3-6-14, 3-7-14 lecture notes

• If the president is unable to act as president, he is discharged and the vp takes over. When he can do it again, he writes a letter to congress saying that he can again and they approve it.
• the vice president is the pres in waiting: he presides over the senate.
• VP is used to balance the ticket in pres elections
• VP is only office that cant be fired by the president
• if VP dies/resigns, the president may appoint A NEW vp
• first used with nixon, the VP resignation
• ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• electors chosen in each state by the manner of the state's choosing
• same number of senators and house of reps
• originally cast 2 electoral votes
• 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 as president
• 12th AMENDMENT
• now two elections, one for president, one for vice president
• NATIONAL CONVENTION
• introduce candidates
• adopt platform
• stir up popular support
• PRIMARIES
• allowed people's opinion, before you had to get in with the influential boss of party
• two different types
• delegate selection
• candidate preference
• CAUCUSES
• closed meeting of a political part which gather to select delegates to the national convention
• CONVENTION SCHEDULE
• day 2 adopt platform keynote address, day 3 select or affirm choice for vp candidate day 4 select and affirm pres candidate