Order of Succession to the Presidency Vice President
- Slides: 7
Order of Succession to the Presidency Vice President Speaker of the House President pro tempore of the Senate Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security
The Powers of the President 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Veto Bills from Congress Call Congress into special session Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Pardon federal criminals Make treaties with other countries (with Senate approval) Appoint ambassadors, federal court judges, Supreme Court justices, top government officials (all with Senate
The State of the Union n The Constitution requires that the President report annually to Congress about the state of the country; this has become known as the “State of the Union Address”
Executive Orders -A rule or command that the President issues that has the force of law n Only Congress can make laws n President can issue Executive Orders to ensure laws are being carried out properly
Criminal Matters The President can assist those being charged with federal crimes in 3 ways: 1. Pardon ~ a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment (Ex: Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford) 2. Amnesty ~ a pardon toward a group of people (Ex: Jimmy Carter gave amnesty to Vietnam era draft dodgers) 3. Reprieve ~ order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear the case (Ex: in the case of a person on death row)
Military and War Powers Only Congress has the power to declare War n Only the President has the power to order American troops into battle n n The Five ‘Declared Wars’: n The War of 1812, Mexican American War, Spanish American War, (including World War I, Worldand War Many military actions Vietnam the. II current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) have been authorized by Congress without a formal declaration of war
Why has the President’s power grown so much in the past 100 years? n The unity of the Presidency n One President, 535 in Congress As the nation becomes more complex, the executive branch has had to take on more powers n Crisis Points n n n War, the Depression, natural disasters, terrorism Mass media n The President is one a truly ‘public’ figure