Ladies and GentlemenThe President of the United States

I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of my conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent. George Washington

Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty. Ronald Reagan

I am not a crook. Richard M. Nixon

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Presidents JobAs the leader of our country, the President has a variety of jobs he must do and roles he must playThe President plays eight vital roles all at the same time.

1. Chief of state: Ceremonial head of the government of the US 2. Chief executive: In charge of executing the laws of the US 3. Chief administrator: He is in charge of the administration of the

federal government4. Chief diplomat: architect of foreign policy and America’s

representation to the rest of the world5. Commander in chief: leader of US armed forces6. Chief legislator: primary architect and controller of American

public policy7. Chief of party: leader of the party to which they belong8. Chief citizen: an example of what Americans should be

Term and SalaryPresidents may serve a maximum of two terms, unless they take over a term after the half way point and then they may serve a maximum of ten years

The President’s salary was increased to $400,000 a year in 2001

Lyndon B. Johnson, served half of JFK’s term.

FDR was elected 4 times.

Think the 22nd Amendment

Year Established President Vice President

1789 $25,000 $5,000

1873 $50,000 $10,000

1906 $50,000 $12,000

1909 $75,000 $12,000

1946 $75,000 $20,000

1949 $100,000$50,000 expense account

$30,000$10,000 non-taxable expense account

1951 $100,000$50,000 non-taxable expense account

$35,000$10,000 non-taxable expense account

1953 $100,000$50,000 taxable expense account

$35,000$10,000 taxable expense account

1964 $100,000$50,000 taxable expense account

$43,000$10,000 taxable expense account

1969 $200,000$50,000 taxable expense account

$62,500$10,000 taxable expense account

1979 $200,000$50,000 non-taxable expense account

$62,500$10,000 taxable expense account

1994 $200,000$50,000 non-taxable expense account

$171,000$10,000 taxable expense account

2001 $400,000 $175,400

2003 $400,000 $198,600

The Vice President

The constitution gives the Vice president little to no responsibilityPrimary jobs are to lead the senate and to Succeed the PresidentIndividual roles of past vice presidents have varied, very much dependent on the administration

Interesting FactJohn Adams cast a deciding vote 29 times, more than did any other Vice President in his role as President of the Senate.

Presidential Succession Succession Act of 1947established the set of rules to determine who will fill the president’s office in case of a vacancy. The order is on the chart to the right.

Presidential SelectionThe two main parties each nominate a candidate through the use of primary elections and national conventions Presidential primaries are held in the months leading up to the national conventionNot all states hold presidential primaries, some hold caucuses or closed meetingsNational conventions are held in prominent cities that will be able to accommodate such an eventAt each convention the parties have delegates from the states who select the candidateEach national convention is held for the specific purposes of adopting the party platform, nominating the presidential candidates, and unifying the party behind the nomineesWhen the election comes around in November, the public votes for president but they are not the people who actually vote for president, we the voters cast a vote of preference.

What is the origin of the donkey and elephant as the symbols of the Democratic and Republican

parties in America?The Answer:The Donkey— Presidential candidate Andrew Jackson was the first Democrat ever to be associated with the donkey symbol. His opponents during the election of 1828 tried to label him a "jackass" for his populist beliefs and slogan, "Let the people rule." Jackson was entertained by the notion and ended up using it to his advantage on his campaign posters.But cartoonist Thomas Nast is credited with making the donkey the recognized symbol of the Democratic Party. It first appeared in a cartoon in Harper's Weekly in 1870, and was supposed to represent an anti-Civil War faction. But the public was immediately taken by it and by 1880 it had already become the unofficial symbol of the party.The Elephant— Political cartoonist Thomas Nast was also responsible for the Republican Party elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled "The Republican Vote." That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.

Voting &

The Electoral CollegeThe electoral college votes are apportioned based on the winner of the popular vote in each state. Winner takes all. Some people have issues with this system in that it is possible to win the popular vote and not be elected president

The Presidency in Action: Presidential Powers

The changing view of Presidential powerThroughout the existence of the United States, the power of the President has grown with the increasing modernization of the CountryFactors such as economics, social change, political upheaval, and technology have forced the president to use his power in new and innovative waysEvents that call for decisive action such as war, terrorism and domestic crisis have also led to a necessary expansion in how the president uses his powers

The President’s powers fall into five primary categoriesexecutive powersdiplomatic powersmilitary powerslegislative powersjudicial powers

The Presidents Executive PowersThe Presidents primary responsibility is to execute, enforce, administer, and carry out the provisions of federal lawMost of the executive duties fall to the offices in the executive branch, however there are certain powers that fall Directly to the PresidentThe ordinance power is the power of the President to issue an executive order, which is a directive, rule, or regulation that has the power of lawThe appointing power is the presidents power to nominate individuals for positions within the governmentThe removal power is what the president needs to remove someone of their position without the consent of congress

