Section 1 of the Executive Branch Unit
- 2. Section 1: The Office of the President Just who is the President of the United States? What do we know about this position?
- 3. Article II in the United States Constitution Executive Power shall be vested in the President It is an outline, loosely drawn, more so than the other two Articles that deal with branches There was a struggle as to what this Article intended/meant
- 4. Formal Qualifications 35 years old Natural Born Citizen Lived in the US for at least 14 years
- 5. Salary and Benefits Congress determines Salary, it cannot be touched during a presidential term $400,000 a year $50,000 a year expense allowance taxed as part of income
- 6. Benefits are Numerous White House Suite of Offices Large Staff Air Force One Fleet of Cars
- 7. Benefits Continued Camp David Best health care money can buy Travel money Entertainment money Lots More!
- 8. The Presidential Difference 2004 for Fred Greenstein Qualities that Bear on Presidential Performance
- 9. Effectiveness as a public communicator - many presidents rehersed and were able to reach the average American Best - FDR, JFK Reagan, and Clinton (on a good day)
- 10. Organizational Capacity - Ability to forge a team that gets the most done and the ability to minimize the tendency to tell the boss (PRES) what he wants to hear Best Organizers - FDR( encouraged diversity), IKE (listened), JFK, Ford, Bush Sr Worst - Nixon, Reagan, LBJ : they didn’t like to see disagreements
- 11. Political Skill - ability to stamp on policy in the relatively stalemated American political system. They maintained public support and established reputations as skilled policy-makers. Best - LBJ (within hours of JFK’s assassination he began to muster support) Worst - Carter
- 12. Vision - capacity to inspire and the ability to assess policy feasibility Best - FDR, JFK, Reagan, Nixon, Ike
- 13. Cognitive Style - how they think about issues and how they create a purpose Best - Nixon had a purpose and he succeeded Worst - Truman and Reagan (Reagan had no critical reading and had an imperfect understanding of policies)
- 14. Emotional Intelligence - are they free of distracting emotional issues? Greenstein argues that this is the most important. “ In its absence all else may turn to ash” Best - Ike, Ford, Bush Sr, GW Bush Worst - LBJ (Mood Swings), Carter (Rigid), Clinton (no impulse control), Nixon (anger and suspiciousness...he was defeated by the qualities that brought his success).
- 15. Informal Qualifications What are some characteristics you deem desirable in a president?
- 16. Presidential Roles Chief of State - ceremonial head Chief Executive - Execute Laws Chief Administrator - Director of Government Chief Diplomat - Architect of Foreign Policy
- 17. Roles, Continued Commander-in-Chief Chief Legislator - Architect of public policies Chief of the Party - Acknowledged leader of their party Chief Citizen - Moral Leader, representative of all the people
- 18. Roles, Continued Coalition Builders, build coalitions among different parties and with the legislative branch
- 19. Presidential Term in Office Washington limited himself to two terms No one dared more until FDR Presidents were concerned about the orderly transfer of power from one president to another, this is unique to the American presidency, an office transfer with little to no problems
- 20. approval ratings make a difference...how??
- 21. 1951 - 22nd Amendment A president can be elected no more than 2 terms or 10 years in office Some say that a single, 6 year term would be better (LBJ, Carter)
- 22. 1/3 of all presidents have been elected to a second term Usually done in wartime or especially tranquil times
- 23. President usually has some prior experience in a federal agency A future president needs to be able to recognize various politically important groups, regions and organizations in order to gain support and a wide appeal Section 2: Who Gets Elected?
- 24. Conventions: Purpose of the Conventions Name the party’s candidate Bring factions together for a common purpose Adopt the party’s platform
- 25. Characteristics of those who usually get elected Experience Electability Records in public office Protestant, most have been (JFK) Usually from larger states
- 26. Characteristics cont. How they look Family Speaking Ability Outsider in Washington?????
- 27. What happens if something happens to the president? Section 3: Presidential Succession
- 28. Office of the Vice President What was to be his or her role? Under the original language of the Constitution the VP took over the duties but not the office
- 29. VP A VP has become the president 8 times Rarely acquires presidency when they run for that office Many people gave up real leadership positions for the VP..why?
- 30. VP Cont Only official duty is to preside over Senate and vote in the case of a tie Can be as important or weak as a president wants What about Dick Cheney?
- 31. Succession: What is the president is ill but not dead? If the VP steps up then who becomes the new VP?
- 32. Succession Act of 1886 - Secretary of State next in line should the VP die followed by Cabinet in order of seniority
- 33. Change to the Succession Act of 1886 1947 Included the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore in succession
- 34. 25th Amendment 1967 Allows VP to serve as acting president when pres declares he is unable to do his job or the VP and a majority of the Cabinet say he cannot in writing. If the president and the VP and Cabinet disagree then Congress decides, a 2/3 vote VP must nominate a new VP, both houses must confirm
- 35. Line to Presidency VP Speaker of the House Pres Pro Tempore Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury
- 36. Succession cont. Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Etc, all the Cabinet Dept heads in order of when they were incorporated into the Cabinet What would be last?
- 37. Presidential Disability VP becomes the President if the President informs Congress in writing that he/she cannot preform duties. OR The VP and the majority of members of the Cabinet inform Congress in writing