Chapter 8

" I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The Presidency

The President is sworn into office on January 20th @ noon.

What is the main job of the Executive Branch? The main job is to EXECUTE the law.

As of January 20, 2009, Barack Obama is the forty-fourth President. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until November 2008, when he resigned following his election to the presidency.Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest man, the first Roman Catholic to be elected president, the first to win a Purple Heart, the 4th president to be assassinated, and the first Pulitzer Prize winner

John F. Kennedy's father gave him $1,000,000 when he turned twenty-one. (Each of his nine brothers and sisters got a million dollars too!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-cri43ttTo Assassination video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vbgwB3_C4s

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only person who was elected President to four terms: 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944.

Franklin Roosevelt had three Vice Presidents during his terms:

John Nance Garner (1933-1941)

Henry A. Wallace (1941-1945)

Harry S Truman (1945)

Harrison's inaugural address was the longest of any president. (one hour and 40 minutes in the cold, he caught a cold that led to his death.) (some sources say his speech was 105 minutes.)

President Harrison had a billy goat at the White House during the short period he was there.

President Reagan was the oldest president in history; he was just shy of his 78th birthday on leaving office.

Reagan was the only professional actor to be elected President.

Reagan's would-be assassin, John Hinkley wanted to assassinate the President to impress actress Jodie Foster. After the assassination attempt he was put in a mental institution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoZeZprXnDg Assassination attempt video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTEi27JpwBY&NR=1

Formal Qualifications

• Must be a natural born citizen of the U.S.• Minimum Age: 35• Resident for at least 14 yrs of the U.S.

Qualifications for the Presidency of the United StatesConstitution: Article II, Section I, Paragraph 5:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen years a Resident within the United States.

Unwritten Qualifications

Government experience

Importance of money

Political beliefs–Most take moderate positions

Personal characteristics–Most have been white, married,

Protestant, and wealthy

President’s Term

Term: 4 years

Washington set precedent of 2 terms

FDR was elected to 4 terms

22nd amendment (1951)– Limits a President to 2 terms or 10 years

Late 20th /21st century – – Push for single 6-year term – and/or an unlimited # of terms

Salary & Benefits

1789 - $25,000/yearCurrently - $400,000$50,000 expense account$120,000 travel & entertainmentAccess to jets, helicopters, limos, etc–Air Force One–Marine One–Camp David

James Polk, the 11th President, was the first President to have his photograph taken. Theodore Roosevelt was the first President to ride in a car while in office. His fifth cousin and the 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was the first to ride in an airplane.

CADILLAC ONE

http://autoanything.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/2009-cadillac-one-president-obamas-limo-2.jpg

Once in the White House, each President made his mark in different ways. In fact, before Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, came to office, the White House wasn't even called the White House! People called the building the President's Palace, President's House, and the Executive Mansion. Roosevelt officially named it the White House in 1901.

Oval officeThe White House has:

A main residence and architectural wings on the east and west sides

4 stories, plus a basement and sub-basement

55,000 ft² (5,100 m²) of floor space (67,000 ft² including the wings)

132 rooms and 35 bathrooms

412 doors

147 windows

28 fireplaces

8 staircases

3 elevators (main, pantry, and a lower-levels elevator under the Grand Staircase)

several gardens a tennis court, basketball court, putting green, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a jogging track, and a swimming pool

Since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt, when it was known as "Shangri-la," this isolated camp in the hills of western Maryland has served as an official Presidential retreat. Heavily guarded, it may not be visited by the public.In March 1942 President Roosevelt directed the National Park Service to investigate locations reasonably close to the Washington area for use as a Presidential retreat. In July 5 the President inspected the retreat, which he had named "Shangri-la" in April. Roosevelt's successor, Harry S Truman, used the retreat only a few times. President Eisenhower, however, was a frequent visitor and renamed it Camp David in honor of his grandson. Their most famous guest, in 1959, was Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union.

Salary & Benefits

Free medical, dental and other health care

Residence at the White House–132 rooms on 18.3 acres

Lifetime pension of $148,400/year

If President dies, spouse receives $20,000/year

Vice President

25th Amendment–V.P. may temporarily take office if the

President requests so–Congress has to authorize by majority

voteIn case of a vacancy of the V.P. the President nominates a new V.P. w/ Congressional approval–18 times

The Vice President

Formal Duty: – Preside over the Senate – Make decisions in cases of Presidential

disability– Ambassador for the US

Most not looked up to as having qualities to become President“Balancing the ticket”Salary: $187,500

Presidential Succession

&

Vice Presidency Harry Truman signed the Presidential SuccessionAct of 1947.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUh6Sgzeld8Lyndon B Johnson swearing in

