CHAPTER 13:1. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

CHAPTER 13:1. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Chapter 13:1 Objectives:

o WHAT: Explain the many roles a President must play.

o WHAT: Explain how the President’s roles are interrelated.

o WHAT: Explain the guidelines, qualifications, and terms of the President.

o WHY: 12.4(4). Discuss Article II of the Constitution as it relates to the executive branch, including eligibility for office and length of term, election to and removal from office, the oath of office, and the enumerated executive powers.

(Num 12:3) (Now the man

Moses was very meek, above

all the men which were upon

the face of the earth.)

o What characteristics are important to you

for President of the United States?

o Good looks?

o Good Education?

o Good character/moral lifestyle?

o Good communicator?

Six Roles Of the President:

o Job Description of the President.

o Six roles that come directly

from the Constitution:

Chief of State:

o The ceremonial head of the

government of the United States.

o The symbol of all the people of

the nation.

o Both reigns and rules.

o Is the chief representative of the

country, similar to a monarch.

Chief Executive:

o Given “the executive power of the

United States.”

o The power is measurably broad

in both domestic and foreign

affairs.

o Is described as “the most

powerful office in the world.”

Chief Administrator:

o Chief administrator of the federal government.

o Heading one of the largest governmental machines the world has known.

o Directs an administration that employs three million civilians.

o Spends $2 trillion a year.

Job Description of the President.

o Chief Diplomat:

o The main architect of American

foreign policy and the nation’s

chief spokesman to the rest of

the world.

Commander In Chief:

. o Leader of the Armed Forces.

o All the nation’s military arsenal

are subject to the President’s

direct and immediate control.

Chief of Party:

o The acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.

o Parties are not mentioned in the Constitution.

o But they play vital role in the function of the American government.

Chief Citizen:

o The office also makes it occupant

the nation’s chief citizen.

o The president is expected to be “the

representative of all the people.”

o The one to work for and represent

the public interest against the many

private interests.

Chief legislator:

o The main architect of its public policies.

o The President sets the overall shape of the congressional agenda.

o Initiating

o Suggesting

o Requesting

o Insisting

o Demanding

o That Congress enacts much of the major legislation that it does.

FORMAL QUALIFICATION:

o “A natural born citizen.”

o Someone who is born in the 50

States and its territories.

o Maybe that someone born

abroad as an American Citizen.

o Such as in the grounds of a

military base or embassy.


o Be at least 35 years of age.

o JFK youngest to be elected

president at 43.

o Teddy Roosevelt became

president by succession at the

age of 42.


o Have lived in the United States

for at least 14 years.

o Do you think the United States should

allow citizens not born in the U.S. to run

for president?

THE PRESIDENT’S TERM:

o Framers settled into a four-year term.

o Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist No. 71.

o In Federalist No. 71, he wrote that four years was a long enough period for a president to have gained:

o Experience

o Demonstrated his abilities.

o Established stable policies.


o Not until 1951, did the

Constitution place a term limit for

president (22d Amendment)

o There was a unwritten traditional

precedence for two terms starting

with Washington.


o FDR broke the tradition by winning a third term in 1940 and a fourth in 1944.

o Afterwards, the unwritten custom limiting presidential terms became a part of the written constitution.

o Now a president can only run for two terms in office (22d Amendment).

ALTERNATE SCENARIO: o A president who succeeded to the office

beyond the midpoint in a term.

o To which another person was originally elected.

o Could possibly serve for more than eight years.

o The President may finish out the predecessor’s term and then seek two full terms on their own.

o No President may now serve more than 10 years.

Concerns:

o Reagan and Truman argue that it is undemocratic to have term limits.

o It keeps an arbitrary limit when the people should decide.

o Some say that the amendment undercuts the authority of a two term president.

o Especially in the latter part of his second term.

ALTERNATE SCENARIO:

o Supporters of the amendment defend it as a reasonable safeguard against executive tyranny.

o Some like Carter and LBJ wanted one six-year term.

o So the President did not have to encounter the grind of the reelection campaign and just focus on the Presidency.

AMENITIES:

o Paid $400,000 per year.

o Congress providing a $50,000

expense allowance.

o That will allow the President to

spend the money however they

want and is a taxed part of his

income.

Amenities: o A magnificent Mansion set to a 18.3

acre estate (The White House)

o Sizable site of offices and a large

staff.

o A yacht, a fleet of automobiles,

o A lavishly fitted Air Force I.

o Several other planes and

helicopters.

Amenities: o A resort hideaway in the

Catoctin Mountains in

Maryland (Camp David)

o The finest medical, dental, and

other health care available;

o Generous travel and

entertainment funds;

o Many other fringe benefits.

