The President may veto an important bill. The Congress can pass the bill against the wishes of the President. But the vetoed bill must pass both Houses of the Congress by a two-thirds majority in order to become a law over the veto of the President.

The President may not wish to sign or veto a bill. If the Congress is in session, he has ten days after the bill reaches him within which to act. If the ten days, not counting Sundays, pass without a veto by the President, the bill becomes a law.

When a session of the Congress ends, the President has ten days within which to sign a bill. If he does not sign it, the bill does not become a law. This is called a "pocket veto."

QUALITY OF OUR LAWS

We hold our representatives to account for what they do in the Congress. If we are to have good laws, we must elect wise men to represent us in the Congress. We should tell our representatives what laws we need. We should also tell them what laws we do not want. The people have the final authority and they should use it at all times.

THINGS TO DO

Questions to ask and answer in your study group:

1. What is meant by the statement that "public office is a public trust"?

2. Why does the Congress do much of its work through committees ?

3. Is it important for the Members of the Congress to keep in touch with the needs of the people? Why or why not? Name some of the ways by which the people can make their wants known to the Members of the Congress.

Complete each of the following:

1. Three of the financial powers of the Congress are:

a.

b.

C.

2. Under its commerce power, the Congress may control:

a.

b.

3. Three subjects on which the Congress may pass laws that should be the same for all of the people of the United States are:

α.

b.

C.

4. An example of authority that is not given to the Congress in clear terms but that is suggested by the Constitution is:

a.

5. Two kinds of laws that the Constitution says that the Congress shall not pass are:

a.

b.

6. The Senate and the House of Representatives have committees on such important matters as:

a.

b.

C.

7. Two things that a committee may do with a bill that has been referred to it are:

a.

b.

8. Two official actions that the President may take with regard to a bill that has been passed by both Houses of the Congress, when he receives it, are:

a.

b.

CHAPTER XIII

The President of the United States

"To obey the law is to support democracy. If every man thinks every law must suit him in order that he shall obey it, he does not support democracy but destroys it. The basis of good government lies in the fact that the people are willing to obey the law as they have determined it to be."

-William Howard Taft.

The people do not always obey a law just because it has been passed by the Congress. There must be officers to enforce the laws. The Fathers of the Constitution had learned that fact by experience under the Articles of Confederation. When they came to write the Constitution they agreed that the National Government should have one branch to enforce the laws. We shall now study that branch of our National Government to learn how it does its work.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Let us look at the first sentence of Article II of the Constitution. It says that the President shall have authority to carry out the laws of the Nation. It does not give this authority to any other officer. The whole authority is given to the President of the United States.

The Constitution says that there shall be a Vice President. He must have the same qualifications as the President. The Constitution makes him the President of the Senate. He can vote when there is a tie vote in the Senate. If the President quits, dies, or is not able to use the authority of his office, the Vice President takes over the office.

The President is elected for a term of four years. The Constitution says that he must have three qualifications.

Term of office-4 years.

Salary-$100,000.

THE PRESIDENT

Election-November of every fourth year.

Inauguration January 20 following election.

Elected By the people through the election of "electors." Qualifications-Natural-born citizen at least 35 years old and at least 14 years a resident of the United States.

Order in which other officers may become President

1. Vice President.

2. Speaker of the House of Representatives.

3. President pro tempore of the Senate.

4. Secretary of State.

5. Secretary of the Treasury.

6. Secretary of Defense.

7. Attorney General.

8. Postmaster General.

9. Secretary of the Interior. 10. Secretary of Agriculture.

11. Secretary of Commerce.

12. Secretary of Labor.

Chief power and duty-To enforce the Constitution, the laws

made by the Congress, and treaties.

Other powers—

1. To veto bills.

2. To suggest bills to the Congress.

3. To call special sessions of the Congress.

4. To deliver messages to the Congress.

5. To appoint judges of National Courts.

6. To appoint representatives to foreign countries.

7. To appoint Department heads and other high officials.

8. To pardon.

9. To carry on official business with foreign nations. 10. To be Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

On April 11, 1953, the Congress of the United States created the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and provided that the Secretary of that Department should hold Cabinet rank. However, there is no provision of law at this time (July 31, 1956) for succession of that Secretary to the Office of President of the United States. Upon enactment of appropriate legislation, the Secretary will, no doubt, occupy the 13th position-this being the newest executive agency to receive Cabinet rank.

Figure 11

The President of the United States

First: He must be a natural-born citizen of the United States. This means that a naturalized citizen can never be President. Second: He must be at least thirty-five years of age when he takes office. Third: He must, at the time he takes office, have lived within the United States for at least fourteen years. He is limited to two terms in office.

HOW A PRESIDENT IS NOMINATED

The Constitution tells how we are supposed to choose our President. We still follow that plan. But we use the party system. No man can hope to be elected President unless he is nominated by a political party.

During the summer of the year in which a President is to be elected, each party holds a national convention in one of the large cities. The members of the party in each State send delegates to the convention.

After the delegates agree upon a party platform, they are ready to select the party's candidate for President. The names of the States are called. As each State is called, any delegate from that State may rise and place a name before the convention. After every delegate has had a chance to suggest a name, a vote is taken. In this way, the party nominates its candidate for President. A candidate for Vice President is nominated in the same way.

THE PEOPLE ELECT "ELECTORS" WHO ELECT THE PRESIDENT

The people do not make a direct vote for the President. The Constitution says that each State shall elect a number of persons equal to the number of its Senators and Congressmen. These persons are called "electors." Each party in each State nominates persons for "electors" from that State. The "electors" nominated by a party promise to vote for the candidate who was nominated by the party at its national convention. When we come to choose a President in November of every fourth year, we vote for those "electors" who have agreed to vote for our candidate for President.