1. Order of Succession to the Presidency
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security

2. The Powers of the President
Veto Bills from Congress
Call Congress into special session
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
Pardon federal criminals
Make treaties with other countries (with Senate approval)
Appoint ambassadors, federal court judges, Supreme Court justices, top government officials (all with Senate approval)

3. The State of the Union
The Constitution requires that the President report annually to Congress about the state of the country; this has become known as the “State of the Union Address”

4. Executive Orders
-A rule or command that the President issues that has the force of law
Only Congress can make laws
President can issue Executive Orders to ensure laws are being carried out properly

5. Criminal Matters
The President can assist those being charged with federal crimes in 3 ways:
Pardon ~ a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment (Ex: Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford)
Amnesty ~ a pardon toward a group of people (Ex: Jimmy Carter gave amnesty to Vietnam era draft dodgers)
Reprieve ~ order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear the case (Ex: in the case of a person on death row)

6. Military and War Powers
Only Congress has the power to declare War
Only the President has the power to order American troops into battle
The Five ‘Declared Wars’:
The War of 1812, Mexican American War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II
Many military actions (including Vietnam and the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) have been authorized by Congress without a formal declaration of war

7. Why has the President’s power grown so much in the past 100 years?
The unity of the Presidency
One President, 535 in Congress
As the nation becomes more complex, the executive branch has had to take on more powers
Crisis Points
War, the Depression, natural disasters, terrorism
Mass media
The President is one a truly ‘public’ figure