Amenities:

o Since 1958, former Presidents

have received a lifetime

pension of $143,800 a year.

o A presidential widow is entitled

to $20,000.

o Do you think the president should be able

to run for re-election more than two terms?


o WHAT: Explain the provisions of Presidential successions.

o WHAT: Explain how the Presidential disability is determined and dealt with.

o WHAT: Explain the Vice Presidency, in history and today.


Exo_24:13 And Moses rose up,

and his minister Joshua: and

Moses went up into the mount

of God.

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION OF VICE PRESIDENCY:

o If the President dies, or resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment:

o Vice President automatically succeeds to the office.

o Originally, the Constitution did not provide for succession of the Vice President.

o Rather, it declared that “the powers and duties” of the office, not the office itself, were to “devolve on the Vice President.”

o (VP in title, President in action)

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION OF VICE PRESIDENCY:

o The practice began with John Tyler in 1841.

o Should the office become vacant, the Vice President succeeded to it.

o That informal amendment became a part of the written Constitution with the adoption of the 25th Amendment (1967).

o “In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.”

Presidential Succession Act of 1947

o Congress fixes the order of succession following the Vice-President.

o Speaker of the House and the President Pro-Tem of the Senate were next in line.

o Followed by the Secretary of State and then each of the other 14 heads of the cabinet departments.

o In order of precedence.

PRESIDENTIAL DISABILITY:

o Serious gaps in the arrangement

for presidential succession before

the 25th Amendment.

o The plan by which a vacancy in the

presidency would be filled.


o Neither the Constitution nor Congress had made any provision for deciding when a President was disabled.

o Nor was there anything to indicate by whom such a decision was to be made.

o James Garfield lingered 80 days after he was shot.

o Woodrow Wilson stroke.

25th Amendment:

o The Vice President is to become acting President if:

o The president informs congress in writing, “that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

o The Vice President and a majority of the members of cabinet inform Congress, in writing that the President is so incapacitated.


o In either case, the President may resume the powers and duties of the office by informing Congress that no disability exists.

o However, the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet may challenge the President being fit to be in office.

o Congress then has 21 days in which to decide the matter.


o This came only once when Reagan

had surgery for a tumor and

transferred power to Bush.

o When Reagan awoke, Bush

transferred power back to Reagan.

THE VICE PRESIDENCY:

o The Constitution pays little attention

to the office.

o It assigns the Vice President only

two formal duties:


o To preside over the Senate

o To help decide the question of

presidential disability.


o The Constitution makes the Vice

President a “President-in-waiting.”

o Many VP’s themselves think the

office insignificant.

IMPORTANCE OF THE OFFICE:

o Presidential candidate usually picks

a running mate to balance the ticket

to further their chances in getting

more votes.

o For example, President Trump

chose Mike Pence as his Vice

President to appeal to evangelical

Christian voters.

What happens?

o When a VP resigns or succeeds to the

Presidency.

o Then the President nominates the VP and he is confirmed by the Senate.

o Nixon selected Ford as VP when his previous VP Agnew resigned.

o Ford selected Rockefeller as VP when Ford became President when Nixon resigned.


o In Clinton’s Administration: Al Gore

was given a role as a close advisor

and did some foreign policy duties.

o Vice President Pence given role to

lead the COVID-19 crisis.

o “Only a heartbeat away from the

Presidency.”


o No President has upgraded the

Vice President to the role of a true

“assistant president.”

o No matter what the circumstance,

the President cannot fire the VP.

Discussion Question:

If you were running for President, what

would you look for in choosing someone to

be vice-president?


o WHAT: Describe what the framers intended the electoral college to be.

o WHAT: Explain what helped transform the presidential election process.

o WHAT: Explain what roles primaries, caucuses, and conventions play in that process.


1Sa_16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Electoral College:

o Many of the framers opposed

voting a president through a

popular vote because they did

not trust the masses.

o The President was to be chosen

by a special body of electors.

Electoral College:

o “The framers intended the

electors to be “the most

enlightened and respectable

citizens” from each state.

o They were to be “free agents.”

o Who would “deliberate freely” in

choosing the persons best

qualified to fill the nation’s two

highest offices.

Electoral College: (Original Intent) o The candidate receiving the largest

number of electoral votes, provided that total was a majority of all the electors, would become president.

o Originally, the person with the second highest number of electoral votes would become Vice President.

o The 12th Amendment now has separate ballots for President and Vice President.

IMPACT OF THE RISE OF PARTIES:

o The Electoral College worked as

the framers intended only for as

long as George Washington ran

and held the presidency.

o He was twice, and unanimously

elected President.

