The Presidency

1. The Presidency Chapters 8-10 of your texbook!

2. The Philadelphia Convention • Qualifications • 35 years old • 14 years a U.S. resident • Natural Born Citizen • Terms of Office • 4,7, and 11 year terms were suggested at the Convention. • 22nd Amendment: Limits the President to two four year terms or a total of 10 years. • Reagan, Eisenhower, and Truman were all against this! • Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter favor a single 6 year term.

3. Pay and Benefits • President: • Receive approximately $500,000/yr • $400,000/yr salary plus $100,000/yr travel expenses • Fringe Benefits • Use of the White House and Camp David, cars, yachts, and planes (Air Force One, and Marine One) • Ex-President: • They all receive a Life-time Pension of $148,400/yr. • Up to $96,000/yr. for office help. • Presidential Widows • Receive a pension of $20,000/yr

4. Removal of a President • Impeachment Step 1: The House conducts the investigation and drafts Articles of Impeachment for treason, bribery, or high crimes and misdemeanors. The Senate tries the case with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding. If 2/3 of the Senate votes for the Articles, the President is Removed from office… Only two presidents have been impeached… Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton Neither removed from office…..Richard Nixon?

5. Succession • 8 vacancies for President have occurred • 7 died, 1 resigned • If unable to perform duties, VP becomes responsible for the office. • Presidential Succession Act 1947: Order of Succession after VP • Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore, Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense…. And so on… • 25th amendment: Lays out succession and allows the President to appoint a new Vice President if that post becomes open.

6. Succession • 1- VP Joe Biden • 2- Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi • 3. President Pro Tempore- Daniel Inouye • 4. Secretary of State- Hillary Clinton • 5. Secretary of Treasury- Timothy Geinther

7. Incapacitation? • It was never really described… • Some have had Heart Attacks, strokes, bullets, etc. • VP will become acting President if: • 1) President tells Congress in Writing that he can’t do his job. • 2) The VP and majority of cabinet members inform Congress in Writing that the President is incapacitated.

8. Examples of Incapacitation • July 13, 1985: Ronald Reagan • Malignant tumor in large intestine • Signed over rights of President to VP George HW Bush right before the surgery. • After he woke up, he reclaimed his role as President. (Bush was President for 7 hours and 54 minutes)

9. The Vice President • 2 Important jobs • To assume office if the president dies or is incapacitated. • To preside over the Senate and break a tie vote. • The Vice President is chosen for a number of reasons: • 1. Unite the Party at Convention • 2. Achieve social/cultural balance on the ticket • 3.Overcome candidate’s shortcomings • I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything -John Garner (VP to FDR)

10. Presidential Selection: Electoral College • The EC • Created as an alternative to popular election or congressional election of the President. • Independent Agents in the selection of the President are called the electors. • State by state, each elector casting votes for 2 candidates • Tie? House chooses! • Political parties came and messed that up!

11. Political Parties • Election of 1800 • Both Parties put up own candidates and electors. • Led to a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr….. The House chose TJ! • 12th amendment: forced EC to specify who they wanted for President and who they wanted for VP.

12. The EC Today? • Electors chosen by popular vote. • Party that wins the majority of the popular vote in each state gets all the State’s electoral votes. • In case of a tie for either President or VP, Congress makes the decision.

13. Problems…. • Electoral votes not distributed in exact proportion to population. • Winner of the popular vote may not win the electoral vote. • Electors not bound by Constitution • They don’t have to vote for a candidate favored by the people of the state.

14. Different plans to fix it…. • District Plan • Electors elected in each Congressional District, rather than our current winner-take-all plan. • Proportional Plan • Give each candidate their share of electoral votes that they earned in popular vote. • Direct Popular Election • People Elect President

15. 2004…. Incorrect and early prediction

16. Nominating Mr. President Today • 2 major parties have nominated candidates at National Conventions since 1832. • Delegates from each state’s party chose a ticket • Delegates are usually chosen at the Presidential Primaries, or at state/district conventions.

17. Conventions • No legal control • Grand events which are held to: • Adopt party platform • Nominate the President and Vice Presidential candidates. • Uniform the party behind that ticket for upcoming election. • Nomination is the high point of the convention • White, protestant males who have been a Governor or a Senator (typical choice)

18. Presidential Primaries • 42 States have Presidential Primaries • Delegate Selection Processes and elections where the voters can express their preference • Office seekers get to test their candidacies before the public. • Party out of power…. Typically have a hard fought primary

19. Presidential Powers Chief-of-State Legislative Power Pardoning Power Treaty-making Power Chief Diplomat Chief Executive Commander -in-Chief Veto Power Appointment Power

20. Roles as President • Head of State • England’s Queen Elizabeth does not rule, but the President does. • Commander in Chief • All men and women in uniform are subject to their control • Chief Executive • Has all the executive power of the United States • Chief Diplomat • Nation’s spokesperson and main constructionist of foreign policy in the U.S.

21. Roles as President • Party Leader • Head of the Political Party • Voice of the People • Represent all the people in America • Chief Administrator • Employ 3 million civilians…. Spend roughly $1.7 trillion a year. • Chief Legislator • Sets agenda for Congress and creates public policy.

