Chapter 13

Party conventions accomplish three main goals, which are:

(1) to officially name the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, (2) to bring the various factions and the leading personalities in the party together in one place for a common purpose, and (3) to adopt the party's platform—its formal statement of basic principles, stands on major policy matters, and objectives for the campaign and beyond.

$50,000

Congress has also approved an expense allowance for the President, which is currently $50,000 a year.

$25,000

First salary of President

Qualifications for Presidency

1. Be "a natural born citizen." A person must be born a citizen of the United States to be able to become President. 2. Be at least 35 years of age. John F. Kennedy at age 43 was the youngest person to be elected President. 3. Have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. Informal qualifications, such as intelligence and character, are also important considerations.

Who are the next four in line on the list of Presidential Succession?

1. Vice President 2. Speaker of the House 3. President Pro Tempore (Of the Senate) 4. Secretary of the State

What is the maximum time one can serve as President?

10 Years

Platform

A formal statement of basic principles, stands on major policy matters, and objectives for the campaign and beyond.

National Convention

A party's national convention is the meeting at which delegates vote to pick their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Chief Diplomat

As the nation's chief diplomat, the President is the main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.

$400,000

Current salary of President

How many terms did Franklin D. Roosevelt serve as President of the United States of America?

Four (4)

Chief Legislator

The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation's public policies.

25th Amendment

Order of Presidential Succession

22nd Amendment

Placed limits on presidential terms. A President now may not be elected more than twice or only once if they became President due to succession.

Commander in Chief

The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation's armed forces.

Chief Executive

The Constitution vests the President with the executive power of the United States, making him or her the nation's chief executive.

Chief of Party

The President acts as the chief of party, the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.

Chief of State

The President is chief of state. This means he is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation.

Chief Citizen

The President is expected to be "the representative of all the people."

Chief Administrator

The President is the chief administrator, or director, of the United States government.

Electoral College

The electoral college is the group of people (electors) chosen from each State and the District of Columbia that formally selects the President and Vice President.

12th Amendment

The major change in the electoral college made by the amendment was that each elector would distinctly cast one electoral vote for President and one for Vice President.