1. Executive Branch Roles of the President, Electing the President

2. The Executive Branch Article II of the Constitution sets up the executive branch to carry out the laws and run the affairs of the national government The President is the head of the executive branch Other members are the Vice President, Cabinet, and other departments that assist them Cabinet – Group of officials that advise the President

3. Roles of the President Highest elected official that represents all Americans. Has the duty to carry out the nations laws, direct foreign policy, make treaties with other nations, and appoint ambassadors Commander-in-chief of the armed forces Grants pardons and calls special sessions of Congress Can veto laws made by the House and Senate (2/3 vote of both houses overrides this) Living symbol of the nation Greets foreign leaders, makes speeches to commemorate holidays, gives medals to national heroes

4. Electing the President Elected to a 4 year term Cannot be elected for more than two complete terms Must be a citizen of the US since birth, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the country for 14 years Salary: approximately $400,000 a year

5. Presidential Successors The Vice President Richard CheneyRichard Cheney Speaker of the House – Nancy Pelosi President pro tempore of the Senate Secretary of State – Condoleeza Rice Secretary of the Treasury – Henry Paulson, Jr. Secretary of Defense – Robert Gates Attorney General –Michael Mukasey Secretary of the Interior – Dirk Kempthorne Secretary of Agriculture –Chuck Conner Secretary of Commerce - Carlos Guitierrez Secretary of Labor – Elaine Chao Secretary of Health and Human Services – Michael Levitt Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Alphonso Jackson Secretary of Transportation – Mary Peters Secretary of Energy – Samuel Bodman Secretary of Education – Margaret Spellings Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Jim Nicholson Secretary of Homeland Security – Michael Chertoff

6. Electoral College Complex system for electing the President Do not vote directly for a candidate. Rather, they vote for a group of electors who are pledged to the candidate. The number of the state’s electors depends on the number in the Senate and in the House. No state has fewer than 3 electors. Pennsylvania has 21 The candidate with the majority of the popular vote in the state wins the votes for that state. The candidate who receives 270 electoral votes is the winner. Some people oppose this system and want a direct system.

7. Presidential Oath “ I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Write an interpretation of this oath, as a Supreme Court Justice might do. What kind of power does this oath grant?

8. Pair-Share Discuss these comments from Past Presidents about the work of the Chief Executive. “My view was that every executive officer…was a steward of the people, bound actively and affirmatively to do all that he could for the people…” – Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

9. “No President who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure.” – James K. Polk (1845-1849) “Well all the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.” – Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) “Our president…must stand always at the front of our affairs, and the office will be as big and as influential as the man who occupies it.” – Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

10. “All this will not be finished in the first hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” – John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.” - FDR (1933-1945)

11. George W. Bush Inauguration Speech quote "We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world,“…"So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."

12. 2008 Presidential Race The Primary Registered voters may participate in voting for their party’s candidate Go from January-June Democrats use a proportional method for awarding delegates Republicans use a winner take all and proportional methods PA Primary- Date is April 22

13. The Candidates Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton John Edwards Mike Gravel Dennis Kucinich Barack Obama Republicans Rudolph Guiliani Mike Huckabee John McCain Ron Paul Mitt Romney Fred Thompson