Presidential Succession & Disability Flashcards

Presidential Succession & Disability

• Succession refers to the process of filling the presidency when the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office.
• The 25th Amendment outlines the procedures for presidential succession.
• The order of succession is President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State, followed by other cabinet positions based on seniority.

Roles of the Vice President

• The Vice President acts as the President of the Senate and counts Electoral College votes during congressional sessions.
• The President of the Senate's main duties are to oversee the Senate proceedings and cast votes only to break ties.
• Selecting a Vice President involves choosing someone who can balance the ticket and enhance electability.

Electability & Ticket Balance

• Balancing the ticket means selecting a Vice President who compensates for the presidential candidate's weaknesses while complementing their strengths.
• Electability refers to the ability of a candidate to garner enough votes, influenced by their geographical and demographic appeal.

Historical Vice Presidential Successions

• Nine Vice Presidents have succeeded to the presidency:
  • William Henry Harrison ➡ John Tyler (death)
  • Zachary Taylor ➡ Millard Fillmore (death)
  • Abraham Lincoln ➡ Andrew Johnson (assassination)
  • James Garfield ➡ Chester Arthur (assassination)
  • William McKinley ➡ Theodore Roosevelt (assassination)
  • Warren G. Harding ➡ Calvin Coolidge (death)
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt ➡ Harry S. Truman (death)
  • John F. Kennedy ➡ Lyndon B. Johnson (assassination)
  • Richard Nixon ➡ Gerald Ford (resignation)

Executive Powers of the President

• The President's executive powers include enforcing laws through executive orders and appointing various officials.
• Diplomatic and military powers include the ability to make treaties and serve as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Executive Orders and Appointment Powers

• An executive order has the same legal weight as a law but is not subject to congressional approval; it is checked by the courts.
• Appointment power involves selecting cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, and agency heads, with the Senate providing oversight.

Treaty Making

• Treaty-making power allows the President to negotiate treaties with other countries, subject to Senate approval.

Commander-in-Chief and War Powers

• The President's commander-in-chief duties involve military command and are regulated by the War Powers Resolution, enacted in 1973.
• According to the War Powers Resolution, the President may deploy troops for 60 days without congressional approval, after which Congress must act to declare war or approve extensions.

Legislative and Judicial Powers

• Beyond impeachment, the President has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, and amnesty.
• A pardon absolves an individual from punishment for federal offenses.
• A reprieve temporarily postpones the execution of a sentence.
• Amnesty involves granting pardons to a group of offenders.

Presidential Actions on Legislation

• The President can sign a bill into law, veto it, hold it for 10 days without a signature (during which it may die), or utilize a pocket veto.
• A pocket veto occurs when Congress adjourns within 10 days of presenting a bill, effectively killing it without an official rejection.