President of the United States

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 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 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 country estate • Air Force One personal airplane • Staff of 400-500

Christmas at the White House, 2004 How is the President compensated?

Marine One White House Camp David

Secret Service “The Beast”

Air Force One Election and Terms of Office

Presidential Power

“The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”

With these few words, the Framers established the presidency. The Constitutional Powers of the Presidency: Article II The Constitutional Powers of the President How has presidential power grown over time? The Modern Presidency Legislative Chief-of-State Power Pardoning Treaty-making Power Power

Chief Diplomat Presidential Powers Chief Executive

Commander Veto Power -in-Chief Appointment Power Development of Presidential Power Formal Powers Formal Powers of the President •Constitutional or expressed powers of the presidency •Found primarily in Article II of the Constitution (the Executive Article) Article II Enumerated Powers Powers explicitly identified in the text of the Constitution- To include: • Power to pardon • Make treaties • Recommend • Make appointments legislation • Veto power • Call Congress to • Commander in Chief session • Receive Ambassadors The Enumerated Powers of the President Enumerated Powers (cont.) Formal Powers: Commander-in-Chief • Commander in Chief of the Army & Navy • Making undeclared war • Limited by War Powers Act 1973 • President can commit troops for 90 days Formal Powers: Chief Executive • “Faithfully execute” the laws • Grant pardons for federal offenses except for cases of impeachment • 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 (recess appointments) Formal Powers: Foreign Affairs • Appoint ambassadors, ministers and consuls • Make treaties subject to Senate confirmation • Receive ambassadors • Diplomatic Recognition – acknowledging the legal existence of a country/state Formal Powers: Chief Legislator •Give State of the Union address to Congress •Recommend “measures” to the Congress •Upon “extraordinary occasions” convene both houses of Congress Formal Powers: Chief Legislator (cont.)

• Presidential Veto • Veto Message within 10 days of passing the House of origin • 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 Informal Powers Informal Powers Interpretation of the Enumerated Powers Expansive Precedents Expansive Precedents (cont.) Expansive Precedents (cont.) Advent of the “Modern” Presidency

• Who is most identified with the start of the “modern” Presidency? • Impact of FDR: • Preeminent source of national leadership (why?) • Role of FDR during Great Depression & WWII • Effect on all of FDR’s successors ever since? • Key precedent: The First 100 Days • Institutional Leadership: • What are the various roles played by Presidents? Executive Orders

Notice for Japanese “relocation,” 1942 Executive Agreements

• GWB announced cuts in the nuclear arsenal, but not in a treaty; usually trade agreements between US and other nations Executive Privilege

• United States v. Nixon (1973) – presidents do NOT have unqualified executive privilege (Nixon Watergate tapes) Access to Media Persuasion Emergency Powers

Presidential Roles Head of State The President is chief of state. This means he is the ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of all the people of the nation.

Queen Elizabeth and President Reagan, 1983

President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall, 1963 Chief Executive The Constitution vests the President with the executive power of the United States, making him or her the nation’s chief executive.

President Clinton with Janet Reno, President Bush holds cabinet meeting the first female Attorney General, in October, 2005 February, 1993 Commander-in-Chief The Constitution makes the President the commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s armed forces.

President Johnson decorates a soldier in Vietnam, October, 1966 President Bush aboard U.S.S. Lincoln, May, 2003 Chief Legislator The President is the chief legislator, the main architect of the nation’s public policies.

President Clinton delivers the State of the Union Address, 1997

President Roosevelt signs into law the Social Security Act, 1935 Chief Legislator Political Party Leader The President acts as the chief of party, the acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive branch.

President Reagan & Vice-President Bush accepting their party’s nomination in 1980 Chief Administrator The President is the chief administrator, or director, of the United States government.

President Bush at Ground Zero after 9-11

Vice-President Johnson sworn in aboard Air Force One after President Kennedy’s assassination, 1963 Chief Diplomat As the nation’s chief diplomat, the President is the main architect of American foreign policy and chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.

President Lincoln during the Civil President Roosevelt and the “Bully War, 1862 Pulpit,” 1910 Chief Citizen The President is expected to be “the representative of all the people.” Economic Leader