The Executive Branch: 13.1 the President S Job Description

The Executive Branch: 13.1 “The President’s Job Description”

• The President’s Roles:

• Whoever holds the office of President must fill a number of different roles.

1. Chief of State-

2. Chief Executive-

3. Chief Administrator-

4. Chief Diplomat-

5. Commander in Chief-

6. Chief Legislator-

7. Chief of Party-

8. Chief Citizen-

• Formal Qualifications:

• President’s Term:

• The Framers considered a number of different limits on the length of presidential terms.

• It was agreed that the each term would be 4 years.

• After 2 terms, George Washington refused to seek a third.

– –

• Compensation:

• Congress determines the President’s salary.

• Currently $______per year.

-$______per year expense allowance

-Health and Dental

Presidential Succession and the Vice President: 13.2

• The Constitution and Succession:

• Presidential Succession:

• Originally, the Constitution did not provide for succession of the Vice President.

-In practice, the V.P ______succeed to the office when it became vacant. (John Tyler 1841)

• What had been practiced became part of the Constitution with the______.

“In case of the removal of the President from office or of death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.”

• Congress also fixes the order of succession.

• This was determined by the ______

1. Vice President

2. Speaker of the House

3. President pro tempore of the senate 4. Secretary of State

…and then followed by the cabinet heads in the order in which the offices were created.

• Presidential Disability:

• Neither the Constitution nor Congress had made any provision for deciding when a President was disabled.

• There was also nothing to indicate who would make such a decision.

(ex:) Eisenhower, Garfield, Wilson

• Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment fill the disability gap.

• The Vice President is to become Acting President if:

*(Has only come into play twice)

• The Vice Presidency:

• “I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.” -

• Not a very important job.

• Often the Vice President is the butt of late night jokes.

• Importance of the Office:

• The Constitution pays little attention to the office of Vice President.

• Two formal duties:

2. *Usually the Presidential candidate will pick a V.P. that helps to ______

Balance the Ticket:

• Vice Presidential Vacancy:

• The Vice Presidency has been vacated 18 times

• It was until 1967 when the 25th Amendment acknowledged this.

• If the Vice Presidency is open, the President will nominate a new V.P.

• That nomination must be approved by a majority in both houses of Congress

• Provision was first implemented in 1973.