Election of the American President
1. The Presidency is over and about the turbulence of democracy
The Framers of the constitution intended to keep the Presidency over and above the turbulence of majority rule government. For this reason, they thought it proper to entrust in a constrained body, the order to choose the President.
2. Cabinet
The American President chooses his cabinet, which is, best his team of advisers. It has been rightly characterized as the ‘President’s Family’, and the head of the family, the President, inevitably dominates them. The president and his Cabinet are not answerable to the Legislature. The President of the U.S.A is supreme in executive sphere. He exercise “the largest amount of authority ever and as wielded by any man in democracy.”
3. Foremost ruler in the world
The United States Constitution vests executive powers in the hands of one individual the President of the United States of American. His powers are so enormous, wide and overwhelming that he has been described as the ‘foremost ruler in the world’.
4. Qualifications of American President
In order to contest the election for the office of President and vice President, a candidate should fulfill the following qualifications;-
Ø He is to be a natural born citizen of American.
Ø A candidate should not be less than thirty five years of age.
Ø He must has been a resident of American for at least fourteen years (continuous residence is, however, not necessary).
5. Presidential Nomination
A national committee of each party calls its own convention and makes the requisite arrangements. The calls are issued in January or February and the conventi8ons meet during the summer.
6. A National Convention at work
The thousands of delegates are grouped on the floor by States. An interim chairman is picked. An committee is then appointed in order to scrutinize the credentials of the delegates. Nominations for the office of the President are announced by the Chairman to be in order. The role of States is taken in alphabetical order. After all the nominations have been done, voting beings by a voice vote. When the polling goes on, the weaker candidates drop out and votes are shifted around on successive ballots. One roll call follows another until decision is arrived at.
After the selection of the Presidential candidate, party nominee for the Vice-Presidency is chosen. This is followed by a nation-wide Presidential campaign.
7. The Nomination of Electors
The next step is the nomination of Presidential electors in the several States.
8. Election of the Electors
Every citizen of 21 years of age or more, unless disqualified on certain ground, possesses right to vote. Each of the States chooses as many electors as it has Senators and members of representative in Congress. Presidential electors are chosen in each State as a group and not as individuals. The electoral college is to consist of 535 members. A Presidential candidate can get elected only if he captures 269 votes of the electors.
9. Election of the President by the Electors
The Presidential electors meet on the second Wednesday of December in their respective state capitals and their votes for Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.
10. Transmitting and counting of Votes
The President of the Senate counts the votes and announces the result which is hardly a guarded secret.
11. Procedure in case no candidates gets absolute majority
If no candidate secures the requisite majority, the issue is decided by the House of Representatives which elects by an absolute majority of votes one of the three candidates obtaining the largest number of electoral votes. The members of the House vote State wise, each State having one vote irrespective of its population. This procedure was adopted thrice.
12. Tenure
The President is elected for a period of four years. A President can be re elected for a second term and invariably the President in office is elected for a second term.
13. Inauguration of the new President
The newly elected President is inaugurated on 20th January . At the inauguration the new President takes the oath of office which is administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
14. Salary and Allowances
The salary of the President originally was 25,000 dollars a year. It has been revised from time to time and since 1969 it stands at 200,000 dollars a year. Besides, he is to get 100,000 dollars as a general expense fund.
15. Privileges
The President enjoys many privileges. He can’t be arrested on the basis of any charge nor can be summoned in a court as an issue. He must be denounced by the Congress.