Introduction to American Government. Department of Government and Politics at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT

1. Chapter 14: The Presidency

3. Brown Brothers
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4. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning

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6. © John Atherton /UPI /Bettmann /Corbis
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8. © AP/ Wide World Photos

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12. AP Photo/Doug Mills

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14. © Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/Corbis
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15. © 2002 AP/ Wide World Photos
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18. Sec. 1: Election Procedures & Qualifications for Office
Executive: President & V.P.
4-year terms
Electoral College selection method;
each state has a proportional vote

19. Qualifications:
Natural-born citizen
35 years of age
Resident of U.S. for 14 years

20. V.P. takes over when POTUS is
removed, dies, resigns, unable to carry
out duties
Compensated for services
Oath: ―preserve, protect, defend
Constitution‖

22. Sec. 2: Powers
Commander-in-chief of armed forces
Require officers of executive
departments to give opinions on
subjects relating to their duties
Grant reprieves & pardons
Make treaties with advice & consent
of Senate (2/3 in agreement)

26. Appoint ambassadors, Supreme
Court Justices, other
government officers not
provided for in Constitution
(with Senate majority
confirmation)
Fill vacancies that may occur
during Senate recess

27. Sec. 3: Duties
Provide information on state of union
Recommend laws
Convene Congress on ―extraordinary‖
occasions
Adjourn Congress when chambers cannot agree
on time of adjournment
Receive ambassadors & other officials
Faithfully execute the laws

28. Washington: first state of union address, NYC
Jefferson: Discontinued speech; replaced with letter
Wilson: Reestablished speech
Roosevelt:
used phrase "State of the Union"
Calvin Coolidge: first on radio
Harry S. Truman: first on T.V.
Lyndon Johnson: first delivered in evening
Ronald Reagan: Only president to postpone address
Bill Clinton: delivered during impeachment trial
George W. Bush: first live on world wide web

29. Sec. 4: Impeachment & Removal from Office
All
civil officers, POTUS & VP, can
be removed for
treason, bribery, high crimes &
misdemeanors

30. President Andrew Johnson
1865 - 1869

31. Process of
Becoming President
• Nomination by one of two major
parties
• Majority of votes cast in Electoral
College
• If no candidate receives
majority, house elects president.
Each state delegation equals one

32. Electing the President
Electoral College:
Sec. 1: Election Procedures
• The Choice of Electors
• The Electors‘ Commitment
• Criticisms of the Electoral College
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33. CARLSON © 2004 The Washington Post. Reprinted with permission of
Universal Press Syndicate.
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34. How EC works:
Need greatest number of electors to win
 Each state’s EC vote total determined by number
of Representatives and Senators
 Each state: 2 senators; representatives
determined by population
 Connecticut: 7 total EC votes
 Minimum number of electors per state: 3
 District of Columbia’s EC votes same as WY

35. Breaking down numbers nationally…
538 electoral votes:
100 senators, 435 house members,
DC‘s 3 EC-votes
Need at least 270 to win (magic number)

36. How to Win a State‘s Electoral
Votes:
 Win ‗plurality‘ of popular vote to
win ECVs
 Except Maine and Nebraska:
Proportional plan
congressional districts
popular vote

37. Reforms: 12th Amendment
 Forces electors to cast separate votes
for Pres. & VP - prevent ties
 Old system:
Electors casted two votes for President.
Runner up V.P.
Could force enemies to work together:
Adams-Jefferson
Or, a tie is possible: Jefferson - Burr

38. Reforms: 23rd Amendment
 District of Columbia same as least
populous state (WY)
 WY chooses 3 electors, hence District
limited to 3 electors
 District originally envisioned as
center of government, not state
Did not have powers in EC
By 1960 had greater population than 13 of
50 states

39. United States Presidential
Elections and Electoral College
1789-2004

94. 2004 Election Results

95. 2004 Election County Results

96. Real Clear Politics: 2008 Electoral
College

97. Why the Electoral College
First: Prevents Tyranny of the Majority
Demagogues may attract many votes but no
guarantee they‘ll win individual states
Founders did not trust direct vote of
majority

98. Second:
Individual vote means more with
Electoral College
Instead of one of 120 million votes
nationally…
…yours is one of however many
voted statewide

99. Third: Preserves Federalism
Gives small states important role.
Lightly populated IA sees candidates
constantly
Without EC candidates promise large cities
what they want, get enough percentage there
to take election
Rural voter‘s concerns and others mean
nothing
EC respects big and small states, rural
areas and cities

100. WY‘s 3
ELCV‘s
have
more
impact
than
popular
votes of
its
citizens

102. THE PARADOX OF THE
PRESIDENCY
A Story of Great
Powers and Great
Limits

103. WHO CAN RUN IS LIMITED
The ―Natural Born Citizen‖
requirement.
What Does it Mean?
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104. 2008 presidential election:
Sen. McCain: born, Panama Canal
Zone, to two U.S. citizens
Is this considered natural-born?
The Constitution does not specify...

105. …yet, his birth status wasn‘t
an issue in 2008
Dodged that
bullet!

106. Sen. Obama:
mother, natural-born
citizen.
Father, Kenyan
national.
Mother age 18 at time
of birth, residing in
Hawaii.

