History: Chapter 13
(1) What are the two plans for choosing a President? (2) What were the reasons for rejecting these plans?
(1) Congress should choose President and presidential elections by popular vote (2) choice of president should not be decides by the people and the country was too large for people to learn about candidates
What flaws in the Framers' plan were revealed in the 1796 and 1800 elections?
-1796: President and VP could be different parties -1800: often resulted in ties
According to the Constitution, the President must....
-be at least 35 years old -must be natural born citizen -must have 14 years of residency in US
An opponent of the 22nd Amendment would most like argue that it...
-is undemocratic -places limits on people's right to decide who should be president
Supporters of the 22nd Amendment would most likely say that it....
-safeguard against "executive tyranny"
Briefly explain the Framers' plan for selecting the President?
-they called for a body of presidential electors who were to be chosen in each state -each state would receive the same amount of electors as they have in Congress -each elector would cast two electoral votes and the top 2 who got the most votes would become the President and VP
What are the 8 roles of the president?
1. Chief of State 2. Chief Executive 3. Chief Administrator 4. Commander in Chief 5. Chief Legislator 6. Chief Diplomat 7. Chief of Party 8. Chief Citizen
Name four reasons why the 2008 presidential race was historic.
1. Hillary Clinton was very close to becoming candidate 2. ended racial barrier to nation's highest office 3. age spread between majority party's candidates 4. both parties chose sitting members of Senate
What are three major defects in the electoral college system?
1. constitution does not require electors to vote for candidate that wins popular vote 2. winner of popular vote is not guaranteed presidency 3. any election might have to be decided in House of Reps.
Explain two proposals to reform the primary process.
1. hold a single, nationwide primary and have parties choose their candidates 2. a series of primaries that would be held at 2-3 week intervals across the country
What are three major strengthens of the electoral college system?
1. known process 2. identifies President-to-be quickly and certainly 3. helps promote nation's two-party system
What are the three major goals of the national convention?
1. naming party's President and Vice Presidential candidates 2. bring various factions and personalities in the party together 3. adopting party's platform
What three new elements did the election of 1800 introduce into the process of selecting a President?
1. party nomination for President and VP 2. electors pledged to vote their party's presidential ticket 3. automatic casting of electoral votes in line with those pledges
Name the three things that laid the foundation for the presidential selection system we use today.
1. political parties 2. election of 1800 3. 12th Amendment
The two formal duties of the Vice President are to....
1. preside over the Senate 2. help decide if the president is disabled
List the two formal duties that the Constitution assigns to the VP.
1. preside over the Senate 2. to help decide the question of presidential disability
Why would reform be difficult?
1. require joint action by Congress, the States, and both parties 2. no one wants to abandon national convention
What are three objections to election by the House?
1. voting is by State, not individual 2. a state could lose its vote 3. Constitution requires majority of States for election in the House
Name at least three arguments direct popular election.
1. weaken federal system because States would lose roles in choice of President 2. put too great a load on election process 3. would effect time, effort, and finances
What are two main reasons that the winner of the popular vote does not always win the presidency?
1. winner-take-all 2. the way electoral votes are distributed among the states
What is the maximum number of years that a President may serve in office?
10 years
Presidential disability may be determined by the Vice President and a majority of the...
Cabinet
When directing the executive branch of the government, the President is exercising the role of.....
Chief Administrator
Who determines the President's salary?
Congress
In order to resume the powers and duties of the office, a previously president must inform...
Congress by written declaration that no inability to serve exists
Briefly describe what happens during a party's convention.
Day 1: welcome delegates and organize convention Day 2: continues speeches, adopt platform, and deliver address Day 3: nomination of party's candidates, speeches continue Day 4: vote, name candidate, presidential candidate's acceptance speech
Most influential Vice President in history is considered to be...
Dick Cheney
What are the first two delegate-selection events in the country?
Iowa and Hew Hampshire
Is the nomination process by the Constitution, federal law, State law, or some other way? Explain.
It was set up by the Framers and built over the years
When does the formal election of the President and Vice President take place?
January 6th
The order of those who succeed the President following the Vice President is found in the...
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
The plan to which a presidential vacancy is filled is called...
Presidential succession
What are some of the common characteristics of presidential candidates?
Protestant, involved in government offices, pleasant and healthy appearances, attractive family, happily married
How are the procedures of picking delegates different in the Republican and Democratic parties?
Republican: leaves selection to State organizations and laws Democratic: adopted several national rules to govern process
What if no candidate for Vice President has won majority of electoral votes?
Senate decides between top 2 candidates
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 indicated that after the Vice President, the next in line to succeed as President is....
Speaker of the House
How is the number of delegates from each State to a party's national convention determined?
State's electoral votes and formulas that award bonus delegates to states that support candidates
Prior to the 22nd Amendment, how many terms could a President serve according to the Constitution?
The Constitution did not limit the number of terms
How does the 25th Amendment provide for situations in which the President is disabled?
