Notes

Executive Branch
     -Includes president, vice president, and his cabinet

Chief of State
     -Acts as the ceremonial head of government
Chief of Executive
     -Has power both domestically and abroad
Chief of Administrator
     -Takes care of the executive branch
Chief Diplomat
     -Head of foreign policy

Commander in Chief
     -Head of the military
Chief Legislator
     -Main person behind public policy
Chief of Party
     -Leader
Chief Citizen
     -represents will of the people

To be a president
  -natural born citizen
  -at least 35
  -lived in the United States for at least 14 years

(President Pro Temp person of the majority party with the most years of seniority)

Presidential Term
     -4 year term
     -George Washington set the precedent
     -FDR broke this precedent by seeking and winning 4 straight terms in office
     -22nd amendment prevents this from happening again
                      -2 terms/10 years

In Case of Disability
     -Rules set by the 25th amendment
     -In event of a disability the Vice President assumes the role of the President

Vice President
     -Known as the president in waiting
     -Very little actual power
     -Used to balance this ticket in presidential elections
     -Only office tat cannot be fired by the president

Presidential Election
     -Electors chosen in each state by the manner of the state's choosing
     -Originally cast 2 electoral votes
     -Same number of senators and house of representatives

Election of 1800
     -First tie for presidential election
     -Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson each got 73 votes
     -The matter was sent to the house which eventually chose Thomas Jefferson

12th Amendment
     -law so this does not happen again

National Convention
     -called every 4 years to officially nominate presidential candidates
     -each state sends delegates based on their electoral votes
     -differences in choices of delegates between Republican and Democrat Parties

Primaries
     -most popular device to select nominations for president
     -began in the early 1900s as a reaction to party boss dominated politics
     -typically front-loaded

Delegate Selection
     -Began as winner take all

Caucuses
     -meetings of a political party which gather to select delegates o the national convention

Convention Schedule
     -Day 2: adopt platform
     -Day 3: select or affirm choice for vice presidential candidate
     -Day 4: select and affirm presidential candidate
                      -done by delegates voting
                      -candidate delivers acceptance speech

Nominee Characteristics
     -typically the current president is nominated
     -good speakers who seem to have a stable family life and also have a pleasant and healthy appearance
     -typically protestants from large states
     -has long run of political experience