Chapter 13: The Presidency

What did the 22nd Amendment State?

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.

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

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.

Who set the "precedent" of only serving two terms in office?

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.

What are the President's Compensations...Franking?

$10,000 in franking expenses.

What are the President's Compensations...Travel Account?

$100,000 nontaxable travel account.

What are the President's Compensations...Entertaining?

$19,000 for official entertaining

What were the Framer's 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.

What are the two major strengths of the Electoral College?

(1) 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. (2) In most election years, the electoral college defines the winner of the presidential election quickly and certainly.

What is the function of the Electoral College today when meeting for voting?

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.

What are the three major defects in the Electoral College?

(1) It is possible to win the popular vote in the presidential election, but lose the electoral college vote. This has happened four times in U.S. history (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. 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 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 does Article II, Section 1, Clause 5, of the Constitution say are the 3 qualifications the President must have?

1. Be "a natural born citizen." 2. Be at least 35 years of age. 3. Have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 set the order of succession as...

1. Vice President 2. Speaker of the House 3. President pro tempore of the Senate 4. Secretary of State.

What is the function of the Electoral College today when selecting electors?

All States, except two (Maine and Nebraska), select electors based on the winner of the popular vote in that State.

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 President's Compensations...Expense Allowance?

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

What are the President's Compensations...Housing?

Besides monetary benefits, the President gets to live in the 132-room mansion that we call the White House.

What is the function of the Electoral College, when no candidate wins the majority of electoral votes?

If no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes (270), the election is thrown into the House of Representatives.

How does the Constitution provide for presidential succession?

Presidential succession is the plan by which a presidential vacancy is filled. The 25th Amendment made it clear that the Vice President will become President if the President is removed from office.

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 Compensations...Travel by?

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.

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.

What are the President's Compensations...Yearly Pay?

The President's pay was first set at $25,000 a year. Currently, the President is paid $400,000 a year.

Who broke this tradition?

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.

What are the limits on the President's terms in office?

Until 1951, the Constitution placed no limit on the number of terms a President might serve.