1. Ch The Presidency

2. The Many Roles of the President
Chief of State
Ceremonial head of the country
Acts as the “face of the U.S.”
Welcomes foreign dignitaries
For example…

5. The Many Roles of the President
Chief Executive
Ensures that the nation’s laws are enforced and carried out
Head of the executive branch

6. The Many Roles of the President
Chief Administrator
Head of the entire bureaucracy – people who work for the government to implement policies
Appoints everyone in the top levels with consent of the Senate
May also fire any appointed person
does not need Senate approval for firing

7. The Many Roles of the President
Chief Diplomat
Develops the nation’s foreign policy stances
Top advisor on foreign policy is the Secretary of State
Spokesperson to the rest of the world
Meets and befriends leaders of foreign countries

8. The Many Roles of the President
Commander-in-Chief
Top commander of all branches of the armed forces
All are subject to his immediate control
Can wage undeclared wars

11. The Many Roles of the President
Chief Legislator
Proposes Laws to Congress
Chooses whether to sign bills into law or veto them

14. The Many Roles of the President
Chief of Party
Undisputed leader and face of the political party that helped elect him
Plans future strategy and direction of the party
Helps raise money and campaign for other party members

16. The Many Roles of the President
Chief Citizen
Helps the public as a whole, rather than private interests
Represent what all American people should be (in terms of character)

19. Qualifications 35 years old Natural Born U.S. Citizen
Could be born in another country to an American parent
Or born on U.S. soil
Resident of the U.S. for 14 years

20. Terms Pres. serves a 4 year term
Limited to 2 terms by the 22nd Amendment
If V.P. takes over less than half of President’s term, it doesn’t count against him
Thus, most possible years = 10

21. $ Perks $
Salary of $400,000 per year for life
$50,000 in expenses
Free medical care for life
Live in the White House
Use of Air Force One, Marine One, other transportation

22. Presidential Succession
Constitution originally only provided that when Pres. becomes incapable, V.P. would become “acting president”
25th Amendment fixed this and other issues (1967)

23. Presidential Succession
If president dies, resigns, is impeached, or is temporarily incapable, succession occurs
Pres. can be declared temporarily incapable by himself, or V.P. with a majority of the Cabinet (25th Amendment)

24. Presidential Succession
Order of Succession – set by Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President Pro-Tempore
Secretary of State
Each Cabinet Dept. Secretary in the order they were created

25. But what if I die?!?!

26. Vice-Presidential Succession
If V.P. dies or resigns, president picks a new one
Majority of both houses of Congress must approve

27. What Does the V Do?
2 Important Jobs (sarcasm)
Take over if the Pres. dies
Preside over the Senate
These 2 jobs take no time, and allow Dick Cheney to spend time shooting old men in the face

28. So What does the VP Really Do?
Reagan didn’t let me do anything.
They do whatever the president lets them do

29. How to Pick a V.P.
Balance the Ticket – pick a guy with qualities that will draw voters you wouldn’t

30. Example of Balancing the Ticket
President Reagan
From California (West Coast)
Very conservative
Idea man – not concerned with details
Vice-President Bush
From Connecticut (East Coast)
Moderate conservative
Technocrat – obsessed with nuance/details

31. Presidential Selection
Constitution says – “president shall be chosen by a number of electors”
These electors are the electoral college

32. Each elector gets 2 votes 1st Place becomes president
Original Plan
The Election of 1800
Each elector gets 2 votes
1st Place becomes president
2nd Place becomes vice-president
Then, a crisis occurs…

33. Political Parties had just appeared
The Election of 1800
Political Parties had just appeared
Jefferson and Burr – Democratic Republicans
Adams and Pinckney – Federalists
Each elector casts his 2 ballots for his party’s 2 candidates

34. The Election of 1800 Final Result: Thomas Jefferson - 73
Aaron Burr - 73
John Adams - 65
Charles Pinckney - 64
John Jay - 1

35. The Election of 1800
Burr had run intending to become Jefferson’s Vice, then realized he had a legitimate claim to win!
Took 36 votes in the House of Reps. to settle the dispute and pick Jefferson

36. Requires presidential and V.P. elections to be separate
The 12th Amendment
Darn straight, they did.
Requires presidential and V.P. elections to be separate

37. The Current Selection Process
Thankfully for you, the process is much more complicated today
It all starts with the nominating process…

38. The Nominating Process
Candidates must win a majority of delegates at the party convention
Each state gets delegates at the convention based on the number of electoral college votes, plus a bonus for states loyal to the party
States have choices on how to award these delegates

39. State’s Options – How to Vote
Primary Election – election among the public to choose a nominee
Open Primary – all eligible voters may vote
Closed Primary – only party members may vote

40. State’s Options – How to Award Delegates
Winner-Take-All – winner of the state’s contest gets all of the state’s delegates
Proportional Representation – Each candidate gets delegates equal to the % of the vote they got
**Democratic Party rules require proportional representation**

41. General Election
General Election – one candidate from each party run against each other for the presidency

42. General Election
Each state sets requirements for how a party gets qualified to be on the ballot

43. General Election
Traditionally, the Republican and Democratic Candidates will debate each other at least once

44. General Election
Winner of the election is determined by who gets a majority of electoral college votes (270 out of a possible 538)

45. General Election
Electoral College is winner-take-all – whoever gets a plurality (not a majority) in the state gets all the state’s electoral college votes

46. The Electoral College Cons Pros
Undemocratic – can win with fewer votes
Outdated – we have technology for voters to have full control
Voters in closely divided states matter more
Pros
Preserves stable 2 party system
No mass confusion over recounts
Pushes candidates to campaign in smaller states

47. Proposed Reforms to the Electoral College
District Plan
Electoral College Votes based on who wins each congressional district
Example: California has 53 districts
McCain wins 20, gets 20 electoral votes
Obama wins 33, gets 33 electoral votes
Obama wins popular vote in CA, gets 2 bonus votes

48. Proposed Reforms to the Electoral College
Proportional Plan
Electoral College votes awarded based on % of popular vote
Example: State has 20 electoral votes
Obama gets 60%, McCain gets 40%
Obama gets 12 electoral votes, McCain gets 8

49. Proposed Reforms to the Electoral College
Direct Popular Election
Whoever wins the most votes nationwide becomes the president

50. Proposed Reforms to the Electoral College
National Bonus Plan
Electoral College system still in place
Whoever wins the popular vote nationwide gets a bonus of 102 electoral college votes
102 is the number which makes it mathematically impossible to win popular vote and lose the election