The President I
2/9/2012
Clearly Stated Learning Objectives
• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:– understand and interpret the United States
Constitution and apply it to the present (the sections on the presidency and Electoral College).
– assess the 2008 & 2012 Presidential Elections without resorting to partisan bickering.
– identify and explain the role of formal and informal institutions and their effect on policy.
Office Hours and Readings
• Readings- Chapter 9 on the President
• Office Hours– Today 12-2– Wednesday 10-2
WHO ARE OUR PRESIDENTS?
Simple Requirements (Article II)
• Natural Born Citizen
• 35 Years Old
• 14 years a resident
Our Presidents Historically
• Most are in their 50’s at time of election
• Most are Lawyers
• Most are of English Ancestry
• All but one has been Protestant
THE DEBATE ON THE EXECUTIVEHow many and how much power?
On an executive
• The Articles Lacked one
• We feared monarchy
• We Feared Tyranny
The Country Needed one
What the Debate centered on
• How Many– A Singular executive vs. a plural executive
• How Much Power– Tyranny vs impotence– What is the safe and effective combination?
Option I: A Monarch
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Option II: A Plural executive
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Option III: A Weak Executive
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Option IV: A Strong Executive
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
Balancing it out
CHOOSING A PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
The history of nominations
Congressional Caucus Method (1800-1828)
• Parties in Congress picked the Nominees
• Problems
• What ends it
The Party Convention System
• Lasts until the 1970’s
• Party leaders picked nominees at national conventions
The End of the Party System
• Problems with it
• A Focusing Event
• Who Loses
The Current system
• Voter-centered, rather than party centered
• Binding Primaries and Caucuses
• A Race for Delegates
In 2008 (The Democrats)
The Republicans in 2008
The Impact of The Current System
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
GETTING THE NOMINATIONSo You want to be president?
Step 1 Don’t Sit back at wait
• You have to participate in the invisible primary
• If you wait, your window might close
When You can Run?
• Never Take a candidate on their word
• You can run whenever, but things can make it difficult
• You have to Wait for your Window– GOP (as early as 2016, as late as 2024)– Democrats (as early as 2016, as late as 2028)
Step 2: Have a “Presidential Job”
The Current GOP Field
Presidential Jobs• Governors
– Perry– Romney– Huntsman
• Senators– Santorum
Non-Presidential Jobs• House Members
– Gingrich– Bachmann– Paul
• Other– Herman Cain
Step 3: Be Prepared to Spend Money
• Money Buys Organization
• Money Buys Name Recognition
• Money Converts itself
Federal Money vs. Self-financing
The Effect of Money on Campaigns
• How it has changed the primary campaign
• How important is it?
• Where We stand
Step 4:Getting Delegates
• Primaries
• Caucuses
• Which helped Obama?
Delegate Apportionment
The Democrats• More Delegates
• Proportional Representation
• Super Delegates
The Republicans• Fewer Delegates
• More winner-take-all states
Front-loading of Delegates
Frontloading and 2012
• The GOP is making more states use proportional representation
• They do not want an early nominee.
• Pro’s and Cons of a longer primary?
Delegates Matter
Step 5: Momentum
• Looking like a winner and Actually winning
• Media coverage goes to those who can win.
• Be the last person standing (winnowing)
The First Four
• Iowa
• New Hampshire
• South Carolina
• Florida
The Clinton Strategy: 2008
• Deliver the Knock-out blow on super-tuesday
• Reload
• Watch the GOP fight it out all spring
How Mc Cain Wins Early: 2008
• Winner-take-all states
• Romney and Huckabee go after each other
• The Early win is A blessing and a curse for McCain