Presidential Succession 25th Amendment

Vice President

Speaker of the House

President Pro Temp

Secretary of State

Secretary of the Treasury

Secretary of Defense

Attorney General

# Office and Current Officer 1Vice President Joe Biden

2 Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner

3 President pro tempore of the Senate Robert Byrd

4 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

5 Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

6 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

7 Attorney General Eric Holder

8 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

9 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

10 Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke

11 Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

12 Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan

14 Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

15 Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

16 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki

18 Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

US Presidents Who Died in OfficeWilliam H. Harrison, 1841Zackary Taylor, 1850Abraham Lincoln, 1865 (Assassinated)James Garfield, 1881 (Assassinated)William McKinley, 1901 (Assassinated)Warren G. Harding, 1923Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1945John F. Kennedy, 1963 (Assassinated)

Section II Electing the President

Initially, at the Constitutional Convention, the founders proposed that Congress choose the president w/o a popular or an electoral vote. They gave up the idea because it violated the principle of separation of powers.

Founders feared a direct election, because they thought citizens could not make a wise decision.

Electoral College

The founders settled on a compromise that Alexander Hamilton introduced. This compromise set up an indirect method of election called the Electoral College.

Article II, Section 1 established the Electoral college. It provided that each state would chose electors according to a method the state legislatures set up. Each state would have as many electors as it does senators and representatives.

Original Plan– Most votes became President– Runner-up became Vice President– A tie would allow the House of

Representatives to choose the President or Vice President.

– After President Washington retired, political parties began to play an important role in national elections.

– The 12th Amendment was later added-it required that electors cast separate ballots for President and Vice President.

Electoral College System

Millions of voters go to the booths not to vote for the candidates but rather to vote to elect Presidential electors (Dem & Rep)

Each state has as many electors as it has members of Congress

Electors almost automatically vote for their party’s candidate for President– Not the original intent of the Constitution

Electoral College SystemIn order to win an election a candidate must receive 270 out of 538 electoral votes (Washington D.C. has 3)The least number of presidential electors a state can have is 3. The electoral college system was set up under article II of the constitution and amended by the 12th amendment in 1804.While state laws determine how electors are chosen, they are generally selected by the political party committees within the states.Should none of the candidates win 270 electoral votes, the 12th amendment kicks in and the House of Representatives decides who wins. This has happened twice-Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and John Quincy Adams in 1825Formal election of President does not take place until Jan 6th – When all votes are counted

President takes office @ noon on January 20th – Chief Justice swears the president into office

Electoral Votes

Electors meet at their State capitol on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December–Cast their vote–Signed, sealed, and sent to Washington

D.C.

Criticisms of Electoral College

Winner Take All– It is possible to win the popular vote but

lose the election

1824, 1876, 1888, 2000

Constitutional Flaw–Does not require the electors to vote for

the candidate favored by the popular vote in their state

Criticisms of Electoral College

Ties–Determined by the House of

Representatives

Chances increase when there is a strong 3rd party candidate

Proposed ReformsDistrict Plan– Electors would reflect Congressional districts

Two electors would reflect the state as a whole

The remaining electors would represent individual districts

Proportional Plan– Candidates would receive same share of a states

electoral votes as they received of state popular votes

– Ex. If a candidate won 40% of votes cast in a state with 20 EV, they would receive 8 electoral votes

Proposed Reforms

Direct Popular Election–Do away with the electoral college

all together.–Candidate with the most popular

votes wins.

Proposed Reforms

National Bonus Plan–102 electoral votes would go to the

winner of the popular vote–102 EV would be added to the

electoral votes that the candidate won

–321 EV votes needed to win

Executive DepartmentsCh. 8 Section 3

President’s

Cabinet

Presidential

Cabinet

Abraham Lincoln's son Tad once fired on the Cabinet after receiving a pretend military commission.Illustration by Bob Brugger

The CabinetThe tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

This is NOT an elected position. The President nominates and the Senate approves!

The CabinetDuring a meeting of the President's Cabinet, members are seated according to the order of precedence, with higher ranking officers sitting closer to the center of the table. Hence, the President and Vice President sit directly across from each other at the middle of the oval shaped table. Then, the Secretaries of State and Defense are seated directly to the right and left, respectively, of the President and the Secretary of Treasury and the Attorney General sit to right and left, respectively, of the Vice President. This alternation according to rank continues, with Cabinet-rank members (those not heading executive departments, the Vice President excluded) sitting at the very ends, farthest away from the President and Vice President.

Job Qualifications

Expertise

Party loyalty

Acceptability to interest groups

Managerial ability

Gender representation

Geographical balance.

Purpose

15 major executive departments

Implement policies within own department

Serve as the advisory board to the president

The Cabinet has expanded as the responsibilities of the president has increased.

The workload of the federal government expanded as the country grew.

Department of StateMajor Responsibilities– Negotiates

treaties– Develops foreign

policy– Protects citizens

abroad– Terrorist alerts– Establish foreign

policy goals for areas that geographically significant to the U.S.

