1/15/13
1
Who Can Become President?
John Q. Adams Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Charles Manson
Barely NO! YES!
The Process of Becoming President
– Nomination of one of the two major parties
– Majority of the votes cast in the Electoral College: “winner-take-all system”
– Voted on by House if no majority “Rutherfraud” B. Hayes
1/15/13
2
Executive Office of the President
Chief of Staff • OMB • NSA • Council of Economic Advisors Styles of Management: Wheels and Spokes vs. Hierarchical
Rahm Emanuel SNL Video
Rare Meetings Political Rivals and NOT ADVISORS
Getting Along� Hamilton and Jefferson Janet Reno & Bill Clinton James Farley and FDR Powell & Rumsfeld Clinton and Obama?
1/15/13
3
The Many Roles of the President Head of State
SECRET SERVICE Codenames Carter = Deacon Reagan = Rawhide Bush = Timberwolf Clinton = Eagle Dubya = Tumbler Obama = Renegade
The Many Roles of the President Chief Executive
The Many Roles of the President Commander-in-Chief War Powers Act
1988 Nominee Mike Dukakis
1/15/13
4
The Many Roles of the President Chief Diplomat
Signing Statements: Constitutional?
Statement to the McCain Detainee Amendment The executive branch shall construe Title X in Division A of the Act, relating to detainees, in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch and as Commander in Chief and consistent with the constitutional limitations on the judicial power, which will assist in achieving the shared objective of the Congress and the President, evidenced in Title X, of protecting the American people from
further terrorist attacks.
1/15/13
5
The President As Party Chief and Superpolitician
– The President as Chief of Party
– The “bully pulpit” and direct appeal
Public Popularity of Modern Presidents
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6
The Special Uses of Presidential Power
– Emergency Powers – Recess Appointments – Executive Orders: has the power of law – Executive Privilege
• United States v. Nixon--limiting executive privilege
• Clinton’s Attempted Use of Executive Privilege
Abuses of Executive Power and Impeachment
– Article I, Section 2, gives the House the sole power of impeachment. If a majority of the members of the House vote to impeach an officer of the United States, the Senate will conduct a trial. If two-thirds of the Senators vote for conviction the officer is removed from office. – The concept of impeachment is important because without this power there would be little that could be done to control criminal behavior by a top leader. On the other hand, this power could be abused and lead to politically motivated impeachments.
1/15/13
7
The Vice President – The Vice President’s Job
• Strengthening the Ticket • Supporting the President
– Presidential Succession – The Twenty-fifth Amendment – Mourner in Chief – When the Vice Presidency Becomes Vacant
Line of Succession to the Presidency of the United States
