PRESIDENT:
The Executive Branch
LESSON 9
Who can be the President of
the United States?
I. Selecting a
Candidate
A. Requirements
 35 years of age
 Native-born

citizen of United
States
Resident for at
least 14 years
How do we nominate
candidates?
II. Traditional
Nominating
Procedure
A.
Caucus System
1. “KING CAUCUS”: Small
group of party leaders
selected candidates
Used until 1828
2.
B. Nominating Convention
1. Used since 1828
2. Large groups of party
3.
members
More democratic
How do we nominate
candidates?
III. Nominating Procedures
Today
A.
State Conventions
•
•
B.
¼ of the states use this
procedure
“Bosses” still have considerable
control over selecting nominees
Presidential Primaries
•
•
•
¾ of the states use this
procedure
Delegates chosen by primaries
Most democratic, but…


Low voter turnout
Expensive to run
How do we nominate
candidates?
C. National Conventions
• Held summer before
the election
• “Political circus”
• Purposes
 Unite the party
 Introduce the party
platform
 Nominate presidential
and vice presidential
candidates
How do candidates get their
message out to the people?
IV. The Election
Campaign
A.


B.


The candidate must
appeal to the voters 
“go to the people”
Travel, diners, speeches,
TV, etc.
Campaigns cost millions
of dollars
Campaign finance laws
1972: People’s donations
must be made public
1974: Government will
provide matching funds
Why doesn’t the popular vote
end the election?
V. Electoral College System
HOUSE
435
SENATE
100
WASH, DC
3
TOTAL
538
NEEDED TO
WIN
270
Why doesn’t the popular vote
end the election?
V. Electoral College System
A.
Electoral votes =
HOUSE
435
SENATE
100
WASH, DC
B.
3
TOTAL
538
NEEDED TO WIN
270
People vote for “electors for…”
Why doesn’t the popular vote
end the election?
C. The winning candidate is the one that receives the majority (plurality)
of the popular votes in a state; the winner of the state receives all of
the state’s electoral votes.
HOUSE
SENATE
WASH, DC
435
100
“WINNER-TAKE-ALL” SYSTEM
3
TOTAL
538
NEEDED TO WIN
270
D. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win a Presidential
election.
How does the Electoral College
affect Presidential elections?
VI. Effects of the Electoral
College System
A.
Distorts the popular vote
 1980: Reagan v. Carter
 2000: Bush v. Gore
B. Candidate could lose
small states
overwhelmingly in
popular vote, but carry
large states by small
margins
 1888: Cleveland v. Harrison
 2000: Bush v. Gore
How does the Electoral College
affect Presidential elections?
C.
D.
Discourages minor parties
 only Democrats and
Republicans have
legitimate chance to win
Affects the way
candidates campaign 
focus on large states with
many electoral votes and
ignore small states
When does the President-elect
actually start their new job?
VII.Presidential Inauguration
January 20th (following Election Day)  formerly March
4th when travel was harder…
How long does the President
serve?
VIII.Presidential Term of
Office
A.
B.
C.
PRECEDENT: Two-term
tradition until 1940
1940: Franklin Roosevelt
(FDR) broke the twoterm precedent 
elected 4 times, but only
served 3 full terms!
1951: 22nd Amendment
passed after FDR’s death
 limits President to 2 full
terms or 10 years total
Who set the precedent?
GEORGE WASHINGTON: He refused
to run for a third term in 1800…
If something happens to the
President, then…
IX. Presidential Succession
A.
Original Constitution: Vice
President assumes the
powers of the President for
any reason (death,
removal, resignation, etc.)
B. Presidential Succession
Act (1947)
1. Vice President
2. Speaker of the House
3. President Pro Tempore
4.
(Senate)
Cabinet Members (starts with
Secretary of State)
If something happens to the
President, then…
C. 25th Amendment (1967)
Presidential Disabilities
and Succession Act
1. Vice Presidency vacant?
President nominates new
VP to be approved by
majority of Congress
(both houses)
2. President disabled?
Vice President shall
serve as President
What’s the need for the
President’s “right-hand man”?
X.
The Vice Presidency
A. Requirements: Same
as Presidency
(35/native/14)
B. Powers
1. Presides over the Senate
2. Votes on Senate
3.
deadlocks (50-50 ties)
Takes over for President
under following
conditions



Resignation
Removal
Death
Who helps the President?
XIII.Presidential
Advisors and
Assistants
A.
EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS: The
President’s Cabinet
has grown from 3
positions to 15 today
Who helps the President?
B. PRESIDENT’S
CABINET: George
Washington began practice
of having department heads
and advisors meet with
President  developed
through precedent
• THOMAS JEFFERSON:
Secretary of State
• ALEXANDER HAMILTON:
Secretary of Treasury
• HENRY KNOX:
Secretary of War
• EDMUND RANDOLPH:
Attorney General
How has the President expanded
his power throughout history?
XIV.The Unwritten Constitution
UNWRITTEN CONSTITUTION: Concepts
not specifically written in the Constitution,
but developed through precedent and time
A.
B.
C.
The President’s “elastic clause”: Events and
laws that result from Presidential action (ex:
Louisiana Purchase)
Cabinet
Political parties