Chapter 5

The President
 President George Bush
• Family
Married to First Lady Laura Bush
• Daughters
Twin daughters, Jenna and
Barbara.
• Born
Born July 6, 1946.
• College
Yale University, bachelor's degree,
history
• Graduate School
Harvard University, Master of
Business Administration
• Career and Public Service
Owner, oil and gas business
Partner, Texas Rangers Baseball
Team
Governor of Texas
President of the United States
 The President
• President of the US one of the most powerful
people in the world
• President = elected leader with authority equal
and independent of the legislature
• Chief executive officer
• Overseer of laws passed by Congress
• Chief of the Armed forces
• Constitutional Convention created the three
branches
• George Washington – First President
 Qualifications
• Natural born citizen of the US
• 35 years old
• Resident of the US for 14 years
 Term of Office
• Founding fathers did not want a monarchy
• Term limits established after Washington’s
Presidency – Four Years
• 1951 – Congress passed law that limited
Presidential terms to two four -year terms
 Removal
• President not above the law
• Can be removed due to treason, bribery, or
other high crimes and misdemeanors
• House of Representatives determines whether
or not to pursue impeachment offenses
• Impeachment has been used on three
Presidents
 Benefits
• Compensation package = President’s pay
– 1. $400, 000 per year
– 2. $50,000 for expenses
– 3. $100,000 for travel
– 4. living in the White House
– 5. Retreat at Camp David
 Benefits
– 6. Best medical treatment
– 7. Automobiles
– 8. Aircraft
– 9. Pension after leaving office
– 10. Security for the family
 Succession
• Constitution
– 1. If President cannot perform duties – Vice
President takes over
– 2. Presidential Succession Act of 1947
• a. Succession as it is today
• b. The Vice President
• c. Speaker of the House
• d. President pro tempore of the Senate
• e. Secretary of State
 Succession
• f. Secretary of the • m. Secretary of
Treasury Health and Human
Services
• g. Secretary of
Defense • n. Secretary of
Housing and Urban
• h. Attorney General Development
• i. Secretary of the • o. Secretary of
Interior Transportation
• j. Secretary of • p. Secretary of
Agriculture Energy
• k. Secretary of • q. Secretary of
Education
Commerce
• r. Secretary of
• l. Secretary of Labor Veterans Affairs
Duties and Powers of the President

• Founders were distrustful of a strong president

• There is not a list of powers that are trusted to

the president
 .Chief Executive
• President administers the policy that the
legislature creates
• Can demand written reports from
governmental entities
• Appoints government officials
• Restructure agencies
• Propose budgets
 Appointments
• Appoints 1,300 people to jobs - ambassadors,
Supreme Court, Attorney General, and counsels
• Policy decisions made by the Congress
• Judges – key appointments
• Selects people that are loyal and like minded
• Nominees for appointments are confirmed by
the Senate
 Removing Officials

• Constitution does not give the president power

to remove appointees from office

• Many presidents have removed officials

without question
 Line Item Veto
• Enacted in 1997
• Certain items in a bill could be vetoed without
vetoing the entire bill
• In 1998 – Clinton v City of New York – Court
held the Line Item Veto as unconstitutional
 Budget Making
• Congress responsible for the budget
• After WWI better management needed –
passed Budgeting and Accounting Act of 1921
– 1. President given more of a role in fiscal planning

– 2. President predicts how much money it will take

to run the government for one fiscal year
Budgeting and Accounting Act
– 3. Budget cycle starts October 1 and goes to
September 30
– 4. President determines department expenditures
– 5. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
assists the president with the budget
 Pardoning Power
• President can grant reprieve or pardon for
offenses against the US
 Office of the Vice President
• Vice President is now an important role
• Based on the Mondale model