Chapter 6, Lessons 1 & 2

The Powers and Roles of the President

Presidential Fun Facts• James Buchanan was the only president to never marry• Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to travel outside the

United States on official business. His destination was Panama and he arrived there on November 14, 1906.• The Fourth of July is a date on which three presidents died –

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (both in 1826) and James Monroe (1831). It is also the birthday of a president: Calvin Coolidge in 1872.• Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president whose mother was

able to vote for him for president.• Jimmy Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital –

in the Wise Sanitarium in Plains, Georgia on October 1, 1924.• The only president to be unanimously elected was George

Washington (1732-1799). He also refused to accept his presidential salary, which was $25,000 a year.

Much has been written about Lincoln-Kennedy assassinations coincidences, including:- Both had seven letters in their last names.- Both were shot in the head on a Friday seated beside their wives.- Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre. Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln Limo, which was made by Ford.- Lincoln was in Box 7 at Ford’s Theatre, and Kennedy was in Car 7 of the Dallas motorcade.- Both assassins had three names with 15 letters (John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald).- Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and was captured in a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy in a warehouse and was captured in a theater.- Both were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in ’46 (1846/1946), were runners-up for their party’s nomination for vice president in ’56, and were elected president in ’60.- Both were succeeded by southern Democrats named Johnson.

Who can become president?Anyone who is at least 35 years old, a

native-born American citizen, and has lived in the United States for at least 14 yearsBut there are certain trends. So far….

Each has been maleAll but one have been Protestant

ChristiansMost have had a college education Many were lawyersMost came from states with large

populations

In recent years, a more diverse group has run for office

In 1960, JFK was the first Catholic elected as president

In 2008, Obama was the first African-American

In 2012, Mitt Romney was the first Mormon to run for President

Two women have run for VP- Geraldine Ferraro (1984) and Sarah Palin (2008)

In 2000, Joseph Lieberman was the first Jewish candidate for VP

Electing a PresidentIs the president chosen directly by the voters?NOPE! Each state and DC has a certain number of electors

The number of electors is equal to the number of senators + number of representatives in the state

So there are 538 electoral votes (DC has three)Whichever nominee wins the popular vote in each state gets all of that state’s electoral votes

Electoral College

Term of Office At first, the Constitution did not limit presidential terms.

Washington set the tw0 term precedent by refusing to run again

In 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for a third time. In response to this, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment

22nd Amendment (1951) Limits a president to two elected terms in office.

Salary and Benefits $400,000 salary Lives in White House with a staff of 80 Use of Camp David, an estate in Maryland Use of special cars, Air Force One, etc.

Vice PresidentElected with the presidentHas very little powerArticle 1 says the VP shall preside

Over the senate and vote in the case of a tie.Becomes president if the president dies, is removed

from office, resigns, or falls seriously illIn 1841, William Henry Harrison was the first

president to die in office. VP John Tyler took over the presidency. Since then, eight other VPs have taken over the presidency

Presidential Succession- Who’s next?

1. VP 2. Speaker of the House 3. President propro tempore of the Senate 4. Secretary of State

25th AmendmentRatified in 1967Says that if the president leaves office, VP becomes

president and chooses a new VP, and both the House and Senate must approve the choice.

Gives the VP a role in deciding whether a president is disabled and cannot do the jobGeorge H.W. Bush put in control while Reagan

had a surgery

Chart on pg.

192

Presidential PowersArticle 2 of the Constitution

says that “Executive power shall be invested in a president.” That’s why the president’s job is to execute laws.

Veto bills passed in Congress

Serve as Commander in Chief of the armed forces

Make treaties with other countries

Name heads of agencies, ambassadors, Supreme Court Justices

Pardon, or reduce the penalties of crime against, people convicted of federal crimes

The Constitution requires that the president tell Congress about the “State of the Union”. In this speech, the president discusses the most important issues facing the nation and his or her plans to address them

Presidential RolesChief ExecutiveExecutive order- a rule or command the president gives out and has the same force as a law

Can grant a pardon, reprieve (delays punishment until higher court can hear a case), or amnesty (a pardon to a group of people)

Chief DiplomatLeads the foreign policy of the United States

Names ambassadors (official representative of a country’s government)

Head of State

President is the living symbol of the nation

Represents Americans at important ceremonies

Builds goodwill with other countries by

meeting with their leaders when they

visit the US

Commander in Chief

Allows president to back up foreign policy with force

Only the president can order troops into battle

Military commanders follow orders from the president

Congress has declared war only five times, but the president has sent troops into battle more than 150 times

Lastly…Legislative leader

Makes speeches to support his ideas for new laws

Meets with congressmen/women to convince them to support his ideas

Economic leader

Plan the federal government’s budget- which programs to keep or cut

Party leader

Regarded as leader of his/her political party

Gives speeches to help fellow party-members

Helps the party raise money

Questions…Which characteristic do you think is the most important

for a president- profession, education, religion, or some other characteristic?

What role is given to the vice president in the Constitution?

What influence does the president have over Congress?Write a sentence comparing an executive order to a lawHow is the president’s role as a chief diplomat

connected with his roles as head of state and commander in chief?

Which role of the president do you think is the most important? WHY?