The 44th POTUS

Barack H. Obama

President & Vice President

A. Duties/Powers of POTUS

- Article II Section 2 &3

Pres. Obama @ Ft. Hood – 11-09

Obama & PM Hatoyama 11-09

President & Vice PresidentA. Duties/Powers of POTUS

- Article II Section 2 &3

B. Constitutional Qualifications

C. President’s Term and Salary

1. 22nd Amendment

2. Salary and Benefits

President & Vice PresidentD. Presidential Qualifications

1. Constitutional Requirements

2. Government Experience

3. Importance of Money

4. Political Beliefs

5. Personal Characteristics

6. Personal Growth

E. Charateristics

President & Vice PresidentE. Presidential Succession

1. Order of Succession

a.) 25th Amendment – “JFK” Amendment

b.) Presidential Succession

Act of 1947

c.) Problems of Succession

Presidential Succession Act of 1947Vice President – Joseph Biden

Speaker of the House of Reps.

John Boehner

President Pro Tempore

of the Senate: Patrick Leahy

Cabinet Positions in

order of their creation:

Secretary of State – John Kerry

President & Vice President

D. Presidential Succession

1. Order of Succession

a.) 25th Amendment – “JFK” Amendment

b.) Presidential Succession

Act of 1947

2. Presidential Disability

a.)25th Amendment

The West Wing

The West Wing-CPA. White House Office

Pyramid Structure

-subordinates report to POTUS through a chain of command – chief of staff

Circular Structure

-several of the POTUS assistants report directly to him.

Ad Hoc Structure

-several subordinates, cabinet officers, & comm. Report directly to the POTUS on diff. matter.

POTUSA. Executive Office of POTUS

- Office of Management & Budget

- Director of National Intelligence

-Council of Economic Advisers

-Office of Personnel Management

-Office of U.S Trade Representative

B. Cabinet Secretaries

C. Presidential Appointments

Hearst Newspaper journalist Helen Thomas and President Barack Obama share their birthday – August 4th – “Thank you, Mr. President” – after press conferences

Vice PresidentA. Vice President’s Role

1. Constitutional Duties

2. Selecting a V.P Candidate

3. Increased Responsibilities

a.) Walter Mondale

Roles of the President1. Head of State

Roles of the President2. Chief Executive

Roles of the President2. Chief Executive

Executive OrdersImpoundmentSigning Statements *de facto line-item veto

Executive Privilege- United States v. Nixon- Supreme Court Cases

Roles of the President3. Chief Legislator

President Barack Obama makes a statement on health care reform in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington November 8, 2009.

Power to PersuadeThe Three Audiences

- Fellow Politicans

- Party Activists & Officeholders – out of DC

- The Public

Roles of the President4. Economic Planner

U.S. President Barack Obama introduces Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to U.S. National Economic Council Director Larry Summers in Tokyo November 13, 2009. Reuters

Roles of the President5. Party Leader

6. Chief DiplomatTreaties & Executive Agreements

President Obama signs leg. for discrimination in the work place.

Meets with Emperor Akihito in Japan on Nov. 14, 2009

Roles of the President 7. Commander in Chief

President Obama at Fort Hood, TX on Nov. 10, 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama (C) and Brigadier General Karl Horst (R).greet a visitor as they visit section 60 on Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetary November 11, 2009 in Arlington, Virginia.

Electing the PresidentHow electors are chosen?

- a slate of electors are chosen by a popular vote in each St & D.C. on the Tues. after the first Monday in Nov.

- the Sec. of State contacts the political party’s candidate who won

How many electors are there?

-currently 538 electors

House of Representatives: 435

Senate: 100

District of Columbia 3

Electing the PresidentHow many electors does each state receive?

Electors = # of congressional members for that

state

Kansas Electors = 6 (4 H of R + 2 Senators)

California Electors =55 (53 H of R + 2 Senators)

Electing the PresidentHow many electors must a presidential candidate

received to have won the presidency?

270/538 – to be POTUS!!

What if no majority of electors is won?

12th Amendment

Electing the PresidentThe electoral college system is a winner take all

system.

George W. Bush = 51% of the KS popular vote

Al Gore = 49% of the KS popular vote

George W. Bush wins all 6 electoral votes from Kansas.

Is that fair to Gore or any presidential candidate?

Electing the PresidentThe Final

The state’s slate of electors meet in Topeka, KS on the 1st Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December and cast the official ballot for the state of Kansas. Secretary of State signs off on the ballot.

It is sent off to Washington, D.C to be opened at a joint session of Congress around the first of the year. President of the Senate reads the ballots.