**The presidency is the single most important office in American politics.

   Notice I did not say institution, but off ice.

   From the time the Constitution was written there has been a fear that the presidency would degenerate into a monarchy - or at least into a dictatorship.

   More recently, there have been concerns that the presidency has become too weak.

   However, as we shall discuss, aside from acting outside the law and the Constitution, there is little prospect of the presidency being a threat to democracy.

   Madison's system of checks and balances remains intact - especially during the era of divided government.  

   The popularly elected president is an American invention - most democratic nations have a-chief executive, which is chosen by and responsible to the parliament

     Historically, Americans have been suspicious of a strong executives branch especially in light of their experience with Great Britain and the resultant revolution.

     The founding fathers, therefore (according to Clinton Roster), made 8 explicit decisions about the kind of executive they wanted - took their ideas from John Locke's 2nd Treatise on Government.

     1. They created executive branch that was separate from the legislature.

     2. Executive would consist of one person independently elected (outside confines of legislature)

     3. Serve for a fixed term.

     4. Indefinitely re-eligible for election (overturned by 22nd amendment).

     5. Granted powers directly from the Constitution, not via Congress.

     6. Presidential decisions could not be reviewed by a counsel of revision.

     7. No one can be president while a member of either House of Congress.

     Therefore, the major difference between the U. S. executive and other branches of other democratic nations is the off ice itself.

     The differences between presidents & pr me minister include:

     1. Presidents are often outsiders meaning they may have a great deal of political experience, but not necessarily at the national level. Prime ministers are always selected from among those already in parliament & so they have plenty of national political experience.

     2. Presidents choose cabinet members from outside of congress: under the constitution, no sitting member of congress can hold office in the executive branch. Under a parliamentary system, the prime minister picks all of their cabinet members from among sitting members of parliament - way to exercise control over the legislature.

     3. Presidents have no guaranteed majority in the legislature. The opposite party often controls Congress, creating a divided government. Prime Ministers are selected by the party in power (majority party).

      The U. S. Constitution created a system of separate braches of government who share powers. Conflict between was expected. Prime Minister knows that almost any bill he submits to parliament will be approved.

    PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA

     Youngest president - Theodore Roosevelt ... took office at age 42 when McKinley was assassinated.

     Youngest president to be elected - John P. Kennedy (43).

     Oldest president - Ronald Reagan, he was 69 when he was elected.

     The largest president - William Hovered Taft (300+ pounds).

      Tallest president - Abraham Lincoln (6 ft 4 inches).

      Smallest president - James Madison (5 ft 4 inches, 100 lbs.).

      Longest time in office - Franklin D. Roosevelt (Served 12 years, died 3 months into his fourth term).

      George Washington gave the shortest inaugural speech (133 words).

      William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address (8,443 words) ... it was raining and cold, he caught pneumonia, died 30 days later...means that he also served the shortest time as president.

  

   HOW DOES ONE GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE:

     Most presidents run for president & are elected through the Electoral College.

     The Electoral College, not the popular vote, determines the president of the United States.

     Founders wanted president chosen by nations elite, not by the unwashed masses, so they created the electoral college.

     The electoral college is a body of electors who are charged solely with the task of voting for the president and the vice-president

     Fortunately, since 1828, political practice has made the electors responsive to popular majorities. Today the electors almost always vote for the person winning their State’s popular vote. However, an elector may vote his/her conscience.

      Electoral College works as follows:

      Each state, according to the constitution, has as many votes as it has U.S. Senators and representatives.

      The state parties select slates of electors, which they use as a reward to the faithful.

      Georgia has 13 electoral votes, California has 52, Tennessee has 11

      Each state (except Maine and Nebraska) has a winner take all system.

   Electors vote as a bloc for the winner, whether the winner got 35 or 95 percent of the popular vote (ME and NE).

      An elector is allocated for every congressional district won, and whoever wins the state as a whole wins the two electors allocated to the state for its senators.

      Electors meet in their state capitals and cast their votes in December, following the November election, and then mail their votes to the vice president (who is also president of the senate).

