The Executive Branch

The Presidency• Roles• Formal Qualifications• President’s Terms• Pay and Benefits• Presidential

Succession and the Vice Presidency• Presidential

Nominations• Presidential Elections

The Roles of the President• Chief of State• The ceremonial head

of government

• Chief Executive• He executes or

enforces the laws

• Chief Administrator• The head director of

the largest government in the world

The Roles of the President (Cont)• Chief Diplomat• The main architect of foreign

policy

• The Commander in Chief• The head of the military

• The Chief Legislator• Sets the policy agenda of the

country• State of the Union address

• Chief of Party• Leader of his or her political

party

• Chief Citizen• The President works for and

represents the public interest.

The Three Formal Qualifications for President• A “natural born

citizen… of the United States”• http://www.thedailys

how.com/watch/thu-april-28-2011/longformers

• Be at least 35 year of age• “Have been fourteen

years a resident within the United States.”

The President’s Term• The President serves

two, four year terms.• Has a President ever

served more that 8 years?• A President may serve no

more than 10 years.• The 22nd Amendment,

adopted in 1951, set presidential term limits.• Are term limits

democratic?

Pay and Benefits• Pay was first set at

$25,000 a year, in 1789.• It is now $400,000 a year.• Congress sets the figure.• Also, $50,000 a year

expense account.• Use of White House.• A fleet of automobiles,

and Air Force One and Marine One.

• Use of Camp David• A resort in Maryland

Presidential Succession• Presidential succession is

the order in which a presidential vacancy is filled.• Succession occurs if a

President dies, resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment.• The Presidential

Succession Act of 1947 outlines the current law on the matter.

The Vice Presidency• “I am the Vice

President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.” – John Adams• The Constitution assigns

this position 2 duties• To preside over the

Senate• To help decide the

question of presidential disability.

Presidential Nominations• The national convention is

the way that presidential candidates are nominated.

• Each state sends a number of delegates to the convention.

• States hold presidential primary elections to pick who will represent the party in the general election.• http://www.thedailyshow.com/

watch/wed-march-14-2012/march-14--2012---pt--1

• http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-may-30-2012/johnny-pregnant-pause-versus-captain-chucklebuns

Who is Nominated?• If an incumbent

President wants another term, than they get the nomination.

• If no President, up to a dozen or so contenders run in the primary elections and the winner is chosen at the convention.

• http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/nomination.php

The Presidential Election• Who officially elects the

president?• The Electoral College

• The people elect the electors.• Each state has as many electors

as members of congress.• Arizona: 2 Senators + 8

Representatives = 10 Electoral College votes

• Electors are chosen on a winner take all basis (except for Nebraska and Maine).

• A candidate must earn a majority of the votes (270 out of 538) to win the election.

How do the Electors Vote• The Electors vote based

on how the popular vote went.

• This differs from the way the Founders envisioned the electoral college.

• They felt the electors should use their independent judgment in selecting a president.

• Now the electoral college is just a “rubber stamp”.

Flaws in the Electoral College • The winner of the popular

vote is not guaranteed the presidency

• Electors are not required to vote in accordance with the popular vote

• Any election might have to be decided in the House of Representatives• If a candidate does not win

a majority because of a major 3rd party candidate.

The Presidency in Action• Executive offices,

executive departments and independent executive agencies are the mechanism for the executive branch to execute the laws that the legislative branch makes.