Section 1- Executive Branch and president

At any one given time only one person can be the president of the United States

The office, all of its powers, and duties belong to that one individual whether it is he or someday she

1) Chief of State 2)Chief Executive/Administrator 3) Chief Diplomat 4) Commander in Chief 5) Chief Legislator 6) Chief of Party 7) Chief Citizen

The first six jobs of president are directly from the Constitution

1)Chief of State 2)Chief Executive/Administrator 3) Chief Diplomat 4) Commander in Chief 5) Chief Legislator

(last two are other vital roles president must fill)

-Chief of party and chief citizen

Ceremonial head of the Government Formally greats head of state Both reigns and rules

Executive power of the United States Appoints several thousand officials Takes care that laws are faithfully executed Heads the huge executive branch www.thewhitehouse.gov

Main character in American Foreign Policy Huge player in domestic and foreign

politics Makes treaties Appoints ambassadors, ministers, and

consuls

Head of the armed forces Uses military power in domestic disorder to reinforce laws

Determines major strategies during war

Main architect of pubic policy Vetoes bills Recommends measures for Congress to consider

Gives congress information on the State of the Union

Leader of the political party in control of the executive branch

Vital, important role of president Campaigns for members of their party www.opensecrets.org

Representative of all people and not be influenced by special interests

Most recognized American around the world

1) Be a “Natural Born” citizen of the United States

2) Be at least 35 years of age 3) Have been fourteen years a resident of the United States

After the passage of the 22nd amendment in 1951 the president may serve only 2 elected full terms.

Can serve no more than 10 years if the presidency is inherited midway through a previous presidents term

Presidents pay is $400,000 a year along with $50,000 a year expense account.

President has many perks including the White House, Air Force One, cars, and Camp David

Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency

46 men have served as vice president 14 of them have reached the White House to serve as president.

◦“I am vice president. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.”

John Adams

First VP

Presidential succession: the scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled.

*Wasn’t the original Constitutional practice*

Before 1967 the constitution simply said that the “power and duties” of the office not the office itself were transfer onto the vice president.

In 1967 the 25th Amendment was passed which said that with the death or removal of the president the Vice President would become president

*Congress picks the succession following the vice president.

Presidential succession act of 1947: says that the speaker of the house is next in line followed by the president pro tem of the senate and then the cabinet positions starting with the secretary of state

The Vice President Joseph Biden Speaker of the House President pro tempore of the Senate1 Robert Byrd Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner Secretary of Defense Robert Gates Attorney General Eric Holder Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun

Donovan Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

Before the 25th Amendment presidential disability was unsure.

The congress nor the Constitution had no provision that labeled the president disabled.

Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment filled the disability gap in detail.

Vice president is to become Acting president if:

1) the president informs congress, in writing “that he is unable to discharge the power and duties of his office” or

2) the Vice president and majority of the members of the cabinet inform congress, in writing that the president is incapacitated.

In both cases the president may resume powers and duties of the office by informing congress no inability exists

However the Vice president and a majority of the cabinet may challenge the president on this score.

If they do Congress has 21 days to decide the best solution

Duties assigned by the Constitution to the office of the Vice President:

1) to preside over the Senate

2) to help decide the question of presidential disability

Vice president is seen of as an inferior office

It is a high honor to hold the office but the responsibility entailed is very small

It is often the butt of many jokes and isn’t very well respected by many presidents as they have bad mouthed the office

The presidential candidate will usually pick a VP or running mate that will give them a better chance to be elected to the office of the president

Usually the choice is made because of the ideological, racial, ethnic, gender, or geographical significance

The office has lately been reinvented: Dick Cheney: could be seen as most

influential Vice president in history of the office, worked closely with President Bush

Impressive resume`

No president has been willing to make the Vice president his true assistant

Major reason is because the Vice President is the only office not under the ultimate discipline of the president

No matter what the president cannot fire the Vice President

Not until 25th Amendment has Constitution dealt with the matter: States that if the Vice president office is vacant the President shall nominate a new Vice President who is to be confirmed by both houses of Congress

Presidential Selection- the Framer’s Plan

Two biggest problems were to allow president to be elected by the people or by choice in congress

The president were to be chosen under a system of electors

These electors would cast two electoral votes, the candidate with the most electoral votes would be elected president, the person with the second most electoral votes would be elected Vice President

Electors were to be the most informed and enlightened and respectable citizens from each state

The electors were “free agents” they were elected by the people to be the best representatives

Is the group of people chosen from each state and DC to formally select the President and the Vice President

Flaws occurred in the system with the rise of Political parties

Different parties were president and vice president. YIKES!

System broke down Jefferson won by popularity but not until

the House cast 36 separate votes to award Jefferson presidency

Introduced 3 new elements to the presidency:

1) party nomination for President and VP 2) nomination of candidates for

presidential electors pledged to vote for their parties candidate

3) the automatic casting of votes in line with those pledges

Separated president and vice presidential elections: separate votes for each based on the party

Laid ground work for the system today