Transcript THE PRESIDENCY

THE PRESIDENCY
Unit Four
Chapters
13 & 14
The Roots of the Office of
President of the United States
• Distrust of the King
• Articles of Confederation & Exec Branch
– What did its’ failure mean?
• Framers new thoughts…
– What did we do?
• “You may call me, Mr. President.”
The Philadelphia Convention
Qualifications for Office
• The Constitution requires that the president
must be:
– Age, residency, anything else?
• Let’s chat about this!
Terms of Office
• Big to do, lots of different ideas thrown out
• 22nd amendment
Pay and Benefits
• President
– $450,000 (includes benefits)/year
• Any other benefits?
• Retirement plans?
– $143,800/year
• What about the widows?
– $20,000/year
Removal of a President
• Ultimate check on power!
• What does the House do?
– Investigates, drafts “Articles of Impeachment,” and
charges
• What does the Senate do?
– Tries the case & if 2/3 say guilty – peace out!
• Who is the judge?
• How many Presidents have been impeached?
• How many Presidents have been removed?
Succession
• How many times has this happened?
– Through 2001, 7 presidents have died in office (plus Nixon on
resignation).
• Who takes over and where does it say this?
• Presidential Succession Act of 1947 that stated the order
of succession after the VP:
– Speaker of the House
– President Pro Tempore of the Senate
– Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and other Cabinet heads
in order of the creation of their department
• 25th amendment
What merits…incapacitation?
• They never really described how a President
becomes disabled.
– They have all had strokes, heart attacks, bullets.
• VP will become Acting President if…
– The President tells Congress in writing that he
can’t do his job.
– The VP and majority of members in cabinet
inform Congress, in writing, that the President
is incapacitated.
Example of Incapacitation
• July 13, 1985
– Surgeons got a malignant tumor from Reagan’s
large intestine.
– Before the surgery Reagan transferred the
powers of President to VP George H.W. Bush.
– When he awoke, 7 hours and 54 minutes later,
he reclaimed all Presidential powers he had
previously relinquished.
The Vice President
• “I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may
be everything.”
- John Adams
• “The Vice Presidency isn’t worth a warm pitcher of spit.”
- John Garner (two term VP to FDR)
• Two jobs:
– Take over if needed
– Preside over Senate and break ties
• Little power, low profile
• Why chose this person?
– Unity (convention), social/cultural balance, overcome
candidate’s shortcomings.
• Can they get fired?
Presidential Selection:
Electoral College
• Why is it here?
– No direct popular vote for Pres
– Were independent agents in the selection of the
President.
• Was state by state, with each elector casting votes
for 2 candidates.
• If there’s a tie…. The House chooses!
• However political parties messed things up.
Shoulda listened to G.Dub.
Then Political Parties Came
• The Election of 1800
– When did parties come about???
– Parties chose candidate and electors
• Hmm…. How is this going to work out, tie duh!
– Who chooses???
• 12th amendment
Electoral College Today
• Nominated at convention or chosen in state central
committee and chosen by popular vote
• Winner take all (except Nebraska and Maine)
• Meet Monday after second Wednesday in Dec.
• Jan 6 – Congress counts votes – need 270!
• Jan 20 – Pres is sworn in!
But there are problems…
• Distributed not in exact proportion to population
• Can win pop vote but not electoral vote
– Has happened 4 times
• *J.Q. Adams vs. A. Jackson, *R. Hayes v. S. Tilden, *B.
Harrison vs. G. Cleveland, and *G. Bush vs. A. Gore
• Don’t have to vote with pop vote (in some states)
– Has happened 11 times
• http://www.archives.gov/federalregister/electoral-college/2008certificates/vote-georgia-01.html
• Elections may be thrown into the House, where
voting is State by State
Ways to fix these problems!!!
• The District Plan
– Electors are elected in each congressional district,
rather than the current winner-take-all plan.
• The Proportional Plan
– Give each candidate the share of the electoral vote that
they earned in the popular vote.
• Direct Popular Election
– No more electoral college, people elect President.
Nominating the President Today:
National Convention
• National Conventions since 1832 – thanks
Anti-Masons!
– Delegates from all states go
• There is no legal control over conventions.
