2. El Presidente
- That is spanish for the president!
The Man

3. President and Vice President

4. Formal Qualifications
• Citizen by birth- natural born
• At least 35 years old
• Lived in the US for 14 years (continuous)

5. Presidential Term
• 4 years (original discussion started at 6 or 7)
• Limit of 2 terms: G. W. started custom
• 22nd amendment made it official
• 2 terms plus 2 years of overlap from Vice P
• 10 years total in extenuating circumstances
• WDYT about one 6 year term instead, like the Senate?

6. Salary & Benefits
• $400,000 (raised under Clinton)
• $50,000 expense account
• $100,000 travel
• $19,000 entertainment
• Staff, yacht, car fleet, helicopter, Camp David (retreat
home), chef, Secret Service, pension: P=$150,000, FL= $20,000

7. Presidential Succession

8. Constitution and Succession
• 25th amendment- V.P. becomes 2nd in line
• Succession Act of 1947
• VP (president of Senate)
• Speaker of the House
• President pro tempore of Senate
• Sec. State
• Sec. Treasury
• Sec. Defense
• Sec. Agriculture

10. Constitution and Succession
• WDYT- must all successors to the president be natural born in
order to qualify for the position?
• Are they elected?
• Have they lived in US for 14 continuous years?
• What is the problem with this scenario?

11. Presidential Disability
• 25th amendment gives us the process
• Step 1- president (or VP + majority of cabinet) inform congress that the
President is unfit for duty/disabled
• Step 2- president returns when he informs congress he is ok, unless…
• Step 3- VP and cabinet challenge President’s claim of fit for service
• Step 4- Congress has 21 days to decide; President gets his job back
unless 2/3 of each house agree with VP/Cabinet

12. The Vice President
• Duties:
• Preside over senate (President of Senate)
• Succeed in time of Presidential disability
• “bucket of warm spit”
• Modern VP- at the use of the President
• President can assign him duties of office
• Cheney claimed a lot of power

13. The Vice President
• Presidents don’t last (8 died, 1 resigned)
• VPs balance the ticket
• President cannot fire, can only be impeached

14. Selecting the President
Original Plan
First they considered Congressional appointment and popular vote (rejected
those ideas)

15. Electoral College
• # of electors = Senators + Congressmen
• Most enlightened and respectable citizens
• Each State decides how electors are chosen
• Electors vote for 2 Presidential Candidates
• Votes counted in joint session of Congress
• Person who got majority is President
• 2nd place is VP
• Tie Breakers
• President- House
• VP- Senate

16. Political Parties
• Changed the process after the 1800’s
• Parties nominated their candidate (what you are seeing today)
• Electors pledged to a candidate
• 12th amendment
• Electors vote separately for POTUS and VP

17. Electoral College Today
• Each party names a “slate” of electors in advance.
• Election day chooses which slate will be sent to vote.
• Winner take all in 48 out of 50 states (NE and ME)
• Electors are party activists (not original plan of framers)
• Electors vote on Monday after 2nd Wednesday in
December (13-19th)
• Votes counted on Jan. 6th in Joint Session

18. Criticisms of E.C.
• 1st: Winner of popular vote not always winner
• 2nd: Faithless electors (never mattered)
• Political suicide and state laws
• 3rd: Third Party Candidates
• Wins enough elector votes to keep either major party away from 270
• Possibly allows him to throw the election (send his votes to the
candidate of his choosing)
• Sends the choice to the house due to tie
• 1 vote per state is the opposite of the population argument

19. Road to the E.C.

20. Nomination Process
• Primary Elections
• Voters are choosing either:
• Party delegates
• Presidential preference (then party picks)
• State Regulated (political party has very little say)
• Start off January 3rd with Iowa Caucuses
• Incumbent President gets his parties bid
• Unless vote of no confidence
• Still has to make a show of the primaries

21. National Convention
• Roles:
• No constitutional role in candidate selection
• No law stating that political party caucuses or conventions should choose
• Each Party decides their own apportionment of delegates
• R-1990
• D-4320
• Purpose:
• Formally select Pres/VP candidates from party
• Establish party platform and Unity

22. Presidential Power/Duties
• Vague list of official Duties
• Commander in Chief
• Propose treaties
• Head of diplomacy
• Approve/veto bills from congress
• Execute laws
• Grant pardons and reprieves

23. Growing Power
• Why has the power grown since Lincoln?
• Unity of the position
• Presidential charisma and influence
• Perceived need for decisive action
• Congressional approval- extending not limiting POTUS
• Presidents other roles (departments in the bureaucracy)
• 2 Presidential views on application of power
• Narrow- defined duties. Follow constitution
• Broad- stewardship, do whatever is needed (Lincoln, TR, FDR)

24. Key powers
• Executive Order
• directive, rule or regulation that has the effect of Law. (not in the
Constitution)
• Appointing Power
• Senate must approve , but POTUS appoints all:
• Federal judges
• Ambassadors
• Cabinet members
• Secretaries of departments (bureaucracy)
• Heads of gov. agencies
• Appointment of Judges is not terminated when new POTUS is
elected.
• 2400 positions in all to be filled, most of which senate has no
control or input into.

25. Key Powers
• Recognition
• Power to officially recognize the legal existence of another
country and it’s government
• Foreign policy weapon
• Ex- PR China (yes), Cuba (no), NoKO (no)
• Military
• Final authority
• Nuclear weapons, invasions, etc
• Undeclared war (has happened 200 times)
• Recent ex.- Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghan.
• Pardon
• Legal forgiveness of crime (absolute or conditional)
• Typically end of term (political favor/popularity)

26. Leadership
• Qualities
• Understanding the public
• Hopes and dreams
• Carry “clout” with congress
• Ability to communicate
• Explain ideas and inspire support
• Sense of timing
• Introducing ideas
• Openness to ideas
• Give and take
• New situations
• Ability to compromise
• Political courage
• Ability to challenge public opinion