The Presidency:
Head of the Executive Branch
November 5, 2015
Formal Qualifications for the Presidency
U.S. Constitution:
Article II Section 1
No person except a natural born
citizen…shall be eligible to the Office of
President; neither shall nay person be
eligible to that office who shall not have
attained the Age of thirty five Years, and
been fourteen Years a Resident within the
United States.
What are the three formal qualifications to be
President of the United States?
Informal Qualifications For
President
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Military service
Government experience
Television presence – name
recognition, photogenic and
articulate
College education
Married with kids
Money (inherited, by marriage,
personal fortune)
Religious faith
Character
A “story” – war hero, peanut
farmer, actor, etc.
So far, male
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Perceived as being in the
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JFK and his son John
in the Oval Office
political mainstream
Demographic Characteristics
of U. S. Presidents
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Male - 100%
Caucasian - 98%
Protestant - 98%
British ancestry - 82%
College education - 77%
Politicians - 69%
Lawyers - 62%
Top 3% wealth & social class - At least 50%
Elected from large states - 70%
What does this tell you about who can actually
become president?
Salary and Benefits:
Perks of the Job
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$400,000 salary (tax free).
$50,000/year expense account. Spend as President
chooses.
$100,000/year travel expenses. Campaign,
speeches…What do you think he would spend his
money on?
A nice house (White House)…i.e. Room and Board paid
for. 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 18.3 acres, fleet of
automobiles.
Secret Service protection for life
Country home (Camp David)
Personal airplane (Air Force One).
Staff of 400-500 full-time employees
Constitutional Roles –
Chief Legislator
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Powers
 Proposes legislation
 Vetoes legislation
 Makes a State of the Union Address to
Congress
Checks
 Congress does not have to pass suggested
legislation
 Congress can override veto with 2/3 majority
in both houses
Constitutional Roles –
Chief Executive
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Powers
 Enforces laws, treaties, and court decisions
 Appoints officials to office, and can fire them
 Issue Executive Orders
Checks
 Congress passes the laws and has the "power of
the purse”
 Senate can reject appointments and treaties
 Impeachment (by House) and removal (by Senate)
 Supreme Court can strike down executive orders
Constitutional Roles –
Commander in Chief
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Powers
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Head of the armed forces
Checks
Congress determines funds for the military
 Congress declares war
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Constitutional Roles –
Chief Diplomat
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Powers
 Sets overall foreign policy
 Appoints ambassadors
 Negotiates both treaties and executive
agreements
Checks
 Congress must approve funds for foreign
affairs
 Senate can reject ambassadors and treaties
Constitutional Roles –
Chief of State
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The ceremonial head of our nation
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Tosses out the first pitch of the baseball
season
Bestows the medal of honor
Visits areas struck by natural disaster
Constitutional Roles –
Chief Jurist
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Powers
 Appoints federal judges, including
Supreme Court
Checks
 Senate can reject judicial
appointments
Non-constitutional Roles
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Head of Political Party
Selects the party's chairman of the
national committee and v.p. nominee
 Political patronage
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Chief Economist
Responsible for the overall health of the
economy
 Proposes the federal budget (though
Congress can alter it)
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