Sub-agencies– Passports Agency– Diplomatic Security– Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs– Bureau of Intelligence

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Department of Treasury

Major Responsibilities

Pays federal bills

Borrows money

Collects Federal Taxes

Prints and coins money

Sub-Agencies

IRS

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms

U. S. Mint

Timothy Geithner

Department of Defense

Manages the Armed Forces

Operates military bases

Responsible for civil defense

Intelligence Capable

National Guard

Joint Chiefs of Staff

Departments of Air Force, Navy, ArmyRe Leon E.

Panetta

Department of Justice

Furnishes legal advice to president

Enforces federal criminal laws

Supervises the federal prisons

FBI

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Bureau of Prisons

U. S. Marshals

Attorney General

Eric Holder

Department of Interior

Supervises federally owned land and parks

Federal hydroelectric power facilities

Native American Affairs

U. S. Fish and Wildlife

National Park Service

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Mines

Bureau of Land Management

Ken Salazar

Department of Agriculture

Provides assistance to farmers and ranchersResearch to improve agricultureProtect forest from fires and diseaseResearch to prevent plant disease

Oil conservation

Agricultural research

Food and Safety inspections

Federal Crop Insurance

Tom Vilsack

Department of Commerce

Grants patents and trademarks

Conducts National Census

Monitors the weather

Protects the interest of Business

Bureau of Census

Bureau of Economic Analysis

Patent and Trademark

U. S. Travel and Tourism

John Bryson

Department of Labor

Administers Federal Labor Laws

Promotes the interest of workers

Workers Health Benefits

Improve Employers Insurance

OSHA

Bureau of Labor

Minority Business Development

Secretary of Labor

Hilda Solis

Department of Health and Human Services

Administers the Social Security programs (Medicare)

Promotes public health

Enforces pure food and drug Laws

Social Security Administration

Family Support Administration

Office of Human Development

Public Health Service

FDA

Kathleen Sebelius(is nominated for the position)

Department of Housing & Urban Development

Concerned with nation’s housing needs

Develops & rehabilitates urban communities

Promotes improvements in city streets and parks

Fair housing and Equal Opportunity

Minority Grant Assistance Program

Emergency Shelter Grant

Shaun L.S. Donovansing

Department of Transportation

Finances improvements in mass transit

Develops & Administers programs for highways, railroads, and aviation

Involved with offshore maritime safety

Federal Aviation Adm.

Federal Highway Adm.

Maritime Safety

Urban Mass-Transit Adm.

Ray LaHood

Department of Energy

Involved in conservation of energy resources

Analyzes energy data

Conducts research and development

Clean up of Nuclear waste sites

Energy Information Adm.

Office of Nuclear Energy

Office of Conservation & Renewable Energy

Steven Chu

Department of Education

Coordinates Federal programs and policies for education

Administers aid to education

Promotes educational research

Office of special education

Office of elementary and secondary ed.

Office of Vocational and Adult education

Arne Duncan

Department of Veterans Affairs

Promotes the welfare of Veterans of U. S. armed forces

Health of Veterans

Benefits to Veterans

Health Care Service Benefit Programs

Memorial Affairs

Medical TrainingEric Shinseki

Department of Homeland Security

Border Security

National Defense

Protect Nation Security

Aviation Security

This department was created as a direct response to 911 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE

Transportation Security Office

FEMA

Secret ServiceJanet Napolitano

The Executive OfficeIt consists of individuals and agencies that directly assist

the President.

The Office of Management and Budget-prepares the national budget that the president proposes to Congress.

The Council of Economic Advisors-offers advice to the President in areas such as unemployment and inflation.

National Security Council-Aids the President in coordinating the military and foreign policy.

The Homeland Security Council-helps to coordinate all federal agencies working to counter terrorism.

Presidential Nominations

&

National Conventions

Campaigns

There are two campaigns for the Presidency every four years

1. Republicans v. Democrats

2. Battle for convention delegates

National Convention

Usually takes place in mid-summer (July)

Purpose– Nominate a candidate for office– Adopt a party platform

Basic principles, stands on political matters, objectives for the campaign

– Gain support for candidate chosen

Site is chosen by a national committee– “Up in the air”

National Convention

Lasts 4-5 days

Party nominee is not selected until the last day

Conventions built on hype

Attempt to show the nation the strength of their party

Parties try to nominate the most non-controversial person possible

Characteristics of Nominees

Parties look for the “electibility” of candidates–Appearance–Happily married–Family values–Great speaking ability–Portray the “correct” image

If an incumbent President is not in the field of candidates, the battle for nomination can be intenseUp to a dozen or so candidate vie for position– No more than 2 or 3 have a realistic chance

Candidate that receives the most delegate votes win their party’s nominationNext step – the National Election