Chapter 13:The Presidency Part 1 Academic Government 2016
What is the function, evolution, contemporary relevance, and organization of the United States Presidency and Executive Branch?
13.1: Presidential Roles
Section Objectives Students will be able to describe the 8 presidential roles Students will understand the formal and informal qualifications to be president Students will be able to explain how the Presidential Office has changed over time Students will know the purpose and founding circumstances for the 22 nd amendment Students will know the salary and formal and informal benefits provided to the president Students will be able to apply the above concepts in practical circumstantial examples and contemporary political and governmental events
Key Terms Chief of State: the ceremonial head of the government Chief Executive: the leader of the executive branch and holder of executive power under the Constitution Chief Administrator: the director or manager of the executive branch Chief Diplomat: the main architect of national foreign policy and it s chief spokesperson to the rest of the world
Key Terms Continued Commander in Chief: the leader of the nation s armed forces Chief Legislator: the main author of the nation s public policies Chief of Party: the leader of the political party controlling the executive branch Chief Citizen: the representative of the people, spokesperson of the people, and champion of public interest
Presidential Roles The President acts as the Chief of State, the ceremonial head of the United States Government and the symbol of the American people The President is the Chief Executive, holding the nation s executive power in domestic and foreign affairs The President is the Chief Administrator, directing more than 2.7 million civilian employees of the executive branch
Presidential Roles Continued The President is the nation s Chief Diplomat, the bridge between the United States and the international community and the shaper of foreign policy and relationships
Presidential Roles Continued The President is the Commander in Chief of the 1.4 million men and women of the nation s armed forces
Presidential Roles Continued The President is the Chief Legislator, proposing laws that set the congressional legislative agenda The President is the unofficial head of the political party that controls the executive branch The President is the unofficial Chief Citizen, expected to champion the public interest and express thoughts and concerns of the American people to other counties and the American government
Which Role of the President do you think is most important? Explain. Chief of State Chief Executive Chief Administrator Chief of Diplomat Commander in Chief Chief Legislator Head of Party Chief Citizen
Formal Qualifications to be President What are the 3 Requirements to be eligible to hold the Presidential Office? Natural born citizenship Minimum Age of 35 U.S. Residency for 14 years
Terms in Office The constitution set no term limits for the Presidential Office George Washington set an unofficial precedent for stepping down after 2 terms Franklin Roosevelt broke this custom by being elected to 4 terms from 1932 to 1944
Terms in Office Continued 22 nd Amendment Ratified in 1944 Limits Presidents to serving 2 full elected terms If a vice president succeeds to the office after the middle of the term, he can still seek two full elected terms No president can serve more than 10 years in office
Pay and Benefits Congress decides the President s annual salary The salary cannot be changed effecting the current president in office The current salary (since 2001) is $400,000 Additional $50,000 for Expenses Additional $19,000 for Entertaining Additional $100,000 for Travel The Constitution forbids the President from receiving other pay while in office
Benefits White House Staff Bowling Alley Movie Theater Basketball Courts Air Force One Camp David Cars Helicopters Healthcare Early Movie Releases Tax Breaks Free Stuff in General
13.2: The Vice Presidency and Presidential Succession
Student Objectives Students will be able to identify and explain how the Constitution provides for presidential succession Students will understand the provisions in the Constitution for presidential disability Students will know and be able to apply knowledge related to the 25 th amendment and presidential succession act of 1947 Students will analyze the opposing arguments regarding the inclusion of Congressional politicians in the line of presidential succession Students will be able to explain the constitutional responsibilities of the Vice President, its historical and social status, and its recent growth
Key Terms Presidential Succession: the system and means by which the presidential office is filled after death, resignation, or impeachment Presidential Succession Act of 1947: the current law fixing the order of succession to the presidency Balancing the Ticket: the act of choosing a vice presidential running mate to fill voter deficit or weaknesses in public opinion to strengthen the chances of election
Presidential Succession The Vice President has succeeded the President 9 times in U.S. History Vague Constitution Guidelines Powers and Duties vs. Office Succession John Tyler First Vice Presidential Succession Replaced William Harrison 1841 Set a precedent for succeeding the title and office of president, not just the duties
Presidential Succession Continued 25 th Amendment The Vice President now formally succeeds the office as well as the duties and powers of the President Disability Issues: The Vice President becomes the acting President if The President informs Congress in writing that he cannot fulfill the duties of his office The Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet members inform Congress that the President is not fit to meet the responsibilities of his position The President can inform Congress in writing when such a disability no longer exists to resume these powers
Order of Succession The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the order of the positions or people who fill the presidency after the Vice President The order and included members changes fairly frequently The inclusion of Congressional Offices is controversial. Why?