• These are grand events that are held to…
– Adopt platform, unify party, pick candidates
• The nomination is the high point
– These usually go to white, Protestant, males
who have been governors or senators
Presidential Primaries
• Most common method
• Delegate-selection processes and/or elections in
which voters can express their preference for
Presidential candidates.
• Public, “Do you like me or not?”
• Parties out of power = hard-fought primary.
• So we know the process to get there, what about
when they are there?
Legislative
Power
Chief-of-State
Pardoning
Power
Treaty-making
Power
Chief Diplomat
Chief Executive
Presidential
Powers
Commander
-in-Chief
Veto Power
Appointment
Power
Presidential Roles
• Head of State
• Commander in
Chief
• Chief Executive
• Chief Diplomat
• Party Leader
• Voice of the
People/Chief
Citizen
• Chief Administrator
• Chief Legislator
Chief Legislator
• FDR claimed the leadership
and agenda setting power for
the president and got it
• Shifted Pres powers from
executing policy to making it
– Hard during divided gov’t
The Constitutional Powers of
the President
• Article II
• Expressed powers
• Executive Power Clause – Article II, first line
– It states "the executive power shall be vested in a
President of the United States of America."
• Implied powers
What exactly are the
Presidential Powers?
The President’s
Executive Powers
• Executing the Law
– The President must
carry out all laws.
• The Ordinance Power
• The Appointing Power
• The Removal Power
Diplomatic Powers
• The Power to Make
Treaties
• Executive Agreements
• The Power of
Recognition
• Can’t declare war
• Military with no war??
– Peace, Vietnam &
Korea
The President’s
Legislative Powers
• Gives the State of the
Union
• Suggests annual budgets
• Recommends special
legislation to Congress
• Can veto legislation
• Can call special sessions
of Congress
• Can adjourn Congress if
the two houses cannot
agree on a date for
adjournment
Judicial Powers
– Grant reprieves and
pardons in cases
involving federal law.
– Reduce sentences, or
fines, imposed by a
court.
– Grant amnesty, or a
general pardon, to
persons who have
violated the law.
The Modern Presidency
• In the 20th century, the presidency has become ever more
powerful.
• The modern Presidency begins with FDR who was
elected to four terms during two huge national crises:
– The Great Depression
– WWII.
• FDR also personalized the presidency with his use of
radio 'fireside chats' directly with Americans.
• The modern president
–
–
–
–
leads a large government
plays an active and leading role in foreign and domestic policy
plays a strong legislative role
and uses technology to get 'close to Americans.'
Checks on
Presidential Powers
•
•
•
•
•
Congress
Bureaucracy
Supreme Court
Media
Public Opinion
– Check out the following
approval ratings.
The Presidential Establishment
• Today, the president has numerous
advisors to help make policy and fulfill
the duties of chief executive.
– The Cabinet
– The Executive Office of the President
– White House Staff
(EOP)
The Cabinet
• The Cabinet is not mentioned in the Constitution and is
formulated by each president as he/she sees fit.
• The Cabinet consists of the heads of the major
bureaucratic departments (State, Defense, Treasury,
etc.).
• The President appoints these members who must be
confirmed by Senate.
– Most have been white males.
• Cabinet members are heads of executive departments,
and combined they serve as advisors to the President.
• Congress exercises some control over the bureaucracy -through advice and consent and budget controls.
The President’s Cabinet
The Executive Office of the
President (EOP)
• The EOP was established by FDR and is a very
important inner circle of advisors to the
president.
• The EOP is staffed by persons responsible to the
president alone.
• The EOP includes such important offices as the
Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, National Security
Council, the Council of Economic Advisors, and
the Office of Management and Budget.
White House Staff
• The people most directly responsible to the
President.
– Personal assistants, senior aides, administrative
personnel and more.
• No Senate confirmation.
• Their power comes solely from their personal
relationship with the president.
• Height of 583 members in 1972.
– Now it is smaller running around 400 people.
Continuity and Change
• Too big or too small?
– Some argue that the Presidency is too large of a job for one
person. Too much power and responsibility…and too small of a
paycheck.
– Some say, look at all the power other government officials have,
and they do just fine. The President is paid plenty, thank you
very much!
• It is quite a job, among other roles they are:
– A symbol of the country
– Ceremonial leader
– The nation’s chief executive