The Executive Branch The Presidency

The Executive Branch: The Presidency

1(47 Total Slides)Before & After: Presidental Aging(47 Total Slides)2

Interesting facts on our 44th President Barack ObamaBorn in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4th, 1961Barack means one who is blessed in Swahili.On his high school basketball team, he earned the nickname the Obomber.Hes 53 years old.Graduated from Colombia University & Harvard Law SchoolWorked in Chicago as a community organizer before he finished Law School.Worked as a civil rights lawyer in Chicago as well.Taught a Constitutional Law class at the University of Chicago from 1992-2004.3(47 Total Slides)3More interesting factsServed 3 terms in the Illinois Senate.Favorite music: Bob Dylan & Miles DavisFavorite food that he cooks: ChiliDoesnt drink coffee, rarely drinks alcohol.Bad Habit: Constantly checking his BlackBerry.He has read all 7 Harry Potter books.When he lived in Indonesia, he had a pet ape named Tata.

4(47 Total Slides)Formal Qualifications to be President According to the Constitution:Natural born citizen in the U.S.Be at least 35 years oldHave been a resident within the United States for 14 years.More than 100 million people in the country meet these qualifications! Do you?5(47 Total Slides)Presidential TermsA Presidential Term lasts 4 years and each President may serve for 2 terms.Typically the longest a President can serve is 8 years.Example: President George W. Bush from 2000-2008.Howeverif a VP must step in & become President mid-term (for 2 years), he may still run for the additional terms remaining. This means we could have a President potentially serve for 10 years.6Franklin D. RooseveltUp until 1951, the Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms a President may serve.FDR served as President from 1933-1945.In 1951, the Constitution was amended for the 22nd Amendment limiting Presidential terms.7(47 Total Slides)Job DescriptionThe President of the United States is known as the Leader of the Free World.The President simultaneously fills 8 different roles:Chief of StateChief ExecutiveChief AdministratorChief DiplomatCommander in ChiefChief LegislatorChief of Party Chief Citizen8Chief of StateThis means the President is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all people of the nation.

9Chief ExecutiveThis means the President is vested by the Constitution with the executive power of the U.S.The most powerful office in the world.

10(47 Total Slides)Chief AdministratorThis means the President is the director of the entire executive branch of the Federal Government.Under President Obama, there has been an increase in federal employees (Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of Justice/etc.)

11(47 Total Slides)Chief DiplomatThis means the President is the main architect of U.S. foreign policy & the nations chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.Ex: Taking trips around the world and meeting fellow presidents or prime ministers, making speeches abroad.

12(47 Total Slides)Commander in ChiefThis means the President is control of the nations military.According to President Bushs book, aspect of the job was his favorite.The President in charge of the Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.Makes the ultimate decision on going to war, with Congress having to pass an official declaration.

13Chief LegislatorThis means the President is the main architect of its public policies.The President sets the Congressional agenda.Ex: Healthcare Reform

14(47 Total Slides)Chief of the PartyThis means the President is the acknowledged leader of his political party.Ex: President Obama and the Democrats

15(47 Total Slides)Chief CitizenThis means the President is expected to be the the representative of all the people. Hes expected to work for and represent the public interest.

16All are intertwinedTheyre all connected.The decisions the President makes as one role affects all the other roles.For example, the decisions President Obama has made as the Chief Legislator has affected his role as the Chief of the Party. 17(47 Total Slides)Pay & BenefitsCongress determines the Presidents salary.The salary cannot be changed during a Presidents term.

18DateSalarySalary in 2009 dollars1789$25,000$566,0001873$50,000$865,0001909$75,000$1,714,0001949$100,000$906,0001969$200,000$1,175,0002001$400,000$487,000Pay & BenefitsIn addition to the $400,000 yearly salary:$50,000 expense account$100,000 nontaxable travel account$19,000 for entertainment

Government pays for state dinners and official functions, but the president must pay for food that he, his family, and personal guests consume.(47 Total Slides)19Luxuries Air Force One

20(47 Total Slides)Luxuries Cadillac One

21(47 Total Slides)Luxuries Cadillac One22

The White House

23(47 Total Slides)The V.P.s House: Number One Observatory Circle(47 Total Slides)24

Camp David - Maryland

25(47 Total Slides)Presidential Succession & the Vice Presidency

26(47 Total Slides)Presidential SuccessionPresidential Succession: The scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled.

