the presidency -- ch 13
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Natural born citizen
At least 35 years old
JFK (youngest elected);
TR (youngest to serve);
Reagan (oldest elected)
14 years a resident of US
Informal Qualifications
WHO CAN BE PRESIDENT?
Four years, with an option for four more
Not codified unti l 1951…Why? (22 nd Amendment)
George Washington’s precedent
Should the 22nd Amendment be repealed?
Would a single, 6 year term be better?
THE PRESIDENT’S TERM
Leader of the executive branch
What does this include?
2.7 million employees
$2.5 trillion budget
CHIEF EXECUTIVE/
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
Sets the public policy agenda
CANNOT write laws
Suggests, initiates, insists and demands from Congress
CHIEF LEGISLATOR
What happens if the president dies?
VP assumes the off ice
John Tyler the first
Constitution: “powers and
duties…devolve to the vice president.”
25 th Amendment (1967) lays out the
process of presidential succession
Presidential Succession Act of 1947 :
Congress fixes the order of succession
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION
What happens if the president is disabled?
Office goes to VP if:
1. President informs Congress, in writing,
that he or she cannot discharge the duties
of the office
2. VP and majority of the Cabinet informs
Congress, in writing, that the president
cannot fulfi l l the duties of the office
1985: Reagan
2002: George W. Bush
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION
What are the Constitutional duties of the VP?
9 VPs have succeeded to the Presidency
The Modern Vice-Presidency
Balancing the Ticket
A Co-President?
THE VICE-PRESIDENT
"I do not propose to be buried until I am dead." — Daniel Webster, turning down the vice presidency in 1839 .
Being vice president is comparable to "a man in a cataleptic fi t ; he cannot speak; he cannot move; he suf fers no pain; he is per fectly conscious of al l that goes on, but has no par t in i t ." — Thomas R. Marshall , v ice president under Woodrow Wilson .
"I am vice president. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything." —John Adams
"The second of fice of this government is honorable and easy, the first is but a splendid misery." — Thomas Jef ferson
"I would a great deal rather be anything, say professor of history, than vice president." — Theodore Roosevelt
"I go to funerals. I go to ear thquakes." — Nelson Rockefeller
"The vice president has two duties. One is to inquire dai ly as to the health of the president, and the other is to attend the funerals of Third World dictators. And neither of those do I f ind an enjoyable exercise." Presidential candidate John McCain, in 2000
Original Plan
Electors from each state cast two ballots, each for a dif ferent
candidate.
Who were the electors?
Most votes: President
Second most votes: VP
CHOOSING THE PRESIDENT
By 1796
Adams wins; Jefferson his VP
Election of 1800
Both political parties nominate Pres & VP candidates
Jefferson & Burr tie; House elects Jefferson
12 th Amendment
Electors vote for a Pres & VP candidate
POLITICAL PARTIES:
A WRENCH IN THE WORKS
Party Conventions
Both parties by 1832
Created by the parties
Each state given a number of delegates
Who are these delegates & how are they chosen?
NOMINATING THE PRESIDENT
Most delegates chosen through primaries
Process varies from state to state
Most states award delegates proportionally
Front- loading
New Hampshire has, by state law, held first primary since 1940
States continue to move primaries up on the calendar. Why?
How does front - loading impact the process?
h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = X 5 O f R i o y K i w
( N H p r i m a r y )
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
What’s good about New Hampshire being first?
What’s bad about New Hampshire being first?
NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY
Used in states without a primary
Caucus-goers gather, debate, and select a candidate
Iowa always the first caucush t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t ube . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 0 R X i e 7 F J q O A
( I o w a )
CAUCUSES
President & VP candidates formally nominated
Party platforms decided…candidates not beholden to them
Why are conventions still important?
NATIONAL CONVENTION
Be a governor of a large state
Be a US Senator
Be a WASP
Be telegenic
HOW TO GET
NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENT
What happens if there’s a tie?
Decided by the House
Each state one vote
1800 & 1824
h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t ube . c o m / w a t c h ? v = O U S 9 m M 8 X b bw
( E l e c t o r a l C o l l e g e C G P G r e y )
h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t ube . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 7 w C 4 2 H g L A 4 k
( f l a w s i n E C )
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Popular vote winner does not always win
winner-take-all
Small states over-represented (CA v. WY)
1824; 1876; 1888; 2000
15 presidents without a majority (11
plurality)
h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t ube . c o m / w a t c h ? v = J EB 9 h W Y M pA 0
( E l e c t i o n 2 0 0 0 )
THE AL GORE CONUNDRUM
Electors are technically “free agents”
Has happened, but has never impacted results of an election
Faithless electors
THE ROGUE ELECTOR RECURRENCE
3 rd party can prevent one candidate from getting a majority
Close in 1912, 1924, 1948, 1968
Would throw election to House (Problems?)
1.
2.
3.
THE GEORGE WALLACE MALFUNCTION
Scrap the Electoral College all together
Popular vote winner always wins
All votes equal
Cons:
Small states opposed
Weaken federalism
TV Campaign
DIRECT POPULAR ELECTION
Electors chosen in the same way as member of Congress
No more winner-take-all
More accurate reflection of popular vote
Cons
No guarantee popular vote winner wins
Encourage gerrymandering
DISTRICT PLAN
Candidates get electoral votes proportional to votes received
Example: 40% of the vote in a 20 electoral vote state gets:
Eliminates winner-take-all
Cons:
Small states over-represented
Loser of popular vote could still win election
Increased clout of minor parties
PROPORTIONAL PLAN
Keeps electoral college largely in tact
Winner of popular vote also gets 102 electoral votes (321)
If no majority, run-off election is held
Electors themselves eliminated
Cons:
Little support
Difficult to understand
Wacky
NATIONAL BONUS PLAN
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