Democratic Royalty

1. Democratic Royalty

2. Article II of the Constitution - a huge compromise in the ratification of our government (we need leaders, not a king or an oligarchy) - Perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of being President is that it requires no specific race, gender, or religion (true meritocracy)

3. Trivia Time what is the maximum number of years any person can be President? 10 Let me show you my shocked face... wHUuaaAHtt?! 2, four-year terms + a possible extra 2 years if they were vice president and filled in.

4. Qualifications (Formal) 1.) You must be 35 or Older Ok, I see how it is... You'd think this is because this age would bring requisite wisdom and experience, but it was really insurance against further tyranny -- average age of death at the time was 41.3 so if they start at 35, worst case they've only got 5-7 years before getting cholera, the plague, or assassination. 2.) You must be at least 14 years a citizen of the U.s. Self-explanatory. 15 years is way to long to ask for as a requirement and 13 years... please. Get serious. 3.) You must be a natural born citizen of the u.s. (Imagine if we fought years for our independence only to have Georgy III get on the ballot and win... oh, cruel irony)

5. Qualifications (informal) What do I really need to be President? Government Experience Most Presidents have been Senators or Governors previously (only 5 have had no Political Background) Lots of Money tens of millions of dollars of their own money Moderate Political Beliefs If you’re too extreme either way, you lose support Personal Characteristics Most are white, male, married, protestant and rich Personal Growth the well-being of every American... that’s some stress

6. Job Description - commander in chief of military with congressional approval (to avoid impulse wars) - can create treaties We get by with a little help from our friends - can issue “executive orders” See, “fun Fact.” - Has power of appointment cabinet, judges, ambassadors and Kaiser Permanente Barack Obama (our President) FUN FACT! Over 20,000 executive orders have been put in place since 1789... they have each held the weight of a "law." 

7. CONSPIRACY! What about back -up - Requirements are same as President um, Duh. Since he might end up as President (things happen) - His duty is to fill in for the president if needed see below. - He is also president of the Senate It’s kind of like second place... Joe Biden (Vice President)

8. Is that all... F.Y.I. - Line of Succession for Presidency 1. Vice President 2. Speaker of the House3. President Pro Tempore of the Senate4. Secretary of State5. Secretary of the Treasury6. Secretary of Defense7. Attorney General 8. Secretary of the Interior 9. Secretary of Agriculture 10. Secretary of Commerce Before President Eisenhower (1953-1961), most Presidents didn’t really utilize their VP. Since then, they have received many more duties, including heading policy discussions, special assignments and representing the President overseas.

9. The Cabinet (Since 1791) Not technically in the constitution, but in Article 2, Section 2: "(The President)... may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices." Requirements: None** Salary: $199,700 Meetings: Weekly Job Security: none FUN FACT! When the President orders Mexican food for the cabinet meetings, he always gets free guac! 

10. Sec. of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano Sec. of Labor Sec. of State It’s threat level: Midnight Hilda Solis Hilary Clinton Sec. of Health and Human Services Sec. of Treasury Kathleen Sebelius Timothy Geithner Sec. of Housing and Urban Dev. Sec. of Defense Shaun Donovan Leon Panetta Sec. of Transportation Attorney General Ray LaHood Eric Holder WHOO!! Me and the President wanna get the party started! we’ve got Jock Jams Volume 3... Sec. of Energy Sec. of Interior Steven Chu Ken Salazar Sec. of Education Sec. of Agriculture Ahem.. you mean, “the President and I.” Arne Duncan Tom Vilsack Sec. of Veterans Affairs Sec. of Commerce Eric Shinseki Rebecca Blank

11. Perks of Being King President Salary: $400,000/year They are the highest paid government official. THey also receive some salary ($161,000) until they die. Two “free” Residences The White house in Washington D.C. and Camp David in Maryland. A Legion of Staff Many personal assistants to aid in completing his job and in living; including 5 personal chefs (though He does have to pay for all the food he eats) Access to top of the line tech FUN FACT!! John Adams was the first President to live in the Current White house in 1800 Obama got his iPhone 4s before everyone else...seriously, look it up. “Air Force One,” “Marine One,” and “Cadillac One”

13. Activity Time Scenario: it’s election year and it’s up to you to vote for the next president of the free world! You will need a sheet of lined paper and writing utensil. Your job is to choose One of the following candidates for presidency and write three reasons why they are the best choice.

14. Bruce Wayne Optimus Prime Buddy the Elf Cam Newton Ryan Reynolds Katy Perry James Bond Marcus Fenix Lil Wayne Stephen Colbert

15. Clearly, some of you weren’t paying attention, not all of these people can even be President...

16. Not From Here Not From Here Not From Here Not From Here Too Young Too Young Too Young < 14 Years < 14 Years Bruce Wayne Optimus Prime Buddy the Elf Cam Newton Ryan Reynolds Katy Perry James Bond Marcus Fenix Lil Wayne Stephen COlbert

17. Now, go back to your original choice for President, even though you were (ahem) probably wrong in choosing. Use the 3 qualifiers you wrote down earlier to help you create a thesis sentence for who you think would make the best President of the United States Hint: You can even use their “Flaw” as your counter-argument in your thesis. If this seems too easy, also try adding an introductory paragraph before the thesis to see if you could really set-up an essay.