Chapter 13
7 Roles of President
• Chief Executive - Head of executive branch; responsible for
executing nations laws.
• Commander in Chief - All armed forces; commands all military
officers in both WAR and PEACE time; Send troops, planes,
warships if US is in danger.
• Chief Agenda Setter (Chief Legislator) - State of the Union
Address; sets forth programs, policies, legislature he wants
Congress to enact; Sends Congress budget proposals.
• Chief Administrator (Representative of Nation) - represents all
of people; natural disaster
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• Chief of State (Chief Citizen) - represents people and nation by
ATTENDING MEETING with foreign leaders both home/abroad.
Engages in DIPLOMACY (negotiations); builds international ties
to further US economy and security interest; performs
ceremonial duties
• Chief Diplomat (Foreign Policy Leader) - related to the role of
Chief of State; promotes trade and friendship with other
countries while maintaining security of US = Deals: power to
negotiate treaties with foreign nations; preserve, protect,
defend Constitution; role as commander in chief. President
meets the leaders of other countries to further US interests.
**Not in the constitution
• Chief of Party (Party Leader) - leader of political party; helps
others running for office; helps party raise $ for campaigns
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CABINET - 15 departments
• -assist President in carrying out work of President
• -advisory Board to President
• *President relies more on White House Staff because
meetings are impractical and time consuming
Qualifications for President
• 1. Native born citizen
• 2. 35 yrs. old
• 3. US resident for at least 14 years
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Terms of a President
• 2 - 4 year terms; due to 22nd Amendment ratified 1951
• Presidential Succession - President dies, resigns, or is removed
from office the Vice President becomes President.
Order of Succession - page 323
• 1. Vice President
• 2. Speaker of House
• 3. President pro Tempore
• 4. Secretary of State
• 5. Secretary of Treasury
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• The 20th Amendment - LAME DUCK AMENDMENT - Gov’t officials who continue to serve in
office though not re-elected to another term.
• The 22nd Amendment – limits President to 2 four year terms or ten years.
• The 25th Amendment also establishes procedures and requirements for VP to assume duties
and powers of the President if the President is permanently or temporarily disabled.
Section 3 - President informs Congress in writing that he is unable to discharge the powers and
duties of his office (if temporary) - VP serves as President until President recovers.
Section 4 • Whenever the VP and majority cabinet officers believe the President to be unable to discharge
his duties, they must write a letter to the President Pro Tempore of Senate and Speaker of
House saying so.
• The VP will immediately assume power and Act as President
• If the President feels this is not correct, the President can send his own written declaration
that no inability exists. But he doesn’t immediately take over his position.
• The President has to wait 4 days to see if the VP and the majority of the Cabinet submit
another declaration disagreeing with the President’s declaration.
• Starting with the VP’s last declaration (disagreeing with the President’s declaration that he is
indeed able)
• Congress has 48 hours to get into session
• Then Congress has 21 days to decide by 2/3 vote of both houses that the President is unable to
discharge his duties. This means only that they have 48 hours longer if they are not in
session when the VP’s last declaration is received.
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• Vice President
• Past – their main job was waiting.
• Presiding over the Senate and voting if there is a tie
• Present - spokesperson for the President
• May negotiate with Congress
• Involved with diplomacy
• Impeachment
• House of Representatives impeach for: Treason, Bribery, Felony,
Misdemeanor by simple majority vote.
• Senate conducts trial with Vice President presiding unless the
president is being tried then Chief Justice of Supreme Court
presides.
• Senate may convict by 2/3 vote
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I. Executive Powers (Ordinance Powers)
• 1. Executing Laws - (all federal laws; executing, enforcing law and also
interpreting it)
• Executive order - (Appear in the Federal Register) detailed
instructions regulations and rules that state how to carry out and
enforce legislation. Has the effect of law.
• Ordinance power comes from two sources: 1. Constitution 2. Acts of
Congress
2. Appointing Officials
• Ambassadors and other Diplomats, federal judges, Supreme Court
Justices, Cabinet Members, and top aides, head of independent
agencies, and officers of armed forces– ALL MUST BE APPROVED BY
SENATE. President can remove any officer appointed except a federal
judge.
3. Executive Privilege
• President’s right to not hand over documents or to testify regarding
matters that are the executive branch’s confidential business. US V.
NIXON CASE
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II. Diplomatic Powers
1. Making Treaties
• With the advice and consent of the Senate, President has power to make
treaties or agreements between Us and other countries.
• Alliance - agreement between 2 or more countries to help each other for
defense, economic, scientific, or other reasons.
2. Making Executive Agreements
• Executive agreement - President and foreign government may arrange an
informal understanding. Allows President to make foreign policy without
going through Congress. Congress only needs to be notified of agreement
within 60 days.
• Persona Non Grata – (unwelcome person); President may show
displeasure of the conduct of another country by asking for the recall of
that nation’s diplomat
3. Recognizing Countries
• Diplomatic recognition - US officially recognizes a government as the
proper representative of its country’s people.
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III. Military Powers
• ONLY CONGRESS CAN DECLARE WAR
1.
Committing troops -Commander in chief may order troops, planes,
warships if US is in danger. Recommends to Congress miliary size
and equipment needed.
2. War Powers Act - Soldiers sent abroad by the President but must be
sent back within 60 days unless Congress approves.
IV. Judicial Powers
• 1. Appoint- Supreme Court justices with approval of Senate.
• 2. Reprieve -President can postpone the carrying out of a person’s
sentence.; to gather more evidence or be able to appeal case.
• 3. Pardon - President grants forgiveness to a convicted criminal and
frees person from serving his sentence.
• 3a. Amnesty - general pardon to a group of people
• 4. Commutation - President lessens the severity of a convicted
person’s sentence.
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V. Legislative Powers
• 1. Recommending Legislation - State of Union Address - January
• 2. Vetoing Legislation
• Line-Item Veto
• 3. Lobbying - tries to influence legislation in their decision
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