The Vice Presidency What are the formal duties of the Vice President? The Constitution gives the Vice President 2 formal duties: Presiding over the Senate and helping the Cabinet Members decide when or if the President is disabled Otherwise, the Vice President is meant to be prepared to fulfill the position of president if necessary Historically has a low status in government and society Recently mass media has given Vice Presidents more of a platform to promote certain causes or projects Vice Presidents are often chose to Balance the Ticket
Vice Presidential Vacancy The Vice Presidency has been left vacant 18 times: 9 times by succession 7 times by death 2 times by resignation 25 th Amendment President appoints a new Vice President Must be confirmed by both houses of congress 1973: Gerald Ford was the first Vice President appointed in this way
Practice: Replace that Politician 1. The President s helicopter is lost somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico without a trace of evidence. 2. The White House is flooded by a tsunami and the President and Vice President drown in the Oval Office. 3. The Vice President goes sailing, wrecks is boat, and is eaten by a shark. 4. The Speaker of the House and the Vice President have a sushi date and die of unknown shellfish allergies. 5. The President has an aneurism and becomes mentally disabled. 6. Vicious hormone effected fish in the Potomac River grow legs and fatally attack the President, Speaker of the House, and Vice President. 7. The President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President pro Tempor, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, and Secretary of Defense contract a rare disease and enter comas. 8. The President s family is taken hostage on Air Force One and is being forced to negotiate with terrorists. 9. The Capitol Building is bombed during the State of the Union Address killing everyone inside.
13.3: The Electoral College
Student Objectives Students will understand the Framer s purpose and intent for the Electoral College Students will understand how the function of the Electoral College has shifted over time Students will draw conclusions on the effect of political parties on the electoral system Students will understand the problems that arose in the elections of 1796 and 1800 Students will be ably to apply this information to understand the purpose and development of the 12 th amendment
Key Terms Presidential Elector: an elected individual who casts the formal votes to fill the Presidential Office Electoral Vote: one of two votes cast by an elector for either the President or Vice President Electoral College: the group of people chosen from each state to formally select the President and Vice President
The Constitutional Debate The framers of the Constitution debated on whether or not the President should be chosen by Congress or Popular Vote Opponents of congressional selection felt it would upset the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches Opponents of popular election felt that the people would not know enough about the candidates to make wise choices
The Electoral College Alexander Hamilton proposed an alternate solution The framers created an Electoral College, a special body of electors voting to represent each state Each state had as many electors as senators and representatives in Congress State legislatures were given the power to decide how electors were chosen in their state
Electoral College: The Original Plan Each elector would cast 2 votes, each for a different candidate The candidate with the most electoral votes would become president The candidate with the second most electoral votes would become vice president In a contemporary political election what might the problem be with that system? The framers did not plan for the complications caused by the formation and rise of political parties competing for the presidency
The Election of 1796 John Adams finished with the most electoral votes Federalist Thomas Jefferson finished with the secondmost electoral votes Democratic-Republican Jefferson was Adams Vice President even though they were political rivals
The Election of 1800 To fix having rival party members working together in the executive branch, parties nominated 2 candidates 1 for President 1 for Vice President John Adams and Alexander Hamilton ran on a Federalist ticket Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr ran on a Democratic-Republican ticket Each party also nominated electors sworn to voting for their nominees Each Democratic-Republican elector voted once for each candidate, resulting in a tie.
Jefferson had run as the Presidential Candidate Burr had run as the Vice Presidential Candidate There was no rule stating that Jefferson should win the tie The House of Representatives voted 36 times to break the tie Jefferson became President Burr became Vice President
The 12 th Amendment In 1804 the 12 th Amendment separated the Presidential and Vice Presidential elections Electors now vote once for the President and once for the Vice President But the votes are tallied separately https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48ezkxwegdo
Exit Slip: While watching the video clip please note: 1 way that states are able to effect the election process AND 1 way the political parties effect the election process
13.4: Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions, Oh My.
