unit 4: executive branch

quiz 3/31 test 4/4

Executive authority

No govt can exist without some type of _

legislative or judicial

Government can exist without a ___ & ______

President

Most visible member of the US exec branch

47

Number of presidents including current

Article II

Article that outlined the executive branch in the constitution

3 qualifications to be president

1. must be 35 years old

2. be natural born US citizen

3. live in US at least 14 years

john f kennedy (43)

youngest president ELECTED

teddy roosevelt (42)

youngest president

• elected to 4 year terms

• limited to 2 terms or 10 yrs in office

• set by 22 amendment (1951)

Term conditions once president is elected

George Washington

started "no third term" tradition

FDR

elected to 4 terms in 1930s + 1940s

same as president

qualifications for vice president

1. head of senate
2. president in waiting
   (member of national security council and presidential cabinet)

2 main jobs of VP

vp, speaker of House, Pro Tempore of the Senate, secretary of state

line of succession to president

25 amendment

vp officially becomes president if prez dies

commander in chief

prez has over 2 million troops under his command

chief legislator

shapes the congressional agenda

• oversees legislative process
  -passing bills

-state of union address

chief executive

main job is to execute the laws of the us

chief diplomat

forms all US foreign policy

chief administrator of Federal Govt

-has over 3 million employees
-payroll and budget is over 1 trillion per year
-manages operations

chief citizen

represents all the american people

head of political party

campaigns for those who support their policies. shapes the party platform

chief of state

ceremonial head (figurehead) of the US govt

nominating president

1. presidential primary
2. national convention
3. favorable nominee characteristics

presidential primary

when a state selects delegates to attend a national convention in order to express a preference for a candidate

new hampshire

state that holds first primary

super tuesday

• gives you first clear frontrunners in the election
  -approx 16 states hold their primaries on the same day

open primary

does not require voters to declare a party affiliation

closed primary

votes must choose a party affiliation

caucus

held by some states instead of a primary
--meetings run by political parties that are held at the county

national convention

1. select a presidential + vice-presidential candidate
2. to re-unify the party--usually done by former president
3. adopt a party platform-- view on all the issues

favorable nominee characteristics

-well-known records in public office
-does well on tv
-former governors
-"winners"
-former senators
-person w "broad appeal"
-protestants

electing president

-elected by electoral college
-electoral vote is based on popular vote from each state

number of house members + senators

each states electoral votes are based on _

270 to win

Number of electoral votes to win presidency

candidate receives ALL states elec votes

candidate wins state popular vote
--A candidate can win the popular vote

decision goes to Hosue of reps

if there is no majority vote in elec college

a month after election (december)

when does electoral college cast their votes

Vice President

Electoral votes go to this person who announces winner