chapter 13: the presidency section 2 - kenston local...

Chapter 13: The PresidencySection 2

1

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 2Chapter 13, Section 2

Objectives

1. Explain how the Constitution provides forpresidential succession.

2. Understand the constitutional provisionsrelating to presidential disability.

3. Describe the role of the Vice President.


Key Terms

• presidential succession: the scheme bywhich a presidential vacancy is filled

• Presidential Succession Act of 1947:the current law fixing the order ofsuccession to the presidency after theVice President

• balance the ticket: the practice ofchoosing a vice presidential running matewho can strengthen the presidentialcandidate’s chance of being elected


Introduction

• What occurs when the President is unableto perform the duties of the office?

– If a President dies, resigns, or is removed byimpeachment, the Vice President succeeds tothe presidency.

– If the President is temporarily incapacitated,the Vice President becomes Acting Presidentuntil the President can resume office.


Presidential Succession

• The Vice Presidentsucceeded the Presidentnine times in U.S. history,beginning with John Tylerreplacing WilliamHarrison in 1841.

• At first, the Vice Presidenttechnically assumed onlythe powers and duties ofthe presidency.

5


Presidential Succession, cont.

• However, the custom was that the Vice Presidenttook the presidential office as well.

• Under the 25th

Amendment, adoptedin 1967, the VicePresident nowformally assumesthe office ofPresident.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: The above photo shows Lyndon B. Johnson beingsworn into office, after President Kennedy’s assassination.

6


Order of Succession

• The PresidentialSuccession Act of 1947sets the order ofsuccession after the VicePresident.

• The presiding officers ofCongress are followed bythe heads of the cabinetdepartments in the orderthat they were created.

7


Presidential Disability

• For many years, there were no provisions fordeciding if a President was too disabled tocontinue in office.

– Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919 and wastoo ill to meet with his cabinet for seven months.

– President Eisenhower had three serious buttemporary illnesses while in office.

– In 1981, President Reagan was badly wounded in anassassination attempt.

8


Presidential Disability, cont.

• The 25th Amendment addressed thedisability issue. The Vice Presidentbecomes Acting President if:

– The President informs Congress, in writing,that he or she cannot carry out the powersand duties of the office, OR

– The Vice President and a majority of themembers of the Cabinet inform Congress, inwriting, that the President is incapacitated.

NOTE TO TEACHERS: This clause has been enacted briefly on three timesduring medical procedures: once by Reagan in 1985, and twice by George W.Bush, first in 2002 and then 2007.

9


The Vice Presidency

• Checkpoint: What are the formal duties ofthe Vice President?

– The Constitution gives the Vice President twoformal duties: to preside over the Senate, andto help decide if the President is disabled(under the 25th Amendment).

– Otherwise, the Vice President must be readyto assume the duties of the presidency ifnecessary.

Checkpoint Answer: The Vice President’s only formal duties are to presideover the Senate, to help determine if the President is disabled, and to beready to assume the duties of the presidency if needed.

10


The Vice Presidency, cont.

• Historically, the office of Vice President has had lowstatus.

• Often the vice presidential candidate is chosenbecause he or she can balance the ticket, helpingthe president get elected due to personalcharacteristics such as ideology, geographicbackground, race, ethnicity, or gender.

• This puts little emphasis on the presidential qualitiespossessed by a vice presidential candidate.

11


• Recent Vice Presidents have had more politicalexperience and influence.

• Dick Cheney iswidely viewed asthe most influentialvice president inhistory.

• Joe Biden, right,brought years offoreign policyexperience to hisoffice.

The Vice Presidency Today

NOTE TO TEACHERS: The above image shows Vice President Joe Bidenaddressing the press.

12


The Vice Presidency Today, cont.

• No Vice Presidenthas been given asmuch power as thePresident, in partbecause thePresident cannotremove the VicePresident.– What does this

cartoon imply aboutthe growth of thepower of the VicePresident?

Political Cartoon Question Answer: This cartoon implies that the VicePresident has gained too much power, because the boy’s question assumesthat the nation will be endangered if something happens to the Vice Presidentwhile the President is still around.


Vice Presidential Vacancy

• The vice presidency has been left vacantnine times by succession, seven times bydeath, and twice by resignation.

• Under the 25th Amendment, the Presidentcan fill a vice presidential vacancy bynominating a Vice President, who must beconfirmed by both houses of Congress.

– In 1973, Gerald Ford became the first VicePresident appointed in this fashion.

14


Review

• Now that you have learned about whatoccurs when the President is unable toperform the duties of the office, go backand answer the Chapter EssentialQuestion.– Does the current electoral process result in

the best candidates for President?

chapter 13: the presidency section 2 - kenston local...

Documents