Chapter 13, Sections 1, 2, 3, And 4

What were the Framers' original provisions for choosing the President?

(1) According to the Constitution, the President and Vice President are chosen by a special body of presidential electors. (2) Originally, these electors each cast two electoral votes, each for a different candidate. (3) The candidate with the most votes would become President, and the candidate with the second highest total would become Vice President.

How does the Vice President become the acting President?

(1) the President informs Congress, in writing, "that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office," or (2) the Vice President and a majority of the members of the Cabinet inform Congress, in writing, that the President is thus incapacitated.

What is the role of the Vice President?

1) to preside over the Senate, and 2) to help decide the question of presidential disability.

What are the formal qualifications necessary to become President?

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.

What is the function of the electoral college today?

All States, except two (Maine and Nebraska), select electors based on the winner of the popular vote in that State. Electors then meet in the State capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December and cast their votes for President and Vice President. On January 6, the electoral votes cast are counted by the president of the Senate, and the President and Vice President are formally elected. If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes (270), the election is thrown into the House of Representatives.

What are the President's many roles? 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.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of proposed reforms in the electoral college?

It is a known process. Each of the proposed, but untried, reforms may very well have defects that could not be known until they appeared in practice. In most election years, the electoral college defines the winner of the presidential election quickly and certainly.

What are the flaws in the electoral college?

On January 6, the electoral votes cast are counted by the president of the Senate, and the President and Vice President are formally elected. If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes (270), the election is thrown into the House of Representatives. (2) Nothing in the Constitution, nor in any federal statute, requires the electors to vote for the candidate favored by the popular vote in their State. (3) If no candidate gains a majority in the electoral college, the election is thrown into the House, a situation that has happened twice (1800 and 1824). In this process, each State is given one vote, meaning that States with smaller populations wield the same power as those with larger populations.

How does the Constitution provide for presidential succession?

Presidential succession is the plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled. The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, made it clear that the Vice President will become President if the President is removed from office. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 set the order of succession following the Vice President.

What are the President's many roles?Commander in Chief

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

What are the President's many roles? Chief Executive

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

What are the President's many roles? Chief of Party

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

What are the President's many roles?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.

What are the President's many roles? Chief Citizen

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

What are the President's many roles? Chief Administrator

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

What are the President's many roles? Chief Legislator

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

How is the President compensated?

The President's pay was first set at $25,000 a year. Currently, the President is paid $400,000 a year. Congress has also approved an expense allowance for the President, which is currently $50,000 a year. $100,000 nontaxable travel account. $19,000 for official entertaining. $10,000 in franking expenses. Besides monetary benefits, the President gets to live in the 132-room mansion that we call the White House. The President is also granted other benefits, including a large suite of offices, a staff, the use of Air Force One, and many other fringe benefits.

How did the 12th Amendment change how the President and Vice President are chosen by the Electoral College?

This result and another confusing election in 1800 led to the 12th amendment in 1804. The most important part of the 12th amendment is that instead of casting two votes for President, each elector must pick a President AND a Vice President on his or her ballot. This ensures that the President will be paired with his running mate after the election. This has been the way we have operated the Electoral College since 1804.

What issues have arisen involving the length of the President's term?

Until 1951, the Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms a President might serve. Traditionally, Presidents limited the number of terms served to two. This precedent was set by George Washington who refused to run for a third term in 1796. This tradition was broken by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 when he ran for and won a third term in office. He then went on to be elected to a fourth term in 1944. The 22nd Amendment (ratified in 1951) 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.