Student Objectives Students will understand and be able to define the purpose of national party conventions, primaries, and caucuses Students will be able to evaluate the benefits of a primary system versus a caucus system Students will be able to outline the events and goals of the convention process Students can evaluate the characteristics and influences that effect the choice of presidential nominee Students will be able to use their knowledge of the aforementioned topics to evaluate the current 2016 Presidential election and their opinions of the process and candidates
Key Terms Presidential Primary: an election in which voters express their preference for a certain presidential candidate and/or elect delegates to the national convention to represent their interests Winner-Take-All: the division of delegates where the candidate with the majority of the vote gets all of the electoral delegates/vote Proportional Representation: the division of delegates where the candidates receive the same percentage of the electoral delegates as they received of the popular vote
Key Terms Continued Caucus: a closed meeting of party members where they debate and decide on delegates to represent their interests at the state and then national convention National Convention: a quadrennial meeting where parties decide their presidential ticket Platform: a party s formal statement of their beliefs or principles Keynote Address: the speech opening the national convention
Nominating the President Not outlined in the Constitution The two major political parties in the United States have outlined and created a system Originally the President was nominated through a congressional caucus 1832 Each parties national committee names the time and date of their national convention This acts as a call to start the presidential nominating process
Presidential Primaries What is a Primary? Public votes to either elect presidential candidate and/or select delegates 1900s ¾ delegates to convention come from primary systems New Hampshire (First) How do state s effect the Primary System? Delegate selection Set date & place Who votes How they vote For whom can be voted
Evaluating & Reform Test Contenders Expose Negative Characteristics Test Public Backing Name Recognition Financial Backing Public Voice Expensive Time Consuming
Caucuses Closed meeting to choose delegates Aligned v Ballot District State National Oldest Method Selects ¼ of delegates at national convention Iowa (First)
National Conventions Democratic 2016: Philadelphia, PA Republican 2016: Cleveland, OH Convention Goals Name Presidential and Vice Presidential Nominees Usually a formality Uniting the Party Formally Adopting the Party Platform Generates Media Attention and Popular Support
Group Activity: Compare and Contrast the Primary, Caucus, and National Convention systems of the Republican and Democratic party.
Current Event Relevancy http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/politics/wisconsinprimary-election-2016-takeaways (First 3 Videos) http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/pri mary-calendar-and-results.html
Race for the Presidency 1-4 Years before Election January to June of Election Year August to September of Election Year September to November of Election Year Tuesday after the First Monday in November Monday after the Second Wednesday in December January 20 th
Political Cartoons
EXAGGERATION
COMMUNICATION
POLITICAL AGENDA
GERMANIC STYLE
INFLUENCE/ USE IN CAMPAIGNS
1900S
KEPPLER
WORLD-WIDE IMPACT
2000S
OBJECTS
USING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
USING ACTIONS
COMPOSITION
WORDS
COMPARISON
COMPOSITION
COLOR
PRACTICE
13.5: Electoral Vote Plans
Student Objectives Students will be able to describe and explain how the electoral college works to elect the president Students will understand the different ways the states regulate the votes of presidential electors Students will be able to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the current electoral college system Student will evaluate and understand the benefits and drawbacks of proposed reforms to the electoral college system
Key Terms Swing Voter: a voter who has not made at their mind at the start of a campaign Battleground State: a state in which either candidate has a stronghold District Plan: electors are chosen at a congressional district level
Key Terms Continued Proportional Plan: electoral vote is split based on the percentage of popular vote Direct Popular Election: the electoral college is abolished National Popular Vote Plan: interstate compact in which states agree to give their electoral vote to the national popular vote winner
How does Popular Vote effect Elections? Popular vote chooses presidential electors rather than presidential candidates
Review: How are Electors Chosen? Electors are chosen by the outcome of the state popular vote Electors meet at the state capital in December These official votes are sent to Washington D.C. and tallied The Framers expected electors to use their own judgement but now: Electors are Bound to State Popular Vote Electors are Bound to a Political Party Electors can be unbound Faithless Electors: http://tropicsofmeta.com/2013/09/16/how-do-different-states-allocate-their-electoral-votes
Counting Electoral Votes Each State has as many electors as members of Congress The minimum number of electors is 2 Senators 1 House Representative Winner-take-All States give all of their electoral vote to the candidate that wins the popular vote
Defects with the Electoral System The winner-take-all system and the unequal distribution of State electoral votes means that the winner of the electoral vote might lose the popular vote Accurate Representation of Population
Bush v. Gore In 2000, Al Gore narrowly won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the electoral college by one vote Florida s popular vote was disputed, leading to a recount stopped by a 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court, giving Bush Florida s 25 electoral votes. Equal Treatment of Ballots
Proposed Reforms District Plan: every State congressional district selects its own electors by popular vote Advantages Disadvantages Proportional Plan: gives each candidate a share of the State electoral vote equal to their share of the State popular vote Advantages Disadvantages Direct Popular Vote: voters would vote directly for President and Vice President Advantages Disadvantages
National Popular Vote Plan http://www.nationalpopularvo te.com/written-explanation Rhode Island Vermont Hawaii District of Columbia Maryland Massachusetts Wisconsin New Jersey Illinois New York California 165/270
Defending the Electoral College What are the arguments for keeping the electoral college? It s comfortable Clear winner margin Identifiable winner Promotes 2 party system Campaign costs
Review https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/80ac0fd6-dab0-4c91-b84ab6a80bd62a31 Introduction Chapter 14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynxxeygb7yy