The Presidency Overview Qualifications Demographics Presidential Roles Organization

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The Presidency

The Presidency

Overview • • Qualifications & Demographics Presidential Roles Organization of the Executive Branch Presidential

Overview • • Qualifications & Demographics Presidential Roles Organization of the Executive Branch Presidential Power

Qualifications • Article II, Section 1: – Natural Born Citizen – 35 years old

Qualifications • Article II, Section 1: – Natural Born Citizen – 35 years old – 14 year resident of U. S.

Presidential Roles Chief Executive – oversee federal bureaucracy – administer and execute the law

Presidential Roles Chief Executive – oversee federal bureaucracy – administer and execute the law

Presidential Roles Chief of State: largely ceremonial or symbolic functions where President represents the

Presidential Roles Chief of State: largely ceremonial or symbolic functions where President represents the country as a whole

Presidential Roles Commander in Chief • Civilian control of Armed forces.

Presidential Roles Commander in Chief • Civilian control of Armed forces.

Presidential Roles Chief Diplomat – negotiate and sign treaties – appoint diplomats – receive

Presidential Roles Chief Diplomat – negotiate and sign treaties – appoint diplomats – receive foreign officials – negotiate and sign executive agreements

Presidential Roles Chief Legislator – recommend legislation to Congress – set legislative agenda –

Presidential Roles Chief Legislator – recommend legislation to Congress – set legislative agenda – veto power

Presidential Roles Chief of Party

Presidential Roles Chief of Party

Checks on the President • Commander in Chief • Congress declares war • Congress

Checks on the President • Commander in Chief • Congress declares war • Congress controls budget • War Powers Act (1973) – 48 hour alert to Congress – troops stay for 60 days pending Congressional approval – With no approval, troops must be withdrawn

Checks on the President • Chief Executive – Senate must approve presidential appointments –

Checks on the President • Chief Executive – Senate must approve presidential appointments – Civil Service protection for most appointees – Congress controls the budget

Checks on the President • Chief Diplomat – Senate confirmation of ambassadors – Senate

Checks on the President • Chief Diplomat – Senate confirmation of ambassadors – Senate confirmation of treaties • Chief Legislator – President does not have seat in Congress – Congress can override veto

Checks on the President • Party Chief – term limit and “lame duck” status

Checks on the President • Party Chief – term limit and “lame duck” status – loose organization of American parties makes it difficult to “lead”

15 Departments

15 Departments

e. g. , WHO, CEA, NSC, OMB

e. g. , WHO, CEA, NSC, OMB

e. g. , CIA, EPA, NASA, NRC, Peace Corps

e. g. , CIA, EPA, NASA, NRC, Peace Corps

Presidential Powers • Two types of presidential powers: – Formal • those determined by

Presidential Powers • Two types of presidential powers: – Formal • those determined by the statute and the Constitution – Informal • those based on tradition, personal traits, political and sociological realities

Powers of the President Formal Powers Appointment Treaties and Foreign Policy Veto/Sign Legislation

Powers of the President Formal Powers Appointment Treaties and Foreign Policy Veto/Sign Legislation

Powers of the President • Special Executive Powers – Executive Orders • A rule

Powers of the President • Special Executive Powers – Executive Orders • A rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. • They can – enforce legislative statutes – enforce the Constitution or treaties – establish or modify rules and practices of executive administrative agencies • Published in The Federal Register – EO by disposition (FDR to Obama)

Presidential Powers • Formal Powers include: – Executive Privilege • ability to withhold information

Presidential Powers • Formal Powers include: – Executive Privilege • ability to withhold information from Congress or to refuse to recognize Congressional subpoena

Presidential Power • Informal Powers: – Access to Media • use of mass media

Presidential Power • Informal Powers: – Access to Media • use of mass media allows president to reach public in a way that no other institution or politician in government can

Presidential Power • Informal Powers (cont’d) – Persuasion • Bargain with members of Congress

Presidential Power • Informal Powers (cont’d) – Persuasion • Bargain with members of Congress and bureaucracy • Success depends on variety of factors, including: – personal communication skills – partisan divide in Congress – public approval ratings

Powers of the President • Executive Privilege – The right of executive officials to

Powers of the President • Executive Privilege – The right of executive officials to withhold information from or to refuse to appear before a legislative committee • Emergency Powers – An inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis

