Chapter 7.1 Qualifications and Terms
of Executive Office
QUALIFICATIONS
Article II, Section 1 of U.S. Constitution
• 35 years of age or older
• 14 years U.S. residency
– They must live here for at
least that long before they
run for office
• Natural born citizen*
Barack Obama?
2009
*Do you believe this?
The Story of Barack Obama
• Born in Hawaii on
August 4, 1961
– Or was he?
• Born to Ann Dunham
(white) and Barack
Obama, Sr. (from Africa)
The Birth Certificate
Presidential Background
• Out of the 44 POTUS
– All but 1 has been white!
• Not until the 1980’s has
anyone but white men
run for executive office.
– 1984
• Geraldine Ferraro ran for
VP
By 2000, other minorities have tried to
run for POTUS or VP
The Smartest Man in the Room?
• 75% of all of our POTUS
have college degrees
– Over 40% have an
advanced degree in
• Law
• Business
• Political Science
• Keep in mind
– George W. Bush
• Had an MBA from
Harvard
Terms
• The U.S. Constitution sets
the number of years the
POTUS term
– 4 year terms
• Question:
– How many terms can he
run for?
– Remember:
– George Washington served
only 2 terms
• He retired afterwards
Term Limits
• 1789 – 1933
– Every POTUS after
George Washington
served no more than 2
terms
• 8 years total in office
• 1933 -1945
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Was elected 4 times!
• Served 13 years
– Died in office.
Constitutional Amendment
• 22nd Amendment
– 1951
• States that a POTUS can
only serve for 2 terms
total!
– 8 years and done.
– Should we keep this
amendment?
FLAT BROKE AND BUSTED
• Some presidents left office
poor
– James Monroe
– Ulysses S. Grant
– Harry Truman
• Herbert Hoover
– Accepted funds to save
Harry Truman from
embarrassment.
THE BENEFITS….after 1950
•
A nice house
•
A salary of $400,000 per year (taxable)
•
Expense account of $50,000 per year (taxable)
•
Travel expenses of $100,000 per year (tax-free)
•
Secret Service protection*
•
Pension, on retirement, cabinet member's
salary (taxable)
•
A house in the woods - Camp David
•
A personal airplane and helicopter
•
A fine chef (24/7)
•
•
Air Force One
Marine Corps One
*Lifetime up to Bill Clinton, President Bush will have ten
years
What happens if the POTUS gets shot?
• 25th Amendment
– Outlines the
presidential succession
• People who would
become POTUS if
something
happened to the
POTUS while in
office.
1.
POTUS
1.
2.
VP
1.
3.
Robert Byrd
Secretary of State
1.
6.
Nancy Pelosi
President Pro Tempore
1.
5.
Joe Biden
Speaker of the House
1.
4.
Obama
Hillary Clinton
Secretary of the Treasury
1.
Tim Geithner