     The vote is then counted when the new congressional session - opens in January and reported by the vice president.

      If no candidate receives an electoral college majority then the election is thrown into the House of Representatives which must choose from among the top three electoral vote winners.

     An interesting quirk in the house voting is that each state delegation has one vote, thus giving the one representative from Montana an equal say with the 52 representatives from California. 

     Electoral College gives a bias to big states & urban areas.

      In addition, the Electoral College attracts special attention when the prospect looms that either the election will be thrown into the House or that the Electoral College votes will not reflect the popular vote (as in 2000 election).

     Twice the election was decided by the House - in 1800 Thomas Jefferson was elected and in 1824 John Quincy Adams was elected.

      Not since 1888 (Grover Cleveland lost to Benjamin Harrison) has the popular-vote winner lost in the Electoral College (And now, of course, the 2000 election when George Bush lost to Al Gore).

      Is reform likely? Perhaps not - unless something major happens.

     Presidents are guaranteed a four-year term by the Constitution, but the 22nd amendment, passed in 1951, limits them to two terms.

     If someone succeeds to the presidency, they can only run once, if they served two or more years of their predecessor’s term.

     Only 12 of the 42 presidents before George Bush have actually served two or more full terms in the White House.  Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Grant, Cleveland, Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

      Another way to get to the White House is to be vice-president when the president dies or resigns.  Gives us the “accidental president" - Gerald Ford was the most accidental.  Ford did not run for either the vice presidency or the presidency before taking office. Gerald Ford was nominated vice-president by Nixon when Spiro Agnew resigned; he then assumed the presidency when Nixon resigned.

     Impeachment and succession:

    Impeachment: This is - roughly the political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law.

      Presidential disability: several times a president has become disabled. For example, after Woodwork Wilson suffered a stroke, his wife became virtual acting president.

     The 25th Amendment (1967) clarified some of the Constitution’s vagueness about disability. It permits the vice president to become acting president if the vice president and the cabinet determine that the president is disabled and it outlines how a recuperated president can reclaim the oval office.

     The 25th Amendment also created a means for selecting a new vice president - the president nominates a new vice president who assumes office when both houses of Congress approve the nomination.

     Other laws specify the order of presidential succession:

     In particular, the presidential succession Act of 1947:

     From the vice president, to the Speaker of the House, to the president pro tem of the Senate, and down through the cabinet. The Presidential succession act can be justified on democratic grounds.

     The logic is that a) the President and vice president run as a ticket - so both are technically elected, b) the House and Senate are directly elected and are thus democratically chosen, and c) Cabinet members are appointed by the president and accepted by the Senate.

     There are three basic theories of presidential leadership: These theories explain why different presidents use their power in different ways - basically, they see their job responsibilities differently.

     The Stewardship Theory: President should act in the best interests of the people, unless Congress forbids it (Ted. Roosevelt).

     Constitutional Theory: Passive view of the presidency; only act if the constitution explicitly directs it (Howard Taft)

     Prerogative theory:  The president must act in the best interests of the people (in his view) even it appears to go against the constitution (the view of most modern presidents)

     THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT:

     The president wears many hats. These include: chief legislator, commander in chief, chief diplomat, head of state, and head of government. Also chief of political party, and chief fund raiser.

     The Constitution says little about presidential Power. 

     Article II starts with these general words: "The executive power shall -be vested in a President of the United States of America" & then the Constitution lists just -a few powers.

     Presidential Powers can be divided into four categories:

     National Security Powers. Commander in chief of the armed forces, makes treaties with Other nation (subject to the agreement of 2/3 of the Senate), nominates ambassadors (with senate majority), confer diplomatic recognition on other governments.

     Legislative Powers. Gives state of the Union address to Congress, recommend legislation to Congress, convene  both houses on extraordinary occasions, can adjourn Congress, can veto legislation (Congress can overrule with 2/3 vote in both houses).

     Administrative Powers. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed, appoint officials, fill administrative vacancies.

     Judicial Powers. Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offences, appoint federal judges (with Congressional Approval).

     American Constitution creates a system of checks and balances.