THE PRESIDENCY

REQUIREMENTS

• 35 years old, Natural Born Citizen, Resident of the U.S. for 14 years

All Presidents have been WASPs, but for JFK (Roman Catholic) and Barack Obama (African-American)

PRESIDENTIAL AMENDMENTS

• 22ND (1951): 2 Term limit• 25th (1967): Presidential Succession/Disability• The Constitution and Federal law have ranked

the order of succession:– Vice-President– Speaker of the House– President Pro Tempore of the Senate– Cabinet Secretaries in order of dep’t. creation

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS

PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS VS.

PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS

PRESIDENT• elected by Electoral

College/popular vote• Regular election cycle,

limited terms• Can face divided gov’t.

(majority party in legislature from opposite party)

• Increased separation of powers

PRIME MINISTER• Selected by legislature• Irregular/spontaneous

election cycle, indefinite terms

• Never face divided gov’t. (PMs are selected from the majority party in the legislature)

• Decreased separation of powers (PM selected from Parliament)

WHY A PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM?

As evidenced in many ways in the Constitution,

the Founders were “more concerned with

the abuse of power than its effective use.”

EVOLUTION of the EXECUTIVE

From Chief Bureaucrat to the Imperial Presidency

• T. Jefferson: 1st leader of mass political party• Andrew Jackson: ‘the people’s president’;

neglect of Supreme Court order in Worcester v. Georgia

• A. Lincoln: mobilized for Civil War; expansion of wartime powers

• T. Roosevelt: used the ‘Bully Pulpit’ to implement Progressivism and foreign policy

• T.R. & W. Wilson: managers of the economy

• Eisenhower: imposition of Federal rule in desegregation/Little Rock, Arkansas

• R. Nixon: cited ‘inherent powers’ of the Presidency (“it’s not illegal when the President does it”) and Executive Privilege to obstruct Watergate investigation (IRS audits, phone taps, break-ins of those on enemies list)

• G.W. Bush & B. Obama: expansion of executive powers as necessary to fight terrorism

ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT

1. CHIEF EXECUTIVE– Presides over the administration of government– “take care that the laws are faithfully executed”– “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will

faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

To Assist the President …

• Vice-President– President of the Senate (breaks ties)– Succeeds Pres. In times of disability/death– Pres.’s representative– Fund Raiser– “Hatchet Man”

The Cabinet

• Advisors to the President• Appointed by Pres. with consent of Senate• Originally: State, War, Treasury, & Attorney

General• 15 cabinet departments today

The Executive Office

• Est. 1939• National Security Council: foreign & military

policy– Pres., V-P, Sec’y of State, Sec’y of Defense, NSA

• Council of Economic Advisors: economic policy• Office of Management & Budget: prepare

Pres.’s budget