Presidential Succession
AND THE
VICE PRESIDENT
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Established that
following the Vice
President, it would
be the Speaker of the
House and then the
President pro
tempore.
25th Amendment 1967
1. In the case of removal or death of the President, the Vice
President becomes President
2. If there is a vacancy in the office of Vice President, the
President nominate a VP with a majority vote in both
Houses.
3. If the President informs the Speaker of the House and the
President pro tempore that he is unable to perform the
duties as president, then power goes to the Vice President.
4. If the VP and a majority of cabinet members determine
that the President is unable to do his job and inform the
Speaker and President pro tempore, then the VP shall take
over.
The man who could be President
Vice President - Duties
Formal Duties
1. To preside over the Senate
2. Help the decide the question of Presidential disability
Informal duties
“Balance the ticket”
Oh, and the Vice President cannot be fired…by
the President
How we pick our President - Basics
It is a process, not a place.
Electoral College
In the presidential election, you do
not cast your vote for the candidate,
instead you vote to elect
presidential electors.
The Electoral College - Basics
How many electoral votes are there? 538
How many does one need to win? 270
How is the number of electoral votes determined?
# of Representatives + 2 Senators (every state has at least 3)
How many states have a winner – take-all system? 48
**Maine and Nebraska use a proportional type vote
When do electors cast their votes? December 6th
Is it possible to win the popular vote, but lose the electoral vote? YES
23rd Amendment gives DC three electors and treats it like a state
fore the purpose of the electoral college.
If No Candidate Gets 270???
What happens when there is a tie?
House of Representative elects the
President and the Senate elects the
VP
*If the HOR can’t decide on a President by the
20th of January the newly elected Vice
President shall act as President until a choice
is made.
*If there isn’t a majority of votes for the Vice
President, the Senate decides between the two
top candidates.
The Meeting
1. After the election the electors meet the first
Monday after the first Wednesday after the
election.
2. Electors meet in their state, where they cast their
votes for President and Vice President, on
separate ballots.
3. The party that wins the state in the general
election selects the members from that state.1.
The Final Decision
*On January 6th each states electoral votes are
counted in a joint session of Congress.
*Vice President as the President of the Senate
presides over the count and announces the
results.
*The President is sworn in on January 20th.
The Trouble with the Electoral College
1. The winner-take-all feature- The winning candidate
receives all of the electoral votes for the state that
win.
2. The popular vote winner doesn’t always win the
Electoral college. This has happened four times.
3. By law do electoral have to vote the way the state
“tells” them to? NO
**They are called “faithless electors”
It would take an amendment to
change the Electoral College
process.
April 5, 2016
1. Warm Up
2.Notes over the Presidency
3.Test April 7th
4.Study Guide due April 7th
Students will understand the powers of the
President and how we elect the President.
1. The _______ Amendment states that if there is a
vacancy in the office of VP the President can appoint a
new VP.
2. If something happens to the President, who is the last
person to take the office of President?
3. As ____________ the President is “the representative
of all the people.”
4. As ____________ the President is the head of the
nation’s armed forces.
Presidential Power
LINE-ITEM VETO
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
WAR POWERS
EXECUTIVE ORDER
PARDON
Line-Item Veto
THE PRESIDENT COULD VETO A LINE
OF A BILL
NOW UNCONSTITUTIONAL
TOO MUCH POWER FOR THE
PRESIDENT
Executive Privilege
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE THAT
PERMITS THE PRESIDENT AND HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVE BRANCH OFFICERS TO
WITHHOLD INFORMATION FROM CONGRESS, THE
COURTS, AND ULTIMATELY THE PUBLIC. THIS
PRESIDENTIAL POWER IS CONTROVERSIAL
BECAUSE IT IS NOWHERE MENTIONED IN THE
U.S. CONSTITUTION
War Powers
1. COMMANDER IN CHIEF
2. HAS THE FINAL AUTHORITY OVER AND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL MILITARY
MATTERS
3. CAN MAKE UNDECLARED WAR
4. POWER IS ALL MOST WITHOUT LIMIT
War Powers Resolution
1. MUST NOTIFY CONGRESS WITHIN 48
HOURS AFTER SENDING AMERICAN FORCES
2. COMBAT MUST END WITHIN 60 DAYS,
UNLESS CONGRESS AGREES TO ALLOW
LONGER
3. CONGRESS MAY END THE COMBAT
COMMITMENT AT ANY TIME
Executive Order
DIRECTIVE, RULE, OR
REGULATION ISSUED BY
THE PRESIDENT HAVING
THE FORCE OF LAW
The Growth of Presidential
Power
THE PRESIDENT IS THE SINGLE,
COMMANDING HEAD OF THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
2. PEOPLE HAVE DEMANDED THAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLAY A LARGER
ROLE AND HAVE LOOKED TO THE
PRESIDENT FOR LEADERSHIP
1.
3. THE NEED FOR QUICK DECISIONS IN THE
TIME OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES
4. CONGRESS HAD DELEGATED MORE
POWER TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO
CARRY OUT ITS LAWS
5. THE PRESIDENT HAS A UNIQUE ABILITY
TO ATTRACT PUBLIC ATTENTION AND
BUILD SUPPORT FOR POLICIES AND
ACTIONS.