NAME ______________________________________________________ PER _______
Study Guide: Chapter 13 – The Presidency
Directions: Read the assigned section and complete the study guide considering the impact/role of
government in all of your answers. The Vocabulary should be defined in YOUR OWN WORDs. The Main Ideas
should be explained with detail in YOUR OWN WORDs.
Section One: The President’s Job Description
Vocabulary: --- describe the President’s role as each of the following:
1. Chief of State
2. Chief Executive
3. Chief Administrator
4. Chief Diplomat
5. Commander-in-Chief
6. Chief Legislator
7. Chief of Party
8. Chief Citizen
Main Ideas:
1. Create a T-Chart that demonstrates the pros and cons of the President holding so many roles
simultaneously? Include at least 4 pros and 4 cons.
2. What are the FORMAL (Constitutional) requirements to hold the office of the Presidency?
3. How long is the President’s term?
4. How many terms may the president hold? Which Amendment limits the number?
5. Why do some people dislike the limitations placed on the number of terms?
6. How is the President compensated with pay and benefits?
Section Two: Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency
Vocabulary/People:
1. Presidential Succession
2. Presidential Succession Act of 1947
3. Balance the Ticket
Main Ideas:
1. What are the top 5 in the Presidential Succession line?
2. How does this (#1) demonstrate the importance of the Speaker of the House?
3. What are the provisions of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment?
a.
b.
c.
d.
4. What did John Adams mean when he said “I am Vice-President. In this I am nothing, but I may be
everything.”?
5. What are the Constitutional duties of the Vice-President?
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6. Who is the current Vice-President? How did he “balance the ticket” for Obama? (You will need to do
some online research for this one).
Section Three: Presidential Selection: The Framers’ Plan
Vocabulary:
1. Presidential electors
2. Electoral votes
3. Electoral College
Main Ideas:
1. Why did the Framers pay so much attention to the method of choosing the President?
2. Who proposed the plan that was ultimately adopted?
3. What impact did the rise of Political parties play on the Electoral College?
4. What was the significance of the Election of 1800 and its connection to the Electoral College?
5. What is the 12th Amendment?
Section Four: Presidential Nominations
Vocabulary:
1. Presidential primary
2. Winner-take-all
3. Proportional Representation
4. National Convention
5. Platform
6. Keynote Address
Main Ideas:
1. Explain how the Conventions work.
2. Go to the RNC webpage https://www.gop.com : what are the main areas covered on the webpage?
3. Go the DNC webpage: http://www.democrats.org : what are the main areas covered on the webpage?
4. How are the MAIN/HOME pages of the RNC and DNC different? Be specific!
5. Why are there “two” campaigns for the Presidency?
6. What is the difference between a primary and a caucus?
7. Where is the first Presidential Primary held? When did this start?
8. Why have Winner-take-all primaries virtually disappeared? What replaced them?
9. Why did most states have toe change their primary laws?
10. What special significance does Iowa hold in the delegation process?
11. What are the three major goals of the National Convention?
12. What happens in the first two days of the Convention?
13. What happens in the last two days of the Convention?
14. Which types of previous political experience tends to be most popular among presidential primary
candidates?
15. What are 5 other factors that influence who is chosen?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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Section Five: The Election
Vocabulary:
1. district plan
2. proportional plan
3. direct popular election
4. electorate
5. national bonus plan
Main Ideas:
1. When does the presidential campaign end?
2. How are electors chosen?
3. How are electoral votes counted?
4. What happens if no presidential candidate wins the required 270 out of 538 electoral votes?
5. What happens if no vice-presidential candidate wins the required 270 out of 538 electoral votes?
6. What are the three flaws of the Electoral College?
a.
b.
c.
7. What are the four proposed reforms?
8. What are the pros and cons of the District Plan? Create a T-Chart.
9. What are the pros and cons of the Proportional Plan? Create a T-Chart.
10. What are the pros and cons of the Direct Popular Election? Create a T-Chart.
11. What are the pros and cons of the National Bonus Plan? Create a T-Chart.
12. How does the Electoral College protect the rights/power of the States?
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