1. Chapters 8-10 of your texbook!
The Presidency
Chapters 8-10 of your texbook!

2. The Philadelphia Convention
Qualifications
35 years old
14 years a U.S. resident
Natural Born Citizen
Terms of Office
4,7, and 11 year terms were suggested at the Convention.
22nd Amendment: Limits the President to two four year terms or a total of 10 years.
Reagan, Eisenhower, and Truman were all against this!
Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter favor a single 6 year term.

3. Pay and Benefits President: Ex-President: Presidential Widows
Receive approximately $500,000/yr
$400,000/yr salary plus $100,000/yr travel expenses
Fringe Benefits
Use of the White House and Camp David, cars, yachts, and planes (Air Force One, and Marine One)
Ex-President:
They all receive a Life-time Pension of $148,400/yr.
Up to $96,000/yr. for office help.
Presidential Widows
Receive a pension of $20,000/yr

4. Removal of a President Impeachment
Step 1:
The House conducts the investigation and drafts Articles of Impeachment for treason, bribery, or high crimes and misdemeanors.
The Senate tries the case with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding.
If 2/3 of the Senate votes for the Articles, the President is Removed from office…
Only two presidents have been impeached…
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
Neither removed from office…..Richard Nixon?

5. Succession 8 vacancies for President have occurred
7 died, 1 resigned
If unable to perform duties, VP becomes responsible for the office.
Presidential Succession Act 1947: Order of Succession after VP
Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore, Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense…. And so on…
25th amendment: Lays out succession and allows the President to appoint a new Vice President if that post becomes open.

6. Succession 1- VP Joe Biden 2- Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi
3. President Pro Tempore- Daniel Inouye
4. Secretary of State- Hillary Clinton
5. Secretary of Treasury- Timothy Geinther

7. Incapacitation? It was never really described…
Some have had Heart Attacks, strokes, bullets, etc.
VP will become acting President if:
1) President tells Congress in Writing that he can’t do his job.
2) The VP and majority of cabinet members inform Congress in Writing that the President is incapacitated.

8. Examples of Incapacitation
July 13, 1985: Ronald Reagan
Malignant tumor in large intestine
Signed over rights of President to VP George HW Bush right before the surgery.
After he woke up, he reclaimed his role as President. (Bush was President for 7 hours and 54 minutes)

9. The Vice President 2 Important jobs
To assume office if the president dies or is incapacitated.
To preside over the Senate and break a tie vote.
The Vice President is chosen for a number of reasons:
1. Unite the Party at Convention
2. Achieve social/cultural balance on the ticket
3.Overcome candidate’s shortcomings
I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything -John Garner (VP to FDR)

10. Presidential Selection: Electoral College
The EC
Created as an alternative to popular election or congressional election of the President.
Independent Agents in the selection of the President are called the electors.
State by state, each elector casting votes for 2 candidates
Tie? House chooses!
Political parties came and messed that up!

11. Political Parties Election of 1800
Both Parties put up own candidates and electors.
Led to a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr….. The House chose TJ!
12th amendment: forced EC to specify who they wanted for President and who they wanted for VP.

12. The EC Today? Electors chosen by popular vote.
Party that wins the majority of the popular vote in each state gets all the State’s electoral votes.
In case of a tie for either President or VP, Congress makes the decision.

13. Problems….
Electoral votes not distributed in exact proportion to population.
Winner of the popular vote may not win the electoral vote.
Electors not bound by Constitution
They don’t have to vote for a candidate favored by the people of the state.

14. Different plans to fix it….
District Plan
Electors elected in each Congressional District, rather than our current winner-take-all plan.
Proportional Plan
Give each candidate their share of electoral votes that they earned in popular vote.
Direct Popular Election
People Elect President

15. 2004…. Incorrect and early prediction

16. Nominating Mr. President Today
2 major parties have nominated candidates at National Conventions since 1832.
Delegates from each state’s party chose a ticket
Delegates are usually chosen at the Presidential Primaries, or at state/district conventions.

17. Conventions No legal control Grand events which are held to:
Adopt party platform
Nominate the President and Vice Presidential candidates.
Uniform the party behind that ticket for upcoming election.
Nomination is the high point of the convention
White, protestant males who have been a Governor or a Senator (typical choice)

18. Presidential Primaries
42 States have Presidential Primaries
Delegate Selection Processes and elections where the voters can express their preference
Office seekers get to test their candidacies before the public.
Party out of power…. Typically have a hard fought primary

19. Presidential Powers Legislative Chief-of-State Power Pardoning Power
Treaty-making
Power
Chief Diplomat
Chief Executive
Commander
-in-Chief
Veto Power
Appointment
Power

20. Roles as President Head of State Commander in Chief Chief Executive
England’s Queen Elizabeth does not rule, but the President does.
Commander in Chief
All men and women in uniform are subject to their control
Chief Executive
Has all the executive power of the United States
Chief Diplomat
Nation’s spokesperson and main constructionist of foreign policy in the U.S.

