19.1 - The Presidency and the Constitution Flashcards
What are the requirements for someone to be elected as President?
- Must be 35 years old
- A US-born citizen
- Resident of the US for at least 14 years.
Why is there a minimum age for President of the USA?
At the Philadelpha Convention, George Mason noted that his ‘political opnininos at the age of 21 were too crude and erroneous to merit an influence on public measures’.
Why is the power of the President allowed to grow so much?
Article II (the section on the executive branch) of the Constitution is far shorter and more vague than Article I (the section of the legislature).
What are the four sections of Article II?
Outlining:
- the nature of the presidency
- the powers of the president
- the responsibilities of the president
- impeachment
What is included within Section I of Article II?
Outlines the nature of the presidency
- The executive powers invested in the President
- Four year terms
- Explanation of Presidential elections
- Presidential requirements (i.e. must be 35, US-born citizen etc.)
What is included within Section II of Article II?
Outlines the powers of the President.
- Commander in chief
- Require the opinion of heads of departments
- Pardons and reprieves
- Make treaties
- Appoint ambassadors, judges and officials
- Recess appointments
What is included within Section III of Article II?
Outlines the responsibilities of the president.
- State of the Union address to Congress
- Convene special sessions of Congress
- Receive ambassadors
- Faithfully execute laws
What is included within Section IV of Article II?
Outlines the rules for impeachment.
What is the opening sentence of Article II?
The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.
i.e. the power over the executive branch is vested singularly in ‘a President’.
What is federal bureaucracy?
The administrative bodies of the US presidency, consisting of departments, agencies and commissions which act under the president’s direction.
List the executive branch in order of descending White House control?
The President
Vice-President
Executive Office of the President (EXOP)
White House Office, Office of Management and Budget, National Security Council
Cabinet
Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Corporations
What is the executive branch?
The entire branch of government operating under the direction of the President, comprising of those who work in the White House and the Executive Office of the President, the cabient and federal bureaucracy.
What are the two types of powers that the President holds as a result of the Constitution?
Enumerated powers
Implied powers
What are enumerated powers?
Powers that are laid out specifically in the Constitution.
What are the enumerated powers of the President as listed in the Constitution?
- Being commander-in-chief
- Negotiating treaties
- State of the union addresses
- Appoint ambassadors, judges, officers of the United States
- Call recess appointments
- Giving presidential pardons
- Convene special sessions of Congress
- Approve or veto legislation
