1. The Presidency Who becomes President?
35 yr. old, most white, lawyers, male, natural born citizen, 14 years in the country, most
Protestant (44) (art.2,sec1)

2. The Process: 1.Nomination by a major party
2.A simple majority of electoral votes on winner take all basis
(four times less than 50% of the popular vote winner) John Q. Adams, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes; George W. Bush

3. The Process
3. A tie or lack of majority in the Electoral College goes to the House with one vote per state (art 2, sec. 3) How many times? 12th Amendment (1804)
election no majority, House elected J.Q. Adams over William H. Crawford & Andrew Jackson

4. Change the Process 1. Eliminate the Electors
2. Each State divide the Electors by percentage of the state popular vote.
3. Change the Electors to reflect the popular vote?

5. Salary of President
$400,000.00
$ 50, expenses
V.P. $192,000.00

6. Roles of the President A.Head of State (ceremonial)
In most democratic countries the chief executive is not the head of state. Public exposure
B. Chief Executive (enforce law)
Including treaties and court orders
1. Appoint and Remove the federal bureaucracy (limited now by civil service)

7. Roles of the President
2. Appoint a Cabinet (a growing number since Washington)
3. Power to pardon (controversial)
C. Commander in Chief
1. Greater power in time of war

8. Cabinet Sec. of State John Kerry Sec. of Defense Chuck Hagel
Sec. of Treasury Jack Lew
Sec. of Health Sylvia Burwell
Atty General Eric Holder

9. Roles of the President 2. War Powers Resolution of 1975(Congressional
consultation 111 times) within hours; use troops limited to 60 days
D. Chief Diplomat
1. Diplomatic Recognition of
Foreign Countries; appointment
of Ambassadors
2. Proposal and Ratification of

10. Roles of the President
2. Proposal and ratification of Treaties with Senate 2/3 rd vote
(League of Nations; Nuke Test Ban; Nuke Proliferation
3. Executive Agreements
(speed, secrecy & limited?)
agreements between heads
of state not subject to

11. Roles of the President Senate approval, but must be
sent to Congress within days
E. Chief Legislator
1. Propose legislation & veto power – State of the Union (1913)

12. Roles of the President
(pocket veto – no action and Congress adjourns within ten days)
(FDR & Cleveland used most)
2. Line item Veto & Override
by Congress
presidential legislation?

13. Role of the President
Clinton v. US, 1998 no to line item veto (still in states)
Override by Congress– 2/3 vote
F. Inherent Powers (nature of office) not constitutionally established
G. Express Powers (constitutional and statutory)

14. Party Chief & Super Politician
Chief campaigner and fundraiser
B. Constituencies & Public Approval
1. Country, Party, DC politics
2. Public Approval polls
3. Take the message to the people – going public

15. Special Powers
Emergency Powers : Embargo (US v. Curtis-Wright Export Corporation, 1936, 299 US 304
inherent power of President
B. Executive Orders – enforce statutes, Constitution, modify rules & regulations of agencies
have the effect of law

16. Special Powers C. Executive Privilege (executive officials) Watergate
limited by US v. Nixon, 1974
no privilege to withhold criminal evidence
Statutory vs Constitutional powers

17. Impeachment Art. 1, Sec. 2, majority of the House bring the accusation
Trial in the Senate requires 2/3 voted to remove from office
25 impeachments, 2 Presidents
Andrew Johnson & Bill Clinton
No conviction or removal

18. Executive Organization
The Cabinet
The Vice President and heads of executive departments:
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and

19. Cabinet
Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs and Attorney General
B. Under President George W. Bush, Cabinet-level rank also has been accorded to the Administrator, Environmental Protection agency

20. Cabinet
B. Director, Office of Management and Budget; Director, National Drug Control Policy; and the US Trade Representative

21. Executive Office of the President
Council of Economic Advisers
Council on Environmental Quality
Office of Administration
Office of Management & Budget
Office of Science & Technology
Foreign Intelligence Advisory Bd
National Security Council

22. The White House Office Domestic Policy council
Homeland Security Council
National Economic council
Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives
Office of the First Lady
Office of National AIDS Policy

23. The White House Office Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight board
USA Freedom Corps
White House Fellows Office
White House Military Office

24. The Vice President VP – helps elect the President
Campaigns; balance the ticket regionally; reinforce the message
and provides support in office on jobs assigned by the President

25. The Vice President
Succession on 9 occasions – 8 by death 1 by resignation
25th Amendment – a majority of the Cabinet, including the VP can declare the president incapable
Replacement appointed by the President

26. Presidential Succession
If he dies then the vice president becomes president. Tyler; Fillmore; Arthur; Johnson; Roosevelt; Johnson; Truman; Coolidge;
What should the vice president do if the president is incapable of carrying out his duties?
25th Amendment (1967) 26

27. Line of Succession 27