Qualifications & Terms
What is one constitutional age requirement a person must meet to be president?
35
Give one constitutional power of the president related to foreign policy
Make treaties (with Senate approval) or appoint ambassadors (with Senate approval)
How many Electoral votes are there in the Electoral College?
538
According to the Constitution and laws, who succeeds the president first if the president dies?
Vice-President
Give one example of an informal qualification that voters often look for in presidential candidates
Example informal qualifications (accept any one): prior government experience, being perceived as moderate, being well-funded, or demographic traits (historically most presidents have been white, married, and wealthy).
How many years of U.S. residency must a presidential candidate have before taking office?
14
Explain what "commander in chief" means for presidential authority.
"Commander in Chief" means the president is the highest-ranking officer of the armed forces and directs military operations and strategy, though Congress has powers related to declaring war and funding.
What is the minimum number of Electoral votes needed to win the White House?
270
Besides succession, name one constitutional role of the vice president in the Senate.
Break ties when the vote is 50/50
Identify two leadership skills the president should possess
Understanding the public, Communication, Sense of timing, works with Congress to pass legislation, Political courage
Name two constitutional requirements to be vice president.
35 years old, live in the US for 14 cons years and be born an American citizen
Describe an example of an inherent power of the POTUS.
Executive privilege is the president’s claimed right (and that of high executive officials) to refuse to disclose certain communications or to refuse testimony before Congress or a court in order to protect sensitive executive branch deliberations.
Which two states do NOT use the winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes? You have to get both
Maine and Nebraska
Under which amendment does the vice president help decide whether the president can carry out their duties?
25th
Explain the roles and purposes of the president’s cabinet
Basically 17 separate committees that make his job easier because they divide up and focus on specific tasks
Which amendment limited presidents to two elected terms, and which president’s multiple terms prompted it?
22nd
Thomas Jefferson
How many times has a Presidential candidate lost the Electoral College but won the Popular vote nationwide? Which political party lost every time? You have to get both.
5 and the Democratic Party
What law established the current order of presidential succession beyond the vice president?
The Presidential Succession Act of 19471947
Name one major barrier to running a presidential campaign related to finances and the agency that monitors campaign spending.
It is expensive to run a campaign; the Federal Election Commission (FEC) monitors and tracks campaign spending. (Accept mention of high costs and the FEC.)
The yearly salary of the President.
$400,000
What is an executive order?
An executive order is a rule or directive issued by the president that has the force of law for the executive branch.
Name two common criticisms or problems associated with the Electoral College.
Examples (accept any two): Winner-take-all can distort the national popular will; third-party candidates can act as spoilers; the possibility that the House could decide the election if no candidate reaches 270270 electors; discrepancies between the national popular vote winner and Electoral College winner.
Name the four positions that take over for the POTUS when both he/she and the Vice-President are unavailable.
After the vice president: 1) Speaker of the House, 2) President pro tempore of the Senate, 3) Cabinet officers beginning with the Secretary of State (followed by Secretary of the Treasury,
How many people have been POTUS.
45