Chapter 13Chapter 13
Roles of the PresidentPowers of the President Electing a President
Jumpstart AssignmentDescribe the following political cartoon.
Today’s AgendaToday’s Agenda• JumpstartJumpstart
• Notes: Ch. 13, Sec. 1 and 2Notes: Ch. 13, Sec. 1 and 2
• Presidential Roles HatsPresidential Roles Hats
• The Heartbeat JobThe Heartbeat Job
Jumpstart AssignmentJumpstart Assignment• Of the 8 “roles” of the President of the Of the 8 “roles” of the President of the
United States, which one do you think United States, which one do you think President Bush was most successful at? President Bush was most successful at? Which one was he least successful at? Which one was he least successful at? The roles are listed on pages 354 and 355 The roles are listed on pages 354 and 355 of your textbook.of your textbook.
Demographic Characteristics of U.S.
Presidents• 100% male• 100% Caucasian• 97% Protestant• 82% of British
ancestry• 77% college educated
• 69% politicians• 62% lawyers• >50% from the top 3%
wealth and social class• 0.5% born into
poverty• 69% elected from
large states
Fortunate Son Recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival
(1969)Some folks are born made to
wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays, “Hail to the Chief,”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no.
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no.
Fortunate SonRecorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival
(1969)
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yo,
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, one.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, son.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no, no, no.
Constitutional Qualifications
Must be at least 35 years old
Must have lived in the United States for 14 years
Must be a natural born citizen
Presidential Benefits $400,000 tax-free salary $50,000/year expense
account $100,000/year travel
expenses The White House Secret Service
protection Camp David country
estate Air Force One personal
airplane Staff of 400-500
Christmas at the White House, 2004
Presidential Roles
Head of State
Queen Elizabeth and President Reagan, 1983
President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall, 1963
The President is chief of state. This means he is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation.
Chief Executive
President Bush holds cabinet meeting in October, 2005
President Clinton with Janet Reno, the first female Attorney General,
February, 1993
The Constitution vests the President with the executive power of the United States, making him or her the nation’s chief executive.
Commander-in-Chief
President Bush aboard U.S.S. Lincoln, May, 2003
President Johnson decorates a soldier in Vietnam, October, 1966
The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s armed forces.
Chief Legislator
President Clinton delivers the State of the Union Address, 1997
President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act, 1935
The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation’s public policies.
Political Party Leader
President Reagan & Vice-President Bush accepting their party’s nomination in 1980
The President acts as the chief of party, the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.
Chief Administrator
Vice-President Johnson sworn in aboard Air Force One
after President Kennedy’s assassination, 1963
President Bush at Ground Zero after 9-11
The President is the chief administrator, or director, of the United States government.
Chief Diplomat
President Lincoln during the Civil War, 1862
President Roosevelt and the “Bully Pulpit,” 1910
As the nation’s chief diplomat, the President is the main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.
Chief CitizenThe President is expected to be “the representative of all the people.”
Presidential SuccessionPresidential SuccessionPresidential succession Presidential succession is the is the plan by which a presidential plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled.vacancy is filled.
1) Vice President1) Vice President2) Speaker of the House2) Speaker of the House3) President Pro Tempore3) President Pro Tempore
Role of the Vice President
Role of the Vice PresidentRole of the Vice President____ 1. The vice president is also the president of the Senate._____2. The vice president is also head of the judicial branch and presides over the Supreme Court.____ 3. The vice president and cabinet are part of the legislative branch.____ 4. The vice president is first in the line of succession to the presidency.____ 5. The Constitution notes only one official role for the vice president.____ 6. The qualifications for the vice presidency are not the same as those for the presidency.____ 7. The vice president administers the oath of office to the president.
Jumpstart AssignmentJumpstart AssignmentDescribe the following political cartoon. How Describe the following political cartoon. How does it relate to the power of the President and does it relate to the power of the President and Vice President? Vice President?
