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In your opinion, what characteristics make a good president?

Presidency

Duties of the PresidentThe office of president has been developing for more than 200 years.We will compare the duties of our first president to those of our current president.

Washington vs. Obama

Comparing the Duties

Washington- Commander and Chief:

oversee 15,000 militia volunteers

Chief Diplomat: Foreign policy decisions (?)

(?)

Obama - Commander and Chief:

oversee a military divided into 4 branches, that has a

601 billion dollar defense budget (2015).

Chief Diplomat: foreign policy decisions and chief spokesperson to the world.

(?)

Defense Department Budget since 2001

The Presidents’ Many RolesThe President is:1. Chief of State: head of the government2. Chief Executive: chief decision maker3. Chief Administrator: chief manager of the government4. Chief Diplomat: spokesperson to the world5. Commander in Chief: head of the armed forces

6. Chief Legislator: shapes the congressional agenda7. Party Chief: leader of the party that controls the presidency8. Chief Citizen: person who represents all the people, moral

leadership.

Presidential Qualifications

1. A natural born citizen2. At least 35 years old3. Resident of the U.S. for at least 14

yearsWho was the youngest president to

hold office?

Presidential Term and Salary

The president of the United States serves a term of 4 years in office.

How many terms can a president serve?

2 terms Name the president that served

more than 2 terms.

22nd Amendment

Reaction to FDR’s four terms in office and concerns over too much executive power led to the 22nd Amendment in 1951. (fear of a king)

Salary and Compensation

The Constitution determines that presidents should receive compensation.

Effective Jan. 1, 2001, the salary of the president of the United States was increased to $400,000 per year including a $50,000 expense account. Any unused amount of the $50,000 expense account is returned to the Treasury

Presidential Succession

John F. Kennedy in 1963

25th Amendment

After the death of JFK in 1963, the country realized the need for an official order of succession. (vice-president)

Congress ratified in 1967 the 25th Amendment, which established the order of succession to the presidency.

Line of Succession

Vice- PresidentSpeaker of the HousePresident Pro-tempore of the SenateSecretary of StateRest of the cabinet

25th Amendment

The 25th Amendment also states the procedure for choosing a vice-president.

President nominates (picks) a vice president.

Congress must confirm the nomination.Is it possible to have a president and Vice

President not elected by the people?Yes, Ford and Rockefeller.

How many presidents have died in office:8 Presidents in all died while in office. Died of natural causes while in office :9th W. Harrison died after one month in office,

12th Taylor (1849-1850), 29th Harding(1921-1923), 32nd Franklin D.Roosevelt (1933-1945) the only president elected to four terms.

Assassinated: 16th Lincoln (1861-1865), 20th Garfield

(3/1881-9/1881),25th McKinley (1897-1901), and 35th Kennedy (1961-1963).

Electoral College

The Constitution provides for the election of the president by the electoral college.

Why did our founding fathers choose not to elect the president by direct popular vote of the people?

lack of educationlack of knowledge about the candidatesrights of minorities could be compromised

by popular vote

Electoral College and the Constitution

The Electoral College process is described in Article II Section I:

Article. II.Section. 1. The executive Power shall be vested

in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years,and together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected,

as follows:

Electoral Map of the US

Electoral College: Step by Step

Step 1: Electors are chosen at the state level. (popular vote in primaries or caucuses)

Step 2: Voters cast their ballots on election day choosing between candidates. (they are really choosing groups of electors)

Step 3 : These electors are expected, though not bound to cast their votes for the majority candidate.

Step 4: Electors meet in the state capitals on the Monday following the second Wednesday in December to cast their electoral votes.

Step 5: The votes are officially counted in Wash. D. C. on January 6th. (270 out of 538 to win)

Step 6: The winner is sworn in on January 20th

Who swears in the president?Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Presidential Disability

What happens if a president becomes seriously disabled while in office?

The vice president becomes acting president under one of two conditions:

1. The president informs congress of an inability to perform the office.

2. The vice president can take over if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet informs Congress that the president is disabled.

Examples of Presidential Disability

1. President Garfield lingered between life and death for 80 days after he was shot in 1881.

2. A stroke disabled President Wilson in 1919. During his recovery Mrs. Wilson often performed his duties

How many years total can a President serve?

10 years

The First CabinetSoon after

Washington’s election Congress created a:

Department of State (Jefferson)

Department of Treasury (Hamilton)

Department of War (Knox)

Selection of the Cabinet

Today the president appoints the secretaries that head the 15 major executive departments.

Each appointee must be approved by the Senate.

12th Amendment

The twelfth amendment was added in reaction to the election of 1800. The 12th Amendment stated that electors must cast separate ballots for president and vice-president.