THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
BRANCH
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
CONSTITUTIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
• Article II – Section I
1. Natural-born citizen
2. 35 years old
3. Resident of the US for 14 years
•Same requirements for the VP
COULD THE FOLLOWING BE THE US
PRESIDENT? WHY OR WHY NOT?
• Arnold Schwarzenegger?
• Mrs. Floyd?
• Tom Cruise?
• Bill Clinton?
• Britney Spears?
• Mickey Mouse?
CURRENT PRESIDENT
• There have been 44
presidents since 1789 (First:
George Washington)
• 44TH: BARACK HUSSEIN
OBAMA
– First African – American
• VP: Joe Biden
TERM AND SALARY
• 4 year Term
• 22nd Amendment: 2 terms (or 10 years)
– A VP who takes over a president’s term
with 2 year or less to serve, can then run
for 2 full terms
• Salary and Benefits: Compensation
– 2001: $400,000 (taxable salary), $100,000
travel expenses
– Air Force One, The Beast, Marine One
– Free Medical, Dental, and Health Care
– White House: (132 room mansion with
full time staff)
– Retirement: $151,800 for life
– Secret Service Protection (10 years+)
THE BEAST
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION
• 8 Presidents have died in office
• 1967: What amendment deals with presidential
succession?
– 25th Amendment: tells what happens if the VP
office becomes vacant
• President nominates a new VP
• First 5 in line for presidency
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
VP
Speaker of the House
President Pro-Tempore
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
VICE PRESIDENT’S ROLE
• 2 duties stated in Constitution
1. Presides over the Senate
- When does the VP vote in the Senate?
2. Helps decide whether the President is
disabled and acts as President if that should
happen
• Assignments come from the President
– Often represents the President oversees (along
with the Sec. of State)
– Member of the NSC
– Serves as advisor to the President and his cabinet
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• 538 electoral college votes
– 535 from the (combined) House and Senate
– 3 from the District of Columbia
• To win: a candidate must win at least 270 votes
• “Winner takes all” system: if the candidate wins
the states popular vote, the candidate get ALL of
the electoral votes
– Most states do NOT require the electors to vote for
popular vote winners but they usually do
– Exceptions example: 2000 election – “G Dub” did not
win the popular vote but won the electoral vote
• What was the controversial state? Bush vs. Gore
ELECTORAL COLLEGE EQUATION
• Number of representatives from each state +2
senators = # of state’s electoral votes
• PRACTICE:
– How many representatives does Missouri
have?
– How many senators does Missouri have?
– How many electoral votes does Missouri
have?
2012
INAUGURATION
• New President: “president-elect”
• Becomes President at inauguration ceremony
outside the Capitol Building in D.C. on January
20th
• Constitution requires oath be taken:
– Article II, Section VIII (8)
“I do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully execute the
office of the President of the United States, and will, to
the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the
Constitution.”
- Presidents usually make some type of speech – FDR
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
PRESIDENTIAL CABINET
• Department Secretaries, VP and other top
officials make up the Cabinet.
• 15 major Departments – all part of the
Executive branch
– Responsibility of the president to appoint and
organize his Cabinet
• “Inner Cabinet” : Secretaries of State,
Defense, Treasury and the Attorney General –
work directly with the president on many
issues
CABINET DEPARTMENTS AND CURRENT
SECRETARIES
• Department of State:
John Kerry
– Responsible for the overall
foreign policy of the US, staffs
embassies and speaks for the US
in the United Nations meetings
• Department of the Treasury:
Jack Lew
– Responsible for managing
monetary (Money) resources for
the US
CABINET DEPARTMENTS AND
CABINET SECRETARIES
• Department of Defense :
Chuck Hagal
– Protects the security of the US,
oversees armed forces (through the
Joint Chiefs of Staff – Army, Navy,
Marines, Air Force, national Guard and
Coast Guard), heads the Pentagon
• Department of Justice:
Eric Holder
– Office of the attorney general, oversee
nation’s legal affairs
CABINET DEPARTMENTS AND
CABINET SECRETARIES
• Department of Homeland
Security:
Jeh Johnson
– Newest cabinet, Created after
9/11
– 3rd largest cabinet
– Secure the nation from the
threats of terrorism
– Controls the National Terror
Alert
PRESIDENTIAL ROLES AND POWERS
• “Broad but vaguely describes powers”
• Constitutional Powers: Article II,
Section 2
1. Commander in Chief: responsible for
the nation’s security
- Decides how, when and where to
deploy troops
- Manages military budget
2. Head of State: conducts foreign policy
with other nations
- represents the US at ceremonial
functions
- Is considered more than a politician,
but rather a symbol of the entire
United States.
PRESIDENTIAL ROLES AND POWERS
3. Chief Executive: CEO of the US
-
Appoints heads of executive
departments and federal court judges
Pardons people of crimes (except in
cases of impeachment)
-
Who must approve the President’s
appointments?
4. Chief Diplomat:
-
Directs foreign policy and oversees
foreign affairs information agencies
Has sole power to make treaties
-
-
With Senate approval from who?
May make, without congressional
approval, executive agreements
having the force of treaties with
foreign nations
PRESIDENTIAL ROLES AND POWERS
5. Chief Legislator:
- Executes the laws “faithfully”
- May call Congress to special session and
propose legislation
- Delivers State of the Union address to
congress in January of each year
- May veto legislation from Congress
6. Economic Planner:
- Submits annual economic report
- Prepares the federal budget (for
Congressional approval)
7. Head of Party:
- Helps party members running for office
- Attends fund raising functions
- Selects party’s national chairperson