Originally, Article II of the Constitution is vague succession of the Presidentdoes not explicitly state whether the Vice President shall become President.Tyler PrecedentUntil the 25th Amendment in 1967, which deals with Presidential and Vice Presidential Succession.27(47 Total Slides)Presidential Succession28(47 Total Slides)

Presidential Succession Act of 1947 Congress fixes the order of succession following the V.P. What about Presidential disability? President can transfer power in cases of disability, even temporarily. In 2002, President Bush had surgery for 2 hours. For these 2 hours, Bush transferred his power to V.P. Dick Cheney. 29(47 Total Slides)The Vice PresidencyThe Vice President is kind of like the back-up quarterback of football.I am Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything. John Adams, 1st VPThe most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived. John AdamsHonorable and easy , and tranquil and unoffending. Thomas JeffersonThrough much of history, the VP has been treated as an office of little importance.

30(47 Total Slides)The Vice PresidencyPresident Theodore Roosevelt was annoyed by a chandelier making a tinkling noise. He ordered it to be removed and said:Take it to the office of the Vice President. He doesnt have anything to do. It will keep him awake.Yet, the VP is a heartbeat away from becoming the President of the U.S. (8 Presidents have died in office. 1 President has resigned).31Balance the TicketMany blame the low status of the VP on the two-party system and how candidates are picked for office.Usually, the presidential candidate picks someone who will balance the ticket which means someone who can strengthen his chance of being elected by virtue of certain ideological, geographic, racial, ethnic, gender, or other characteristics. 32(47 Total Slides)Biden & Palin

33(47 Total Slides)Presidential NominationsRemember, parties have committees and convention to nominate their candidate for President.How does this process begin?Presidential Primary An election in which a partys voters choose their preference among various contenders for their partys presidential nomination342012 Republican Primary35

The PrimariesPrimaries have recently focused on looking at the popularity of candidates for president.N.H. holds the first primary of any state every election year, in January. The N.H. primaries are early indicator of success so candidates spend a lot of time and money there.Romney won the 2012 N.H. Primary.36The Caucus-Convention ProcessNot all states have primaries, they use a caucus-convention process.Iowas caucus gets the most attention, as it is the first of all caucuses. When the caucus begins, the voters sort themselves into groups based on which candidate they support. The undecided come together, and wait to be chosen by supporters of other candidates.Iowa Caucus: Explain Using Corn

37(47 Total Slides)We know how we nominate, but how do we elect?How should we elect our President?Founding Fathers gave more time to the method for choosing the President than to any other matter. Against the two obvious ways: Electing the President by Congress or Electing the President by a direct vote of the people.38(47 Total Slides)Why not elect by Congress?Too political. Hamilton said that to elect by way of Congress would be too much under the legislative thumb.

39(47 Total Slides)Why not elect by direct vote of the people?At the time, the process would lead to tumult and disorder. At the time, people were scattered over so wide an area they couldnt know enough about the available candidates to make informed choices.40The Electoral College Electoral College is the group of people (electors) chosen from each State and D.C. to formally select the President & V.P.They case their Electoral Votes, which are votes cast by electors in the electoral college.Total of 538 votes.270 are needed to win.4141Electoral College Map - 2012

How do we get those numbers?Representatives + Senators = # of Electoral VotesVirginia: 11 Representatives + 2 Senators = 13 Electoral Votes43Campaign Attention - 2004

(The purple hands represent a visit by a presidential campaign as the election was nearing its end.)

(Each green money sign represents 1 million dollars of campaign money spent as the election was nearing its end.)- Why do you think both presidential campaigns were targeting these states?44The ControversyElections of 1876, 1888, & 2000 the winner of the election did not win the national popular vote, yet still won the presidency.

If a presidential candidate can win these 11 states: CA, TX, NY, FL, IL, PA, OH, MI, GA, NJ, and NC.then he/she will win the Presidency, despite losing the other 39 states. Why?

45On the other handThe Electoral College does have some positives:Example of federalism An idea our country was founded on. Gives the States a voice.Its easier compared to counting every single individual vote.Prevents urban-centric victories : This means a President winning by simply winning heavily populated areas.46Final ThoughtsPresident must balance many different roles and jobs.Though the V.P. is thought to be somewhat useless, the V.P. is a heartbeat away from being the President.The way we nominate and elect our President is rather complex.

Major controversy of this unit: The Electoral College. Is it fair?

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