Section 1 of the Executive Branch Unit
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Transcript of Section 1 of the Executive Branch Unit
The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch
Section 1: The Office of the
President
Section 1: The Office of the
President
Just who is the President of the United States?
What do we know about this position?
Article II in the United States Constitution
Executive Power shall be vested in the President
It is an outline, loosely drawn, more so than the other two Articles that deal with branches
There was a struggle as to what this Article intended/meant
Formal Qualifications
35 years old
Natural Born Citizen
Lived in the US for at least 14 years
Salary and Benefits
Congress determines Salary, it cannot be touched during a presidential term
$400,000 a year
$50,000 a year expense allowance taxed as part of income
Benefits are Numerous
White House
Suite of Offices
Large Staff
Air Force One
Fleet of Cars
Benefits Continued
Camp David
Best health care money can buy
Travel money
Entertainment money
Lots More!
The Presidential Difference 2004 for Fred Greenstein
Qualities that Bear on Presidential Performance
Effectiveness as a public communicator - many presidents rehersed and were able to reach the average American
Best - FDR, JFK Reagan, and Clinton (on a good day)
Organizational Capacity - Ability to forge a team that gets the most done and the ability to minimize the tendency to tell the boss (PRES) what he wants to hear
Best Organizers - FDR( encouraged diversity), IKE (listened), JFK, Ford, Bush Sr
Worst - Nixon, Reagan, LBJ : they didn’t like to see disagreements
Political Skill - ability to stamp on policy in the relatively stalemated American political system. They maintained public support and established reputations as skilled policy-makers.
Best - LBJ (within hours of JFK’s assassination he began to muster support)
Worst - Carter
Vision - capacity to inspire and the ability to assess policy feasibility
Best - FDR, JFK, Reagan, Nixon, Ike
Cognitive Style - how they think about issues and how they create a purpose
Best - Nixon had a purpose and he succeeded
Worst - Truman and Reagan (Reagan had no critical reading and had an imperfect understanding of policies)
Emotional Intelligence - are they free of distracting emotional issues? Greenstein argues that this is the most important.
“In its absence all else may turn to ash”
Best - Ike, Ford, Bush Sr, GW Bush
Worst - LBJ (Mood Swings), Carter (Rigid), Clinton (no impulse control), Nixon (anger and suspiciousness...he was defeated by the qualities that brought his success).
Informal Qualifications
What are some characteristics you deem desirable in a president?
Presidential Roles
Chief of State - ceremonial head
Chief Executive - Execute Laws
Chief Administrator - Director of Government
Chief Diplomat - Architect of Foreign Policy
Roles, Continued
Commander-in-Chief
Chief Legislator - Architect of public policies
Chief of the Party - Acknowledged leader of their party
Chief Citizen - Moral Leader, representative of all the people
Roles, Continued
Coalition Builders, build coalitions among different parties and with the legislative branch
Presidential Term in Office
Washington limited himself to two terms
No one dared more until FDR
Presidents were concerned about the orderly transfer of power from one president to another, this is unique to the American presidency, an office transfer with little to no problems
approval ratings make a difference...how??
1951 - 22nd Amendment
A president can be elected no more than 2 terms or 10 years in office
Some say that a single, 6 year term would be better (LBJ, Carter)
1/3 of all presidents have been elected to a second term
Usually done in wartime or especially tranquil times
President usually has some prior experience in a federal agency
A future president needs to be able to recognize various politically important groups, regions and organizations in order to gain support and a wide appeal
Section 2: Who Gets Elected?
Section 2: Who Gets Elected?
Conventions: Purpose of the Conventions
Name the party’s candidate
Bring factions together for a common purpose
Adopt the party’s platform
Characteristics of those who usually get elected
Experience
Electability
Records in public office
Protestant, most have been (JFK)
Usually from larger states
Characteristics cont.
How they look
Family
Speaking Ability
Outsider in Washington?????
What happens if something happens to the president?
Section 3: Presidential Succession
Section 3: Presidential Succession
Office of the Vice President
What was to be his or her role?
Under the original language of the Constitution the VP took over the duties but not the office
VP
A VP has become the president 8 times
Rarely acquires presidency when they run for that office
Many people gave up real leadership positions for the VP..why?
VP Cont
Only official duty is to preside over Senate and vote in the case of a tie
Can be as important or weak as a president wants
What about Dick Cheney?
Succession: What is the president is ill but not dead? If the VP steps up then who becomes the new VP?
Succession Act of 1886 -
Secretary of State next in line should the VP die
followed by Cabinet in order of seniority
Change to the Succession Act of 1886
1947
Included the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore in succession
25th Amendment
1967
Allows VP to serve as acting president when pres declares he is unable to do his job or the VP and a majority of the Cabinet say he cannot in writing.
If the president and the VP and Cabinet disagree then Congress decides, a 2/3 vote
VP must nominate a new VP, both houses must confirm
Line to Presidency
VP
Speaker of the House
Pres Pro Tempore
Secretary of State
Secretary of Treasury
Succession cont.
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Etc, all the Cabinet Dept heads in order of when they were incorporated into the Cabinet
What would be last?
Presidential Disability
VP becomes the President if the President informs Congress in writing that he/she cannot preform duties.
OR
The VP and the majority of members of the Cabinet inform Congress in writing