1 / 39

Hail to the Chief

Hail to the Chief. The Power of the American Presidency. 100% male 99.97% Caucasian 97% Protestant 82% of British ancestry 77% college educated. Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents. 69% politicians 62% lawyers >50% from the top 3% wealth and social class

carter
Download Presentation

Hail to the Chief

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hail to the Chief The Power of the American Presidency

  2. 100% male 99.97% Caucasian 97% Protestant 82% of British ancestry 77% college educated Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents • 69% politicians • 62% lawyers • >50% from the top 3% wealth and social class • 0.5% born into poverty • 69% elected from large states

  3. Some folks are born made to wave the flag, Ooh, they’re red, white and blue. And when the band plays, “Hail to the Chief,” Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord, It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no. Some folks are born silver spoon in hand, Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh. But when the taxman comes to the door, Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes, It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, son. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no. Fortunate SonRecorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

  4. Some folks inherit star spangled eyes, Ooh, they send you down to war, lord, And when you ask them, “How much should we give?” Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yo, It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, one. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, son. It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no, no, no. Fortunate SonRecorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

  5. Constitutional Qualifications • Must be at least 35 years old • Must have lived in the United States for 14 years • Must be a natural born citizen

  6. Notable “Can’t Be’s”… • Arnold Schwarzenegger • Justin Bieber • Rihanna • Michael J. Fox

  7. Presidential Benefits • $400,000 tax-free salary • $50,000/year expense account • $100,000/year travel expenses • The White House • Secret Service protection • Camp David retreat • Air Force One & Marine One • Staff of 400-500 Christmas at the White House, 2004

  8. Constitutional Limitations • Tradition had held presidents to two terms • FDR broke with that tradition and ran for an unprecedented 4 terms (he died in the last half of his 4th) • The 22nd Amendment, ratified by the states in 1951 • Set the number of terms to two—eight years total (excludes time serving remainder of term if they succeed to the presidency)

  9. Presidential Roles

  10. Formal Powers of the President • Constitutional or enumerated powers of the presidency • Found primarily in Article II of the Constitution

  11. Chief of State Oprah Winfrey and President Obama, 2013 President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall, 1963

  12. Formal Powers: Chief of State • Ceremonial “head of state” • Symbolizes the United States to the nation and the world • Gives speeches and awards as the official representative of the U.S. government

  13. Chief Executive/Administrator President Clinton with Janet Reno, the first female Attorney General, February, 1993 President Bush holds cabinet meeting in October, 2005

  14. Formal Powers: Chief Executive • “Faithfully executes” federal laws • Requires the opinion of his advisors—the heads of executive departments (secretaries) • Grant pardons/reprieves for federal offenses except for cases of impeachment

  15. Formal Powers: Chief Executive (cont) • Nominate judges of the Supreme Court and all other officers of the U.S. (with consent of the Senate) • Fill vacancies that may happen during recess of the Senate

  16. Chief Diplomat President Carter with PM Begin (Israel) and President Sadat (Egypt), 1979 FDR with Churchill and Stalin at Yalta Conference, 1945

  17. Formal Powers: Chief Diplomat • Appoint ambassadors, ministers and consuls • Make treaties— subject to Senate ratification • Receives foreign dignitaries

  18. Commander-in-Chief President Johnson decorates a soldier in Vietnam, October, 1966 President Bush aboard U.S.S. Lincoln, May, 2003

  19. Formal Powers: Commander-in-Chief • Commander in Chief of the Army, Navy, & Air Force • Commander in Chief of the state militias (now the National Guard) • Commissions all officers

  20. Chief Legislator President Clinton delivers the State of the Union Address, 1997 President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act, 1935

  21. Formal Powers: Chief Legislator • Give State of the Union address to Congress • Recommend legislation to the Congress • On “extraordinary occasions,” can convene both houses of Congress—Special Sessions

  22. Formal Powers: Chief Legislator (cont.) • Presidential Veto • Veto bill within 10 days of passing • Pocket Veto - President does not sign within 10 days • Congress can override with 2/3 majority from both Houses • Veto Politics • Congressional override is difficult (only 4%) • Threat of veto can cause Congress to make changes in legislation

  23. Chief of Party President Reagan & Vice-President Bush accepting their party’s nomination in 1980

  24. Formal Powers: Chief of Party • The head of his political party • Campaigns for fellow party members

  25. Chief Citizen President Bush at Ground Zero after 9/11 President Truman, commencement address at Howard University, 1952

  26. Formal Powers: Chief Citizen • Represents ALL Americans • Abides by the “rule of law” • “Moral leader” of the nation

  27. What’s the Difference?Quick Write • What do you think is the difference between the “formal” roles and “informal” roles of the President? • List some examples you think would illustrate an “informal” role of the President.

  28. Informal Powers • Powers not explicitly written in the Constitution • Similar to “necessary and proper” powers given to Congress • In the modern era (since 1933), the President’s informal powers may be significantly more powerful than his formal powers

  29. Executive Orders • Orders issued by the President that carry the force of law Examples: • Clinton’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” gays in the military policy • FDR’s internment of Japanese Americans during WWII • G.W. Bush’s detainment and trying of suspected terrorists by military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. Notice for Japanese “relocation,” 1942

  30. Executive Agreements • International agreements, usually related to trade, made by a president that has the force of a treaty; does NOT need Senate approval Examples: • Jefferson’s purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803 • G.W. Bush announced cuts in the nuclear arsenal, but not through a treaty • Various trade agreements between the U.S. and other nations

  31. Executive Privilege • Claim by a president that he has the right to decide that the national interest will be better served if certain information is withheld from the public, including the Courts and Congress • United States v. Nixon (1973) – presidents do NOT have unqualified executive privilege (Nixon Watergate tapes)

  32. Questions for Discussion • Why are informal powers more important than formal powers, particularly to modern presidents? • Identify some advantages and disadvantages of the use of the President’s informal powers. • Has the use and perhaps abuse of the informal powers created an “Imperial Presidency?” Defend your answer.

  33. Making Connections In your group— 1. Read each Presidential decision scenario. 2. Answer the questions posed on the graphic organizer. 3. Discuss each scenario and decide if the actions taken by the President are Constitutional—be prepared to justify your claim.

  34. Presidential Quotations

  35. President Harry S. Truman "I sit here all day trying to persuade people to do the things they ought to have the sense to do without my persuading them. That's all the powers of the President amount to." Truman, 33rd President, 1945-53

  36. President John F. Kennedy “No easy problem ever comes to the President of the United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody else has solved them.” President Kennedy’s nationally televised address during the Cuban Missile Crisis, October, 1962

  37. President Lyndon B. Johnson “The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.” President Johnson, 36th President, 1963-69

  38. President Richard M. Nixon "Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the manner in which the president personally exercises his assigned executive powers is not subject to questioning by another branch of government." In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, President Nixon departs the White House after his resignation, Aug., 1974

  39. President George W. Bush “To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say 'Well done.' And to the C students, I say 'You, too, can be president of the United States.'” President George W. Bush, speaking at Yale University's 300th commencement ceremony President Bush, 43rd President, 2001-present

More Related