1800 Presidential Election

o When Jefferson and Adams ran, two

parties were established.

o Each elector had two votes for

different candidates.

o They voted for the two major party

candidates and it ended up as a tie.

o This led to the introduction of three

new elements to the presidency.


o (1) Party nominations for the

presidency and vice presidency.

o (2) The nomination of candidates

for presidential electors pledged

to vote for their party’s

presidential ticket.


o (3) The automatic casting of the

electoral votes in line with those

pledges.

o Gone forever was the notion that

the electors would be free agents

who would deliberate in selection

of a President to lead the nation.

The 12th Amendment:

o It separated the presidential and

vice presidential elections.

o “The electors … shall name in

their ballots the person voted for

as President.

o In distinct ballots the person

voted for as Vice President.

Electoral College Activity.

Do you think the framers of the constitution

were justified in distrusting the people from

electing the president?


o WHAT: Describe the features that make the presidential nominating process so complicated.

o WHAT: Explain what roles primaries, caucuses, and conventions play in that process.

o WHAT: Explain the purpose of the national convention.


“And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Acts 1:23-26.

CHAPTER 13:4:

o No statutory law nor

Constitutional provision

dealing with conventions.

o Other than Federal law

dealing with the finance of

the convention.

Convention Arrangements:

o The national convention is where the two major political parties nominate their candidate for President every four years.

o In both parties, the national committee makes arrangements for the national convention.

o The committee meets usually in Washington D.C. to set the time and place for the convention a year or so before.

o Usually the party out of power holds the convention first (usually in July) and the President’s party in August.

Convention Arrangements:

o It considers logistics such as

hotel accommodations, a

proper Convention hall and

so on.

o In a city where its either a

swing-state or a party

stronghold.

The Apportionment of Delegates:

o The national committee issues its “call” for the convention.

o That formal announcement names the time and place.

o Also tells the party’s organization in each state how many delegates it may send to the national meeting.

o It is the delegates who will actually cast the votes that will nominate the party’s presidential candidate.

The Apportionment of Delegates:

o Traditionally, both parties give

each State organization a

number of convention votes.

o Based on that State’s electoral

votes.

o But also adds a complicated

formula.

SELECTION OF DELEGATES:

o There are really two campaigns

for presidency every four years.

o One is the contest between the

Republican and Democratic

nominees.

o The other takes place within each

of the parties; the struggle for

convention delegates.

SELECTION OF DELEGATES:

o State laws and/or party rules fix the procedures for picking the delegates in each state.

o That fact is a reflection of Federalism.

o It has produced a crazy quilt pattern of presidential primaries, conventions, and caucuses among the 50 states.

Presidential Primary Election: o Elect some or all of a state party

organization’s delegates to the national convention

o Express a preference among the various contenders for that party’s presidential nomination.

o Depending on the State, they would do either one or both of the items listed above.

History:

o The Presidential primary is either

or both of two things:

o A delegate-selection process

o And /or a candidate preference

election.

o The device becomes very hard to

describe, except on a State-by-

State basis.

Sources of Difficulty: o The delegate selection process are

determined by that state’s own laws.

o Those details vary from one state to the next.

o New Hampshire is always the first primary.

o Its law stated that the date of its primary as the Tuesday of the week and date before the other state primary contest.

History:

o Winner take all primaries are now phasing out.

o In winner take all, the candidate that wins automatically wins the support of all the delegates for the primary.

o But now there is more of a preference on proportional choosing of delegates.

ACTIVITY:

Demonstrate winner take all and

Proportional. Have three candidates

running for party nomination. Ten delegates

of State.

Caucuses:

o In some States, party’s voters meet in

local caucuses, generally to the

precinct level.

o They choose delegates to a local or

district convention where delegates to

the State convention are picked.

o At the State level, and sometimes in

the district conventions, delegates to

the national convention are chosen.

Caucuses:

o It also falling out of style.

o Iowa holds caucus before the

New Hampshire Primary to get

press.

ACTIVITY.

Demonstrate what a Caucus is. Have four

candidates and the class goes to the

respective corners where they would vote.

Those filtered out, the voters go to the

surviving group.

DEBATE.

Should presidential candidates get their

delegates by winner take all for the entire

state or a proportion based on their voting

percentages?

National Convention: (Every 4 years)

o Adopt the party’s platform.

o Formally nominate its

Presidential and vice-presidential

candidates.

o Unify the party behind those

candidates and for the upcoming

campaign.

THE CONVENTION SETTING:

o The opening session is largely

devoted to two matters.

o Organizing the convention and

delivering rousing speeches.

o The delegates are called to order

by the chairperson of the party’s

national committee.