22. Chief Legislator • FDR shifted president’s power from simply executing law to actually making it! • Claimed leadership and agenda setting and got it! • Presidents have a hard time getting Congress to pass their programs especially when there is a divided government.

23. The Constitutional Powers of the President • Article II: Short and details powers of the President. • First line is most important: • “Executive Power shall be vested in the President of the United States.” • Executive Power Clause • Where all the implied powers of the President comes from.

24. President’s Executive Powers • Executing the Law • Mr. P must carry out all laws. • Ordinance Law • Authority to issue executive orders (law) • Appointing Power • Can appoint few with their own authority • Most important offices must be approved by senate. • Removal Power • Can remove those he appointed with Senate approval • Not with federal judges!

25. Diplomatic Powers • Power to Make Treaties • Through the Secretary of State • 2/3 of Senate approval • Executive Agreements • Many international agreements are done this way today. Simple pact between foreign leaders and the President. • Does not require senate approval • Power of Recognition • Can recognize a nation’s legal existence.

26. Legislative Powers • Gives State of the Union Address • Suggests Annual Budgets • Recommends special legislation to Congress • Can Veto Legislation • Can call special sessions in congress. • Can adjourn Congress if the two houses cannot agree on a date for adjournment.

27. Judicial Powers • Grant reprieves and pardons in cases involving federal law. • Reduce sentences, or fines imposed by the court. • Grant amnesty (general pardon) to anyone violating the law.

28. Modern Presidency • Begins with FDR: elected 4 times during the Great Depression and WWII • Also he personalized the Presidency with the fireside chats. • The Modern President • Leads a large government • Plays an active and leading role in foreign and domestic policy. • Plays a strong legislative role • Uses technology to get close to American public.

29. Checks on Presidential Powers • Congress • Bureaucracy • Supreme Court • Media • Public Opinion

30. The Federal Bureaucracy • Based on principles: • Hierarchical authority • Job specialization • Formal Rules • A way of organizing people to do work • Almost all Bureaucracy is in the Executive Branch. • 3 major groups: • Executive Office of the President • 15 Cabinet Departments • Independent Agencies

31. Presidential Establishment • Numerous Advisors help the President make policy and fulfill the duties of Chief Executive. • These advisor come from the: • Cabinet • Executive Office of the President • White House Staff

32. The Cabinet • Not mentioned in the Constitution • President can form one as s/he sees fit! • The Cabinet consists of the heads of major departments (defense, treasury, Education, etc). • There are 15 • President Appoints them and the Senate has to approve • Mostly White Males • Cabinet members are Advisors to the President

33. Cabinet!

34. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) • FDR established this • Very important inner circle of the President • Staffed by person’s who are responsible to the President alone. • Chief of Staff and Press Secretary, National Security, the Council of Economic Advisors, and Office of Management and Budget.

35. White House Staff • Most directly responsible to the President • Personal Assistants • Senior Aides • Administrative Personnel • (think about the movie The American President) • No Senate Confirmation • Power comes from Personal Relationship with the President • In 1972: There were 538 members • Smaller today: roughly 400 members

36. Debate on the President • Two Arguments • President is too large of a job for one person. Too much power and responsibility… and they don’t get paid enough. • Some say that other government officials have a lot of power and they do fine. The President gets paid enough!!!

37. Independent Agencies • Outside of the departments in Cabinet • 4 reasons why: • Functions don’t fit with any existing departments. • Protect officials from political pressures. • More responsive to interest group pressures. • Peculiar and sensitive nature of their functions. • Examples include the Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.

38. Different Kinds • Independent Executive Agencies • Most fall into this category • Have a single administrator over subunits that operate on a regional basis • Independent Regulatory Commissions • Are created to regulate important aspects of the nation’s economy. • Need Senate Confirmation • Government Corporations • Within the Executive Branch, Under President’s Control • Need Senate confirmation

39. Federal Budget • Responsibility of the President/Congress • Mr. President Proposes, Congress Approves • The Office of Management and Budget • Each Federal Agency submits an estimated budget. • This office review the requests, holds hearings, fits all requests into federal budget that is sent to Congress.

40. Next Steps for the Budget (you don’t have to write this…) • President’s budget is referred to the Budget Committee in both houses of Congress. • The Congressional Budget office helps these committees study and make decisions about the President’s Budget. • Budget goes to both Appropriation Committees, who fashion the bills that appropriate the money. • Congress tries to pass the bill by October 1st… does not usually happen though. They pass emergency spending laws to allow the government to keep going until the budget is finally accepted.

41. Things to Keep in Mind • 20% of federal spending is controllable • 80% is not! • Most of the money is spent on social security • Second largest amount of money is on interest… (don’t you just love that little guy)

42. Foreign Policy • Isolationism to Internationalism • Foreign Policy • Federal government’s statement about relations with foreign nations which includes treaties, alliances, international trade, foreign aid, and defense. • The President’s Responsibility • Commander in Chief and Chief Diplomat • Has Many people to help him out on this one!