The Executive
Branch
The Presidency
• Roles
• Formal Qualifications
• President’s Terms
• Pay and Benefits
• Presidential
Succession and the
Vice Presidency
• Presidential
Nominations
• Presidential Elections
The Roles of the President
• Chief of State
• The ceremonial head
of government
• Chief Executive
• He executes or
enforces the laws
• Chief Administrator
• The head director of
the largest
government in the
world
The Roles of the President
(Cont)
• Chief Diplomat
• The main architect of foreign
policy
• The Commander in Chief
• The head of the military
• The Chief Legislator
• Sets the policy agenda of the
country
• State of the Union address
• Chief of Party
• Leader of his or her political
party
• Chief Citizen
• The President works for and
represents the public
interest.
The Three Formal Qualifications
for President
• A “natural born
citizen… of the United
States”
• http://www.thedailysho
w.com/watch/thu-april28-2011/longformers
• Be at least 35 year of
age
• “Have been fourteen
years a resident within
the United States.”
The President’s Term
• The President serves
two, four year terms.
• Has a President ever
served more that 8
years?
• A President may serve
no more than 10 years.
• The 22nd Amendment,
adopted in 1951, set
presidential term
limits.
• Are term limits
democratic?
Pay and Benefits
• Pay was first set at
$25,000 a year, in 1789.
• It is now $400,000 a year.
• Congress sets the figure.
• Also, $50,000 a year
expense account.
• Use of White House.
• A fleet of automobiles,
and Air Force One and
Marine One.
• Use of Camp David
• A resort in Maryland
Presidential Succession
• Presidential succession
is the order in which a
presidential vacancy is
filled.
• Succession occurs if a
President dies, resigns,
or is removed from
office by
impeachment.
• The Presidential
Succession Act of 1947
outlines the current
law on the matter.
The Vice Presidency
• “I am the Vice
President. In this I am
nothing, but I may be
everything.” – John
Adams
• The Constitution
assigns this position 2
duties
• To preside over the
Senate
• To help decide the
question of presidential
disability.
Presidential Nominations
• The national convention is
the way that presidential
candidates are nominated.
• Each state sends a number
of delegates to the
convention.
• States hold presidential
primary elections to pick
who will represent the party
in the general election.
• http://www.thedailyshow.com/
watch/wed-march-142012/march-14--2012---pt--1
• http://www.thedailyshow.com/
watch/wed-may-302012/johnny-pregnant-pauseversus-captain-chucklebuns
Who is Nominated?
• If an incumbent
President wants another
term, than they get the
nomination.
• If no President, up to a
dozen or so contenders
run in the primary
elections and the winner
is chosen at the
convention.
• http://www.presidency.u
csb.edu/nomination.php
The Presidential Election
• Who officially elects the
president?
• The Electoral College
• The people elect the electors.
• Each state has as many
electors as members of
congress.
• Arizona: 2 Senators + 8
Representatives = 10 Electoral
College votes
• Electors are chosen on a
winner take all basis (except
for Nebraska and Maine).
• A candidate must earn a
majority of the votes (270 out
of 538) to win the election.
How do the Electors Vote
• The Electors vote based
on how the popular vote
went.
• This differs from the way
the Founders envisioned
the electoral college.
• They felt the electors
should use their
independent judgment
in selecting a president.
• Now the electoral
college is just a “rubber
stamp”.
Flaws in the Electoral College
• The winner of the
popular vote is not
guaranteed the
presidency
• Electors are not required
to vote in accordance
with the popular vote
• Any election might have
to be decided in the
House of
Representatives
• If a candidate does not win
a majority because of a
major 3rd party candidate.
The Presidency in Action
• Executive offices,
executive
departments and
independent
executive agencies
are the mechanism
for the executive
branch to execute
the laws that the
legislative branch
makes.