VP becomes acting president if the President informs Congress, in writing, that he is unable to perform his duties, or the VP and majority of the members of the Cabinet inform Congress in writing, that the President is so incapacitated
when a presidential candidate chooses a running mate who can strengthen his chance of being elected by virtue of certain, ideological, geographic, racial, ethnic, etc.
balance ticket
States in which the outcome of an election is too close to call and either candidate could win
battleground States
How is electoral college chosen?
by each state
as a nominating device, a group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election
caucus
the President's role as director of the executive branch
chief administrator
The name for the presidential role that includes determining foreign policy is.....
chief diplomat
the President's role as the one vested with the executive power of the US
chief executive
the President's role as principle author of US public policy
chief legislator
the President's role as party leader as party leader controlling the executive branch
chief of party
As the ceremonial head of the government, the President is the _____________
chief of state
the President's role as ceremonial head of the US government
chief of state
Briefly describe how the caucus process work.
closed meeting of members of a political party who gather to select delegates to national conventions
the President's role as head of the armed forces
commander in chief
When and where do the electors' cast their electoral votes?
date set by Congress in the representative state
Briefly explain how the original provision of the Constitution provides for the presidential succession.
declared that the powers were to devolve, did not provide for succession of a VP
proposal to do away with the electoral college and allow the people to vote directly for President and Vice President
direct popular election
proposal for choosing presidential electors by which two electors would be selected in each State according to the Statewide separately in each of the State's congressional districts
district proposal
What determines the number of delegates each State may send to a national convention?
each party's national committee
What if no candidate for President has won a majority of electoral votes?
election is thrown to House of Representatives
What is a presidential primary?
election where party voters choose State party delegates and express a preference for their party's nominations
What is the name for the group of people who choose the President and Vice President?
electoral college
How is the role of presidential electors different today from the way the Framers envisioned it?
expected electors use their own judgement when selecting president (today they use rubber stamping)
Briefly explain how the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 provides for the presidential succession.
fixes order of succession following the VP (VP, Speaker, President pro tempore, Secretary of State)
How can a presidential primary help ensure that a party gets strong candidates for President?
force candidates ability by competing with each other and eliminate less capable candidates
How has the VP changed in recent years?
have made much greater use and have become more influential
Why can the position of the VP be considered both very important and very unimportant?
important: "one heartbeat" away from being President unimportant: have little to do, Constitution pays little attention to the office of the VP
Explain the difference between winner-take-all and proportional representation in the primary process.
in winner-take-all the winner gets all the delegate votes. In proportional representation the candidates gets the % of delegates as the % of votes
What impact has the proportional representation rule had on the shape of presidential election?
it led several states to give up popular selection of delegate
What change did the 12th Amendment make to the electoral college system?
it separated the election for the President and VP
speech given at a party convention to set the tone for the convention and the campaign to come
keynote address
How did the 22nd Amendment affect the number of terms a President may serve?
limits presidential time in office to two terms
In those States that do not hold presidential primaries, how are delegates to the national convention chosen?
local caucuses or district/state conventions
Briefly explain how the 25th Amendment provides for the presidential succession.
made provision for deciding when a President is disabled, resigns, or is impeached
What nominating event takes place after all the primaries and caucuses?
national convention
meeting at which a party's delegates vote their presidential and vice-presidential candidates
national convention
proposal for electing the President whereby each State's election laws would provide for all of the State's electoral votes to be awarded to the winner of the national popular vote and enter into an interstate compact agreeing to elect the President by national popular vote
national popular vote plan
In a Presidential vacancy, the Constitution as it was originally written gave the office of President to....
no one
How are primaries different for the party in power and the power out of power?
party in power: president seek reelection, given his backing to someone he favors for nomination party out of power: often "knock-down", drag out affairs
a political party's formal statement of basic principles, stands on major issues, and objectives
platform
How and when are the electors chosen?
popular vote and the Tues. after the 1st Monday of November every 4 years
What happens on January 6th (the day of the formal election)?
president of Senate opens electoral votes and counts then before joint session of Congress
When people vote in a presidential election, for whom are they actually voting?
presidential electors
an election in which a party's voters choose State party organization's delegates to their party's national convention and/or express a preference for their party's presidential nomination
presidential primary
scheme by which a presidential vacancy is filled, if a president dies, resigns, or is removed from office by impeachment
presidential succession
What are some other objectives parties hope their conventions will accomplish?
promotes party unity, capture interest and attention, and generate support
proposal by which each presidential candidate would receive the same share of a State's electoral votes as he or she received in the State's popular vote
proportional plan
rule applied in Democratic primaries whereby any candidates who wins at least 15% of the votes gets the number of State Democratic convention delegates based on his/her share of that primary vote
proportional representation
How did the 12th Amendment change the electoral college?
separated the President and VP electors
What happens to the electors' ballots after they are cast?
sign, sealed, and sent by registered mail to President of Senate in Washington
On what type of voters do campaigns focus much of their efforts following the national convention?
swing voters
members of the electorate who have not made up their mind at the start of a campaign and are open to persuasion by either side
swing voters
Why did Congress have to change the electoral system?
the election produced a tied and sometimes opposite parties were forced to work together in office
How many electors is each state allowed to have?
the same amount as Senate and representatives in Congress
Why have several Presidents been in favor of a single six-year term?
they argue that a single, nonrenewable term would free a president from the pressures of campaign for a second term and allow chief executives to focus on the pressing demands of the office
Why were the Framer also against selection of popular vote?
they believed it would lead it to disorder and believed the people didn't know enough about the candidates
Why did the Framers favor this plan?
they believed the electors would be the most enlightened citizens in choosing the presidency
Why were the Framers against congressional selections of the President?
they were afraid that it would put the President "under the legislative thumb"
George W. Bush temporarily gave the power of the President to Vice President because President Bush....
underwent surgical procedures
an almost obsolete system whereby a presidential aspirant who won the preference vote in a primary automatically won all the delegates chosen in the primary
winner-take-all