THE CONVENTION SETTING:

o The keynote address is almost always the high point of the first session.

o That speech is usually delivered by one of the party’s most dynamic orators.

o It sets the tone for the convention.

Follows A Predictable Pattern:

o They glorify the party.

o Its leaders, and its programs,

condemn the opposition.

o Urge party unity, and predict a

smashing victory for November.

Committees Established (Four): o Convention standing committees

are established.

o Rules and Order of business.

o Permanent Organization

o Credentials

o Platform and Resolutions.

o Each State delegation now has two of its members, a man and a woman, on each of them.

Sessions:

o More speeches from leading

party figures.

o Committee reports.

Sessions: Party Platform o Party platform emerges from a draft

from leaders before the convention.

o Statement of the party’s principles

and its stands on major policy

matters.

o Also a campaign statement, aimed

at appealing to as many people and

winning as many votes as possible.

SECOND SESSION: o Both parties produce generalized

statements on the hard questions

of the day.

o Want to avoid alienating potential

voters because of stands on

controversial issues.

FINAL SESSION:

o Is when the party nominates the

party’s candidate for President.

o The names of the number of

contenders may be offered to the

delegates.

o For each contender, a nominating

speech and then several second

speeches are made.

FINAL SESSION:

o After all nominating speeches and seconds are made.

o The balloting finally begins.

o The secretary calls the names of the States alphabetically.

o Each State chairperson announces the vote of his or her delegation or may pass.

FINAL SESSION:

o Each complete roll call is known

as a ballot.

o Balloting goes on until a

candidate achieves a majority of

the delegates’ votes.

o After majority is established, the

candidate is officially nominated.

GROUP ACTIVITY:

Two candidates running for nomination.

Each row is a State that votes for candidate.

Roll Call of each state with one student

announcing who they nominate.

WHO DOES THE PARTY NOMINATE?

o If an incumbent President

wants another term the

nomination is almost always

given to the President.

o Usually with no real opposition

from within the party.


o When the President is not in the

field, up to a dozen or so

contenders surface.

o At most, two or three of them may

survive to contest the prize at the

convention.


o Each time the incumbent has

sought the nomination, he has

received it.

o The majesty and publicity of the

office and close control of the

party’s machinery is the

President’s advantage.

WHO DOES THE PARTY NOMINATE? o A candidate with the broadest possible

appeal within the party and to the electorate.

o Well known records in public office.

o Must have a record with the least amount of “baggage” from controversies.

o It is usually someone of political experience.

o All of this was challenged with the election of Donald Trump as president.

GROUP ACTIVITY:

You are members of the committee to

develop a platform for your political party for

the National Convention. Write out a

platform.

CHAPTER 13:5

CHAPTER 13:5

o The Presidential campaign ends on election day.

o Millions of voters go to the polls in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

o The President is actually elected when the presidential electors cast their votes several weeks later.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY:

o The electors are chosen by

popular vote in every State

and on the same day

everywhere.

o The Tuesday after the first

Monday in November every

fourth year.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY:

o Today, the electors, once chosen, are really just “rubber stamps.”

o They are expected to vote, automatically based upon the result of the popular vote in their respective state.

o This strays from the original intent.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE TODAY: o You must have at least 270 of the 538

electoral votes in order to win the election.

o If no one wins the majority, it is decided by the House of Representatives.

o This happened in 1800, and again in 1824.

o The House chooses a President from among the top three candidates in the electoral college.

DEBATE:

o Should the United States keep the

electoral-college? Why or why not?

o If the electoral-college is done away with,

what plan would you support from what we

studied and why?

POP QUIZ!!!!!!!!!!

B –The House of Representatives A –The Senate

C –The Presidency D –San Gabriel Academy

Who does the Vice President preside over?

If the President dies, or resigns, or is removed from office

by impeachment, the _____________ automatically

succeeds to the office

B –Speaker of the House A-Adam Brown

C –Vice President D –Senate Pro Temp

Who is next in line for the presidency after the Vice President?

B –Speaker of the House A-The Cabinet heads


Who fixed the order of succession after the Vice President?

B –The Constitution A-The Supreme Court

C –Congress D –Senate Pro Temp

The current Vice President of the United States is?

B –Eric Holdom A-Mike Pence

C –Bob Kerry D –Joe Biden

What amendment to the Constitution states when a

Vice President can be a ACTING president?

B –Nineteenth Amendment A-Twenty Fifth Amendment

C –Fourteenth Amendment D –Eleventh Amendment

Who is next in line for the presidency after the speaker of the House?

B –Speaker of the House A-The Cabinet heads


Documents

CHAPTER 13:1. EXECUTIVE BRANCH