The Diplomatic and Military PowersThe power to make treaties is exclusive to the President, although he often uses the Secretary of State as his intermediary He also may make executive agreements that do not require the consent of CongressThe president also has the power of recognition, or the power to acknowledge the legal existence of a country and its government As commander in chief, the president is charged with a multitude of responsibilities that deal with the use of the militarySome of these responsibilities include: making undeclared war, wartime powersThe war powers resolution limits the Presidents to wage war without the consent of Congress

Legislative and Judicial PowersThe president has the power to recommend and support legislation, veto legislation, or ignore it while it becomes lawThe line item veto is a new legislative power of the president that allows him to veto any dollar amounts or appropriations in tax law that benefit only a small and select group of peopleThe judicial powers that the President holds can be used to change the sentence of criminal offenders or offer immunity to those that the president feels should not be subject to the lawSome of these powers are: reprieves (postponement of punishment), pardons (to release from punishment), mutations, and amnesty ( a group pardon)

The Executive Office of the President

The executive office and cabinet are huge not only in size, but in the variety of areas that they are involvedThey handle matters from national security and the budget, to drugs and the environmentThe cabinet serves as the heads of the various offices and as a close advisory board to the President

The Federal BureaucracyThe federal government is a bureaucracy, which means that is organized on three basic principles: hierarchal authority, job specialization, and formal rules A bureaucracy is basically a way to structure the jobs people doThe overwhelming majority of government bureaucracy is located in the executive branchThe bureaucracy is what the country uses to create and administer lawsThe bureaucracy can be divided into three separate categories: the executive office of the president, the 15 cabinet departments, and independent agencies

Do we have a bureaucracy at Northview and in Fulton County Schools?

The Executive Departments and the Independent Agencies

Each of the cabinets are headed up by a single head known as the secretaryThe secretaries direct the actions of their department in accordance with the wishes of the PresidentBesides the President’s cabinet, there are some independent agencies that have been created by congress that perform administrative functions These organizations fall into the categories of independent executive agencies, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations

The Civil ServiceThe civil service began with the ineffectiveness of the spoils system that gave political offices and favors to friends and supporters of the government officialsThe Pendleton Act made sure that the government hired people based on meritFederal employees cannot strike, nor take a real activist role within a political party

Financing the Government The government is primarily funded by American taxpayers The government’s power to tax is limited by the ConstitutionThey may only levy taxes for public purposesThere are a variety of ways that the American taxpayer puts money into the government, and a variety of methods that the government spends itThe government also makes money from non tax related income such as interest on loans made, collectible stamps, and the production of coinsThe government may also borrow money in order to fund its operationsSome of the largest government expenses are defense, social spending, and paying off the interest of the national debtIn order for the country to spend money, the executive branch must first submit a detailed budget proposal to congress Congress then holds hearings and makes appropriations for each office of the executive branch that gives them a certain amount of money to spend Congress may often pass emergency legislation if necessary

Foreign Policy & National DefenseFor most of the country’s history, our policies were shaped by the practice of isolationismWe now live in more of a global village type of worldOur foreign policy must take into account the rest of the world and how it will react to the decisions that we will makeForeign policy: all of the stands and actions that a country takes in regards to relations with other countriesSome of the chief issues in foreign policy have to do with diplomatic, commercial, and military mattersSome foreign policy has remained unchanged over time, and some policy must adapt with the growing world The president is the chief architect of foreign policy

Departments of State and DefenseThe State Department is the most important of the cabinet positionsIt includes the department of foreign service and ambassadors who represent the US around the worldThe Department of Defense assists the President in making and conducting military policyThis is one of the key positions in regards to the management of military action in warThe CIA coordinates and gathers the countries intelligenceThe United States Information Agency promotes the American way of life throughout the worldThe Selective Service system manages the draft. When was the last Draft? NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

American Foreign PolicyIsolationism was the primary practice during much of American historyThe Monroe Doctrine stated that the US should stay our of the affairs of EuropeThe two world wars had a tremendous affect on America’s position in the worldAfter WWII America became a super power and became more interested in collective security and deterrenceDuring the Cold War America was faced with dealing with the threat of Communism spreading around the world There were many events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam that exemplified America’s chief foreign policy concern at this time

Foreign Aid and Defense AlliancesForeign aid began during WW I and WWIIWe practice military aid, financial aid, and other forms of aid that a country cannot provide for itself. Why do we do this?The US has formed a number of Defense Alliances over the past centuryNATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization 28 member countries communicate on issues of defense. The United Nations

Secret Service Codenameshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Service_codename

Death in the White House

Scandals