The Executive Branch

Presidential Succession

The plan by which a vacancy in the presidency is filled

What is presidential succession?

The vice president takes over if the president Dies Resigns Is removed

from office Becomes

disabled

25th Amendment (1967)

The VP takes over if President tells Congress he can’t do his job VP and Cabinet tell Congress Pres. Can’t do job

The disability provision has been used twice: Reagan transferred power to VP George Bush for 8

hours after assassination attempt while in surgery George W. Bush transferred power to VP Dick

Cheney for 2 hours during a minor surgical procedure.

Presidential Disability

Congress sets the order of succession if the VP is unable to serve1. VP2. Speaker of the House3. President Pro Tempore of the Senate4. Secretary of State5. Secretary of the Treasury6. The rest of the cabinet heads in order of creation of

the cabinet (15 cabinets or departments in all)

Presidential Succession Act 1947

Presidential Elections

At the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated how the president would be chosen1. Congress2. People3. Political Experts (electors)

Decided to let people vote for electors who then choose the president Indirect election of the president

Original Plan

Why did the delegates decide on this method? Congress choosing would give them too much

power People were not smart enough Electors serve as a “check” on the people

Original Plan

When: 1 to 2 years prior to the presidential election!!

Purpose: To test the appeal of the candidate among voters Get your name and face out

there!! Begin to raise money

2008 Presidential Election raised and spent over $1 billion

Testing the Waters

When January – June of election year

Purpose Candidates complete against members of their own

party for their party’s nomination Pick the best candidate to defeat the other party

Primaries and Caucuses

Voters go to polling place and cast a ballot for a candidate

Primaries

People get together at a meeting and decide who they want to support as their party’s candidate

Caucuses

Iowa Caucus: (Mon. Jan. 16th, 2012)

First Caucus

New Hampshire Primary: (Tues. Jan. 24, 2012)

First Primary

Give first indication of which candidate could win in the general election

Could “make-or-break” a campaign

Importance of Iowa and New Hampshire

Day when many states (20+) hold primaries and caucuses

Super Tuesday

When Late summer (August)

Purpose A meeting to officially

nominate each party’s presidential candidate

Other happenings VP candidate introduced Write and approve Party Platform

National Convention

2012 Republican National ConventionMinneapolis, MN

2012 Democratic National Convention

When: Late Summer – November

Purpose: Candidates campaign for votes Advertisements Debates Phone / mail contacts Door-to-door appeals (canvassing) Town Hall meetings, picnics, etc. Spend lots of money!!!!!!

The Race to the Finish

When: 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November, every four years

What: People vote for electors Must be registered to vote! Called the popular vote

The General Election

The group that selects the winner of the presidential election

It is made up of 538 presidential electors

A presidential candidate must win the majority of electoral votes to become president (magic # is 270)

2012: Obama 332 to Romney 206 2008: Obama 365 to McCain 173 2000: Bush 271 to Gore 267

Electoral College

“Winner Take All” System The winner of a state’s popular votes gets ALL of

the state’s electoral votes. Even if you win by 1 vote!!!! Electors for the losing candidate do nothing.

How is the number of electoral votes per state determined? # of senators + # of representatives Washington DC gets 3 electoral votes (Amendment 23 – 1961)

Electoral College

Electoral College 2012 Results

Electors vote in December

They cast separate ballots for president and VP

Amendment 12

Electors vote for the candidate they pledged to support

Electors Cast Ballots

Electors did not always have to cast a ballot for their pledged candidate This was the check on the popular vote (people’s vote)

Today, most electors DO cast a ballot for their pledged candidate Some states require electors to do this BY LAW

SO . . . it is fairly safe to say that today, the winner in November will be president

Electors Cast Ballots

Counting Electoral Votes

When: January 3rd

How The President of the

Senate (VP) counts the votes

No one with 270 electoral votes??

House picks presidentSenate picks VP

Both the President and VP take the oath of office on January 20th at noon.

Step 9: Inauguration

The American people do not directly elect the president and vice president

Voters elect electors who then choose the president and VP

We have and indirect process for selecting the president and VP

Indirect Election

Flaws with the Electoral College

1. Electoral College dictates where and how candidates campaign

2. All electors are not required to vote as pledged

3. A third party candidate won’t win but could affect outcome

4. The winner of the popular vote is not always guaranteed

the presidency 2000

Bush defeats Gore and becomes president

Bush lost the popular election by 500,0o0 votes but beat Gore in the electoral votes 271 to 267

Florida: Bush wins by 543 votes

Divide into pairs; decide who will be the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate If there is an odd number, someone can be a third

party For each state, take turns rolling the dice; the

person who rolls the highest number wins the state If you tie, roll again until there is a winner

Color in each state you win; keep a running total on the side of the map as to the number of electoral votes each candidate has

First candidate to gain 270 electoral votes is the winner!

Electoral College Game