Today’s AgendaToday’s Agenda
Jumpstart Assignment Notes: Presidential Powers (Formal/Informal) Presidential Powers Scenarios
Powers of the President
Formal Powers of the Formal Powers of the PresidentPresident
Constitutional or expressed powers of Constitutional or expressed powers of the presidencythe presidency
Found primarily in Article II of the Found primarily in Article II of the ConstitutionConstitution (the (the Executive ArticleExecutive Article))
Formal Powers: Formal Powers: Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-Chief
Commander in Chief of the Army & NavyCommander in Chief of the Army & Navy Making undeclared warMaking undeclared war
Limited by Limited by War Powers Act War Powers Act 19731973 President can commit troops for 90 daysPresident can commit troops for 90 days
Formal Powers: Chief Executive
““Faithfully execute” the lawsFaithfully execute” the laws Grant Grant pardonspardons for federal offenses except for for federal offenses except for
cases of impeachmentcases of impeachment Nominate judges of the Supreme Court and Nominate judges of the Supreme Court and
all other officers of the U.S. with consent of all other officers of the U.S. with consent of the Senatethe Senate
Fill vacancies that may happen during recess Fill vacancies that may happen during recess of the Senate (of the Senate (recess appointmentsrecess appointments))
Formal Powers:Formal Powers:Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs
Appoint ambassadors, ministers and Appoint ambassadors, ministers and consulsconsuls
Make treaties subject to Senate Make treaties subject to Senate confirmationconfirmation
Receive ambassadorsReceive ambassadors Diplomatic Recognition Diplomatic Recognition – acknowledging – acknowledging
the legal existence of a country/statethe legal existence of a country/state
Formal Powers:Formal Powers:Chief LegislatorChief Legislator
Give State of the Union address to CongressGive State of the Union address to Congress
Recommend Recommend ““measuresmeasures”” to the Congress to the Congress
Upon Upon ““extraordinary occasionsextraordinary occasions”” convene convene both houses of Congressboth houses of Congress
Formal Powers:Formal Powers:Chief Legislator (cont.)Chief Legislator (cont.)
Presidential Veto Presidential Veto Veto Message within 10 days of passing the House of Veto Message within 10 days of passing the House of
originorigin Pocket Veto Pocket Veto - President does not sign within 10 days- President does not sign within 10 days Congress can override with 2/3 majority from both Congress can override with 2/3 majority from both
HousesHouses Veto PoliticsVeto Politics
Congressional override is difficult (only 4%)Congressional override is difficult (only 4%) Threat of veto can cause Congress to make changes in Threat of veto can cause Congress to make changes in
legislation legislation
• Those powers not explicitly written in the Constitution
• Similar to “necessary and proper” powers of Congress
• In the modern era (since 1933), the President’s informal powers may be significantly more powerful than his formal powers
Informal Powers
Executive Orders• Orders issued by the
President that carry the force of law
• Clinton’s “Don’t ask don’t tell” gays in the military policy
• FDR’s internment of Japanese Americans
• GWB trying suspected terrorists in military tribunals
Notice for Japanese “relocation,” 1942
Executive Agreements
• International agreements, usually related to trade, made by a president that has the force of a treaty; does NOT need Senate approval
• Jefferson’s purchase of Louisiana in 1803 • GWB announced cuts in
the nuclear arsenal, but not in a treaty; usually trade agreements between
US and other nations
Executive Privilege• Claim by a president that he has the right to decide
that the national interest will be better served if certain information is withheld from the public, including the Courts and Congress
• United States v. Nixon (1973) – presidents do NOT have unqualified executive privilege (Nixon Watergate tapes)
Jumpstart Assignment• Describe the following political cartoon.
Today’s Plan• Jumpstart
• Presidential Review Questions
• Notes: Presidential Elections
• Jeopardy Review
• Test Next Class
Electing a President• Step 1:
–Primaries and Caucuses – determine who the Presidential candidates will be for each political party• Caucuses -
Electing a President• Step 2:
– Convention – political parties formally nominate candidates
- Party platform is established – basic principles and beliefs of the party
• Step 3:
–Electoral College – group of people from each state chosen to formally select the president and vice president
Electing a President
Alternatives to Electoral College• District Plan – each Congressional
receives 1 electoral vote
• Proportional Plan – candidates receive electoral votes in proportion to the percentage of popular vote received
• Direct Popular Election – based strictly on popular vote (would require a Constitutional Amendment)
• National Popular Vote – states agree to give all electoral votes to popular winner