the bill will not become law

• Line-item veto Act of 1996 – Allowed President to take out

certain sections of a bill without rejecting the whole thing on

appropriations bills only; Supreme Court struck it down as unconstitutional (Clinton v. City of NY, 1997) as violation of separation of powers

4. Economic Leader

• Can propose economic policies/ make economic decisions …pending approval of Congress (Appropriations Committee/ Ways and Means Committee)

5. Head of State

• Agenda setting – determining policy priorities for the nation (ex. Clinton and Obama’s health care, Bush’s War on Terror)

6. Chief Executive

• Appoint ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, public offices (cabinet members), federal judges … With advice and consent of Senate (2/3 vote in Senate)

• Some lower appointments without Senate approval, civil service jobs, about 2,000 positions President appoints in total

• Presidents have power to remove executives from power whom he appointed with Senate approval (Myers v. U.S., 1926)

• Judges only removed through impeachment process

• Executive agreements have been used to avoid Senate approval (Informal power)• Agreement between heads of state … Does not require senate approval,

7. Diplomatic power

• Make treaties with foreign countries with the advise and consent of the Senate (formal)

• 2/3 of Senate must approve a treaty, a president’s signature is not enough to make it binding

Sec. 1 President and Vice President

Powers of the President- Formal Powers• Pardoning Power- can exercise complete pardon

EXCEPT impeachment.- Pre. Ford pardoned Richard Nixon- Pres. Carter pardoned about 10,000 men when fled

the U.S. to avoid being drafted for military service in the Vietnam War.

• Convene Congress- (Formal power)– State of the Union Address, right to convene Congress in special session

Informal assertions of power

Executive PrivilegePower that allows the president to refuse to disclose

information regarding confidential conservations or national security to Congress or the judiciary

Not mentioned in the Constitution (implied power)

United States v. Nixon (1974)Prosecutor wanted Watergate tapes for evidence and to

investigate; Nixon (R ) tried to claim executive privilege to not give up tapes for evidence

Supreme Ruled there is no “absolute executive privilege allowing a president to refuse to comply with a court order to produce information needed in a criminal trial.

Nixon was ordered to hand over tapes since they had no military or diplomatic matters

Watergate Scandal • http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/watergate1/

• The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the U.S. in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate office complex, in D.C. and the Nixon administration’s attempted cover-up of its involvement. When the conspiracy was discovered and investigated by Congress, the Nixon administration's resistance to its probes led to a constitutional Crisis . The term Watergate has come to encompass an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration. Those activities included such “dirty tricks as bugging the offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were suspicious. Nixon and his close aides ordered harassment of activist groups and political figures, using the FBI, the CIA, and the IRS. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, articles of impeachment, and the resignation of Nixon, on August 9, 1974—the only resignation of a U.S. President to date. The scandal also resulted in the indictment of 69 people, with trials or pleas resulting in 48 being found guilty and incarcerated, many of whom were Nixon's top administration officials.

Source: Wikipedia

President’s Popularity President’s popularity is associated with policy proposals approved by

CongressThe more popular the pres, the higher # of his bills Congress will pass President popularity is highest right after an election (honeymoon

period of public and Congressional approval)

“first hundred days” – most important Popularity tends to decline at the end of term – “lame duck” period -

president gets nothing done, just waiting to leave office Why does a President’s popularity decrease?

Presidential scandals (Watergate, Clinton) Expectations Gap Bad economic conditions Foreign policy problems (war goes badly over prolonged period) Decline of popularity over term (lame duck period)

Why does a President’s popularity increase? Media spin/ administrative use of the media (support of media) Good economic conditions Crises or war (foreign policy success) Reelection (campaign effect)

Approval Rating for Presidents

• http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Approval-Center.aspx

Presidential Succession• 8 Presidents have died in office.

• The Succession Act of 1947 set the principles for Presidential Succession

• However, the 25th Amendment (1967) legally established the order of presidential succession.

Vice-President

• Serves as political figure

1.Preside over Senate/ breaks tie

2. Help decide whether the president is disabled and acts as president during that time with the Congress consent.

• Can express opinions and advice the president

• Can represent the president in meetings with important cabinet members.

Biden Cheney

The Cabinet

•Should have experience in the field

• Woman and minority groups are part of the cabinet

•College graduates

•Party affiliation

•President’s family/ friends

• Make around $161,200 yr

Nominations and Confirmation

• The process begins before Inauguration Day.

• President makes a list of candidates, and consults w/ congressional leaders, campaign advisers, and representatives of interest groups.

• Before making a decision, the president’s team may leak, to gain the electorate and media attention.

• Senate holds confirmation hearings and confirms

Role of the Cabinet

• Responsible for their Dpt.

• Serve as advisory body

for the President.

• Meet few times a month.

• Take place in the Cabinet room in the White House

• “Inner Cabinet”- Have a great influence on the President. They are the secretaries of state, defense, treasury, and attorney general.

President Obama’s Cabinet

The Executive Office

The Executive Office of the

President (EOP)- consist of

individuals and agencies that

directly work w/ the President.

(Created by FDR in 1939.)

• Consist of the White House, agencies (attorneys, scientists, professional personnel) that work in the west

wing of the White House.

Office of Management and Budget:

• Largest agency of the EOP

• Prepares national budget that President presents to Congress each year.

• Indicate how much each program proposed by the gov. cost and how much they are spending or will spend.

• Also, reviews all “central clearance”- reviews all legislative proposals executive agencies prepare.

National Security Council:

• Help coordinate military and foreign policy.

• Assistant are called National Security Advisers

Impoundment of funds• President refuses to spend money appropriated

by Congress

• Nixon was infamous for this

• Budget Reform Act of 1974

• Congress requires President to spend all appropriated funds

• EXECUTIVE ORDERS – president enforces the Constitution, treaty, law or modify rules of the bureaucracy; has the force of law

• Ex. FDR – Japanese internment camps, Obama shut

• down Guantanamo Bay, Johnson enforced integration