21. Roles as President Party Leader Voice of the People
Head of the Political Party
Voice of the People
Represent all the people in America
Chief Administrator
Employ 3 million civilians…. Spend roughly $1.7 trillion a year.
Chief Legislator
Sets agenda for Congress and creates public policy.

22. Chief Legislator
FDR shifted president’s power from simply executing law to actually making it!
Claimed leadership and agenda setting and got it!
Presidents have a hard time getting Congress to pass their programs especially when there is a divided government.

23. The Constitutional Powers of the President
Article II: Short and details powers of the President.
First line is most important:
“Executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States.”
Executive Power Clause
Where all the implied powers of the President comes from.

24. President’s Executive Powers
Executing the Law
Mr. P must carry out all laws.
Ordinance Law
Authority to issue executive orders (law)
Appointing Power
Can appoint few with their own authority
Most important offices must be approved by senate.
Removal Power
Can remove those he appointed with Senate approval
Not with federal judges!

25. Diplomatic Powers Power to Make Treaties Executive Agreements
Through the Secretary of State
2/3 of Senate approval
Executive Agreements
Many international agreements are done this way today. Simple pact between foreign leaders and the President.
Does not require senate approval
Power of Recognition
Can recognize a nation’s legal existence.

26. Legislative Powers Gives State of the Union Address
Suggests Annual Budgets
Recommends special legislation to Congress
Can Veto Legislation
Can call special sessions in congress.
Can adjourn Congress if the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment.

27. Judicial Powers
Grant reprieves and pardons in cases involving federal law.
Reduce sentences, or fines imposed by the court.
Grant amnesty (general pardon) to anyone violating the law.

28. Modern Presidency
Begins with FDR: elected 4 times during the Great Depression and WWII
Also he personalized the Presidency with the fireside chats.
The Modern President
Leads a large government
Plays an active and leading role in foreign and domestic policy.
Plays a strong legislative role
Uses technology to get close to American public.

29. Checks on Presidential Powers
Congress
Bureaucracy
Supreme Court
Media
Public Opinion

30. The Federal Bureaucracy
Based on principles:
Hierarchical authority
Job specialization
Formal Rules
A way of organizing people to do work
Almost all Bureaucracy is in the Executive Branch.
3 major groups:
Executive Office of the President
15 Cabinet Departments
Independent Agencies

31. Presidential Establishment
Numerous Advisors help the President make policy and fulfill the duties of Chief Executive.
These advisor come from the:
Cabinet
Executive Office of the President
White House Staff

32. The Cabinet Not mentioned in the Constitution
President can form one as s/he sees fit!
The Cabinet consists of the heads of major departments (defense, treasury, Education, etc).
There are 15
President Appoints them and the Senate has to approve
Mostly White Males
Cabinet members are Advisors to the President

33. Cabinet!

34. The Executive Office of the President (EOP)
FDR established this
Very important inner circle of the President
Staffed by person’s who are responsible to the President alone.
Chief of Staff and Press Secretary, National Security, the Council of Economic Advisors, and Office of Management and Budget.

35. White House Staff Most directly responsible to the President
Personal Assistants
Senior Aides
Administrative Personnel
(think about the movie The American President)
No Senate Confirmation
Power comes from Personal Relationship with the President
In 1972: There were 538 members
Smaller today: roughly 400 members

36. Debate on the President
Two Arguments
President is too large of a job for one person. Too much power and responsibility… and they don’t get paid enough.
Some say that other government officials have a lot of power and they do fine. The President gets paid enough!!!

37. Independent Agencies Outside of the departments in Cabinet
4 reasons why:
Functions don’t fit with any existing departments.
Protect officials from political pressures.
More responsive to interest group pressures.
Peculiar and sensitive nature of their functions.
Examples include the Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.

38. Different Kinds Independent Executive Agencies
Most fall into this category
Have a single administrator over subunits that operate on a regional basis
Independent Regulatory Commissions
Are created to regulate important aspects of the nation’s economy.
Need Senate Confirmation
Government Corporations
Within the Executive Branch, Under President’s Control
Need Senate confirmation

39. Federal Budget Responsibility of the President/Congress
Mr. President Proposes, Congress Approves
The Office of Management and Budget
Each Federal Agency submits an estimated budget.
This office review the requests, holds hearings, fits all requests into federal budget that is sent to Congress.

40. Next Steps for the Budget (you don’t have to write this…)
President’s budget is referred to the Budget Committee in both houses of Congress.
The Congressional Budget office helps these committees study and make decisions about the President’s Budget.
Budget goes to both Appropriation Committees, who fashion the bills that appropriate the money.
Congress tries to pass the bill by October 1st… does not usually happen though. They pass emergency spending laws to allow the government to keep going until the budget is finally accepted.

41. Things to Keep in Mind 20% of federal spending is controllable
80% is not!
Most of the money is spent on social security
Second largest amount of money is on interest… (don’t you just love that little guy)

42. Foreign Policy Isolationism to Internationalism Foreign Policy
Federal government’s statement about relations with foreign nations which includes treaties, alliances, international trade, foreign aid, and defense.
The President’s Responsibility
Commander in Chief and Chief Diplomat
Has Many people to help him out on this one!