the executive branch

The Executive Branch

The Presidency

The Executive Branch:The Presidency

Qualifications

The Executive Branch: The Presidency

Formal Qualifications:• 35 years old

• Natural Born Citizen

• U.S. resident for 14 years

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:USPresidentialSeal.jpg


What is a natural born citizen?

• Anyone born inside the United States • Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are

citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S. • Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen

and lived in the U.S. for at least one year • Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and

lived in the U.S. for at least one year • Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage

cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21

• Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)


“Informal” Qualifications:

• All have shared similar characteristics White males Protestant British ancestry most attended college

(only 9 did not) had careers as

lawyers (22 of 42)

President John Adams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:JohnAdams.jpg


“Informal” Qualifications:– Evidence of change

1.) 1960: JFK became 1st Catholic President

2.) 1984: Dem. party nominated Geraldine Ferraro as the first Vice-Presidential candidate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:JFKofficial.jpg


“Informal” Qualifications:– Evidence of Change

cont.

3.) 1988: Jesse Jackson became the first African American to come in a close second in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination


Salary and Benefits


History of Salary:

Position Salary

President

1789 $25,000

1873 50,000

1909 75,000

1949 100,000

1969 200,000

2001 400,000


Benefits:• Receives $50,000/year for expenses and up to

$100,000/year for travel• Salary cannot be changed during term• Free lodging at the White House and Camp David

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Camp_David_30-0045a.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:President_Reagan_and_Prime_Minister_Margaret_Thatcher_at_Camp_David_1986.jpg


Benefits:• President and family receives finest medical care

possible and personal protection (secret service)

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Benefits: • President has plane (Air Force One) and a personal helicopter

(Marine One) at his disposal


Elections and Terms of Office


Elections:• Elections held every 4 years• President elected by an electoral college• Candidate with most electoral votes wins the election


Term of Office:• 4 years = 1 presidential

term• Constitution originally

placed no limit on number of Presidential terms

• George Washington established a tradition when he stepped down after 2 terms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Washington_%283%29.jpg


Term of Office:• 1940: FDR became the

1st President to not step down after 2nd term – was elected 4 times

• 1951: 22nd Amendment added to Constitution Limits President to 2

consecutive terms


Presidential Succession


Presidential Succession:• 1841: William Henry Harrison became 1st President to die while in

office• Vice President John Tyler set a tradition by declaring himself

President 1967: 25th Amendment turned tradition into law; says if

Presidency is vacant, the VP becomes President and then appoints a new VP


• Since ratified, 25th Amendment has been used 3 times:1.) 1973: VP Spiro Agnew resigned; Pres. Nixon replaced

him with Gerald Ford

2.) 1974: Pres. Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford became President

3.) 1985: Pres. Reagan was shot and during surgery VP George Bush became president for 8 hours


• 8 U.S. Presidents have died while in office:


Presidential Succession:• 1947: Congress passed the Presidential Succession Act

which indicates the order of succession to the Presidency


• The Vice President • Speaker of the House • President pro tempore of the Senate • Secretary of State • Secretary of the Treasury • Secretary of Defense • Attorney General • Secretary of the Interior • Secretary of Agriculture• Secretary of Commerce • Secretary of Labor • Secretary of Health and Human Services • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development • Secretary of Transportation • Secretary of Energy • Secretary of Education • Secretary of Veterans Affairs • Secretary of Homeland Security

Line of Succession:


Presidential Roles


• 7 Major Roles of the President

1.) Chief Executive Carries out the nation’s laws Issues Executive Orders (rule or command the

President issues that has the force of law; usually during time of crisis)

Appoints cabinet members, ambassadors, judges, heads of govt. agencies


2.) Chief Diplomat Responsible for making treaties with other countries with

Senate approval Meets with foreign leaders Can make Executive Agreements with leaders of other

countriesHas the force of law but does not require Senate

approval Responsible for appointing ambassadors with Senate

approvalAn official representative of a country’s government


3.) Commander in Chief– President is final authority over all military matters

o Founding Fathers believed in civilian control over the military; person elected by the people has final say over all military matters

– President can use military in times of war or peace

1957: President Eisenhower sent Federal Troops into Little Rock, Arkansas when attempts to integrate public schools led to violence between locals and police

The Executive BranchThe Presidency

3.) Commander in Chief , cont..

President Barrack Obama with his Joint Chiefs of Staff


3.) Commander in Chief, cont..– Stretching of this power by former Presidents

has led to legislation limiting the President’s power over the military

President Truman senttroops to fight in KoreanWar, but we never declaredWar (1950-53)

Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixonsent troops to Vietnam, but we never declared war (1954-75)


3.) Commander in Chief, cont….– 1973: War Powers Act passed by Congress

President must notify Congress when troops sent

anywhereTroops must be brought home after 60 days

unless

Congress declares war, or gives approval for troops to stay


4.) Political Party Leader– Supports party members in election campaigns

and

helps unify the party– Appoints members of party to key govt. jobs

President Bush confers w/ Republicanmembers of Congress


5.) Legislative Leader– Proposes legislation and uses many tactics to get

the bill passed– Prepares the federal budget– Approves or vetoes legislation


6.) Judicial Leader– Appoints judges to Federal Courts and the U.S.

Supreme Court Appoints Justices whose point of view is similar to

their

own

President Obama announces Mrs. Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to the Supreme Court


6.) Judicial Leader, cont…• Can issue pardons, reprieves and amnesty to those convicted of federal crimes:

Pardon – declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment Reprieve – an order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can rule on the case (usually death sentence Commutation – substitutes a less severe punishment for the one originally imposed by the court Amnesty – same as a pardon; applies to a group of people rather than an individual


456 total pardons. Over 100on the day before he left office

President Carter gave amnestyto all Vietnam draft dodgers whofled to Canada


7.) Chief of State– Role is symbolic – President is representing

people from all 50 states– Gives a human face to American govt.– Can be demonstrated in many ways

Greeting heroesThrowing first pitches at baseball gamesInviting musicians to perform at White HouseAttending funeral of another country’s leader,

or past Presidents of U.S. Speeches and ceremonies

The Executive BranchThe Presidency- Chief of State

President and First Ladyat Pope’s funeral and at former President Reagan’s funeral


The Vice President

The Executive BranchThe Presidency – Vice President

• Qualifications Same as the President

• Duties and Responsibilities Serves as President of the Senate (only

Constitutional duty) President delegates out many responsibilities to VP:

Taking part in Presidential Cabinet meetingHelping with Diplomatic relations with other countriesAdvising and helping President make important

decisions


Vice President’s Duties and Responsibilities


• Salary and Benefits $198,000/year Receives $10,000/year for expenses Benefits similar to President’s

Free ResidenceLarge StaffVariety of personal services – Secret

Service protection


• Elections and Terms of Office Original procedure for electing a VP was:

- Electoral college members in each state voted for 2 candidates for President – candidate with most votes became President and runner up became the VP

After tie of 1800, procedure changed 12th Amendment: electoral college votes for

president and VP on separate ballots

VP term of office is not limited (although no VP has ever served more than two terms)

the executive branch

Documents

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candidatethe executive

benefitsthe executive

yearsthe executive branch

electionthe executive

camp davidthe executive

constitutionlimits president

united states