107. According to laws at time, if only
one parent is a citizen, that parent
had to reside in U.S. for at least
10 years prior to birth; at least
five of which had to be after the
age of 16.
Obama‘s mother too young to meet
this requirement.

108. Yet Obama was born in U.S.
Question centered on interpretation
of ―natural-born‖ requirement
No naturalized citizen can run for
presidency

109. OPPONENTS
Repeal clause
Excludes gifted people due to technicalities
Doesn‘t appreciate value of immigrants
Prominent leaders barred from presidency

110. SUPPORTERS OF CLAUSE…
Requirement "protects" U.S. from foreign
interference
Who has better argument?

111. Head of State
Ceremonial: decorate war
heroes, dedications, hosting heads
of state, funerals, etc.
Washington assumed this power… like
recognizing nations

112. Chief Executive
Powers of Appointment, Removal, Grant
Reprieves and Pardons
Naming supreme court justices a great
power.
Why?

113. Commander-in-Chief
Wartime Powers
Ultimate decision-maker in military
matters
Powers shifted away from Congress
during past century

114. ―President shall be
commander in chief of Army &
Navy of U.S., and militia of
states‖
Vague

115. Clarifying Confusion
War Powers Act, 1973
1.POTUS informs Congress 48 hours
before sending troops into action
2.Withdraw after 60 days unless
Congress declares war; passes
resolution

116. Truman sent troops to Korea
Reagan invaded Grenada
Clinton deployed troops to Haiti
All without asking Congress.

117. But
Congress technically declares
War!
Last ―war‖ was W.W. II
Korean, Vietnam, Iraq not
technically wars

118. Democracy v. Constitutional Dictatorship
When does Democracy works best?
During time of War or Peace?

119. Times of peace!
Democracy requires debate and compromise
Weakness is during fast moving crisis:
o President needs to move fast
o Reason POTUS‘s war powers vague

121. Chief Legislator
Influencing Legislation
Saying No to Legislation
The Line-Item Veto

122. POTUS proposes legislation
Congress not required to pass it.
POTUS must be persuasive to move
legislation through Congress.

123. Power of veto is most important tool
to influence legislation
A President can…

124. 1. sign bill into law

125. 2. Veto bill
~ Withhold signature
~ Return bill with explanation by 10 days
~ Measure nullified unless both chambers
override veto by 2/3rds vote

126. 3. Take no action
~ Becomes law in 10 days without
signature
~ Unless congress adjourns by 10 days
Bill dies (pocket veto)
No explanation required
No override possible

127. POTUS is leader of his party
because:
Most visible
Highest ranking

128. Great sway over choice of
national committee
chairperson
Chair oversees platform and
supporting party candidates.

129. Leads National Party and Fifty
State Organizations:
Some presidents campaign hard
Each one different
Popularity ratings vs. party
building

130. Limitations as Party Leader:
 President of all Americans, not
just party
 Elected officials usually please
constituents before President

131. © 2004 AP/ Wide World Photos
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133. Only three presidents —
Eisenhower, Reagan, and
Clinton — left office with
ratings at a level comparable
to that when they entered.

134. Some great or near great
Some average
Some below average or poor

135. Presidential
Greatness
135

136. Greatest source of strength: public
approval
Particularly with legislative
leadership
President Obama’s
Approval Ratings

137. Should a president‘s decision
making be shaped by public
opinion polls?

138. Executive order:
Rule issued by POTUS
Has effect of law

139. Executive Privilege:
Concerns keeping communication between
president and advisers private
Constitution silent on issue
Though widely recognized as legitimate
Element of separation of powers

140. SCOTUS Limits Executive Privilege
in cases of criminal
investigation:
United States v. Nixon –
(8 – 0 ruling)

142. No president ever impeached and convicted
Pres. Johnson impeached by
House, acquitted by Senate
Nixon resigned
Clinton, 2 counts of
impeachment, acquitted by Senate

143. Despite scandals BC
left office with 66%
approval rating.
Investigated, but never
charged for fraudulent
real estate dealings.
Improper relationship
with intern Lewinsky
led to impeachment
charges

144. Nixon resigned
presidency August
9, 1974.
Later pardoned by
Ford for any
federal crimes
committed while
in office.

148. 
The 25th Amendment:
When the Vice Presidency
Becomes Vacant
When the President is
temporarily incapacitated

149. The Vice President
Called to Duty

150. Before 1967:
No provision to fill
vacancy - POTUS
dies, VP succeeds,
VP remains vacant.
JFK Assassination:
LBJ sworn in; Air
Force one; 2 hrs. 8
min. after
assassination

151. Since 1967:
25th Amendment: ―…Whenever there is a vacancy in
office of V.P., President shall nominate a V.P.
who shall take office upon confirmation by
majority vote of both Houses of Congress‖
First Time Used:
V.P. Agnew resigns due to criminal charges
Ford nominated by Nixon for V.P. Oct. 12, 1973
Confirmed by Congress

154. What if POTUS temporarily disabled?
surgery; mental instability; kidnapped
Amendment also provides for this
situation

155. President Reagan shot;
incapacitated during
surgery
No presidential
succession took place

156. Last office
created is
last to
control
Presidency