Powers of the President • Informal Powers – Persuasion – Personal communication skills –

Powers of the President • Informal Powers – Persuasion – Personal communication skills – Partisan divide in Congress – Place in term – Public Opinion ratings

Powers of the President Source: Wall Street Journal

Powers of the President Source: Wall Street Journal

Electing the President • Longest campaign election of any elected office in US, probably

Electing the President • Longest campaign election of any elected office in US, probably the world • Unique electoral system in US • Three stages

Primary Season • To win presidency, candidates generally need to secure nomination of major

Primary Season • To win presidency, candidates generally need to secure nomination of major party • Since the 1972 presidential election, both parties have relied on party primary elections to solve this

Primary Season • Primary Elections run from late January through June in the year

Primary Season • Primary Elections run from late January through June in the year preceding the general election (2008 calendar here) • Elections come in 2 types: – closed (must be party member to vote) – open (open to all registered voters) (state by state summaries available here)

Primary Season • The aim in these elections is to win delegates to the

Primary Season • The aim in these elections is to win delegates to the party conventions • Each party allocates a set number of delegates to each state, based on the number of registered party members of that party in the state

Primary Season • In addition, the Democratic party has 796 “superdelegates” who are party

Primary Season • In addition, the Democratic party has 796 “superdelegates” who are party leaders and who are not pledged to vote for any particular candidate prior to the convention (NJ has 18 of these) • The Republicans have 123 unpledged party leaders who are at the convention with voting rights

Primary Season • The two major parties use different systems for allocating delegates though

Primary Season • The two major parties use different systems for allocating delegates though – Republicans generally use “winner-take-all” format • the candidate that wins the primary gets all that state’s delegates [2008 totals for Republican primaries here] – Democrats use “proportional” rep • candidates are allocated delegates based on the percentage of the vote received [2008 totals for Democratic primaries here]

Nominating Convention • Held late summer (usually the last two weeks of August through

Nominating Convention • Held late summer (usually the last two weeks of August through early September) • Nominate president, vice-president, and adopt party platform Democratic Convention (8/25 -28) Republican Convention (9/1 -4)

General Election Campaign • Generally runs from end of convention through the election •

General Election Campaign • Generally runs from end of convention through the election • Election is held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

General Election • To be elected president, candidate must receive a majority of votes

General Election • To be elected president, candidate must receive a majority of votes cast in the Electoral College

General Election • Formula for allocating seats is: # of Reps + # of

General Election • Formula for allocating seats is: # of Reps + # of Sen = E. C. V 435 + 100 = 535 D. C. gets 3 (23 rd Amendment) so 538/2 = 269+1 = 270 votes needed to be president

General Election • Aim is to win enough states so that the electoral college

General Election • Aim is to win enough states so that the electoral college vote is over 270 • This means it is possible for a candidate to win more popular votes and still lose the election (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000)

Electoral College • Members of the Electoral College vote in each state (they do

Electoral College • Members of the Electoral College vote in each state (they do not collectively assemble) • Cast ballots on the 1 st Monday after the 2 nd Wednesday in December.

Electoral College • If no candidate received 270 votes, then: – House of Representatives

Electoral College • If no candidate received 270 votes, then: – House of Representatives elects president • take top 3 vote getters • each states gets 1 vote – Senate elects vice president • take top 2 vote getters • each senator gets 1 vote

Vice Presidency • Same requirements as president, except cannot be from same state as

Vice Presidency • Same requirements as president, except cannot be from same state as the president (12 th Amendment) • President of the Senate • Other responsibilities as designated by the President

Removal and Succession • Removal: – Election – Impeachment – Resignation – Death –

Removal and Succession • Removal: – Election – Impeachment – Resignation – Death – Illness

Removal • Illness: 25 th Amendment – President informs Congress – If President unable

Removal • Illness: 25 th Amendment – President informs Congress – If President unable to inform Congress, then VP does it, with majority vote of cabinet – If dispute over whether President is able to return to office, 2/3 rds vote of Congress decides whether VP stays or not

Succession • Succession Act of 1947 – Pres – VP – Speaker of the

Succession • Succession Act of 1947 – Pres – VP – Speaker of the House – President pro tempore of Senate – Cabinet Secretaries chronologically arranged by creation of department