Am. Gov't -Position Paper Number Three

POSITION PAPER #3 - THE PRESIDENT

30 PTS.

Correct answers will make ten distinct points per question. Use your textbook, the library, or the internet, but be sure and cite which sources you are using. This is the time to really shine, and you can use this to help you get a terrific grade! If you would like help in crafting your answer, please feel free to email me; but be aware that I will only be able to access email sporadically from Wed., 23 Nov. to Sun. 27 Nov. Papers should be handed in no later than 3:15 PM on Tuesday, 29 Nov. No late papers will be accepted.

You should notice, that questions one and two are very broad topics; there are more than ten points you can make on each. A suggestion - write a short outline, and literally count up the points you want to make before writing your final answer. If you have ten, smart points to make in each question, then you have just gotten to your 100%. Keep trying until you get there. All the answers are in your notes from the last two weeks of class. Remember - the questions themselves lead to the answer - that's why they are long, and detailed. The more detail you answer with, the closer you are to your "A". You may work together, but ensure that the work on your paper is purely your own. Happy hunting and enjoy the holidays.

1. The term 'second term curse' is a phrase we heard several times in class. Assume it is August, 1974, and you have just opened the paper to see that President Nixon has resigned, to be replaced by Vice-President Gerald Ford. Please explain in detail the reasons (not the process) that made Ford Vice-President, what led to Nixon's resignation, and the political/personal issues surrounding President Ford's pardon of Nixon. You are invited to offer your own opinion for this question in addition to the history behind it.

2. Assume for a moment that Vice President Cheney would resign from office. Explain to me in explicit detail and history the process that President Bush would use to replace him. Please consider and address the differences in the process between a Vice Presidential appointment and other appointments, such as an appointment to the Supreme Court or the Cabinet. Upon doing so, please note and each instance of a Vice Presidential vacancy since 1967. Please address what is unique about the Ford Vice-Presidency and Presidency in the context of the 25^th Amendment.

3. We are in Iowa, and we will soon have no less than a dozen potential Presidents knocking at our doors and asking for our support. Please explain why this is; after all, Iowa is only one of 50 states, isn't it? So - what is the deal here? Specifically, I would like you to please recognize and explain the caucus system, and what we do with it in Iowa. Having done that, please compare our system to how other states choose their candidates. Does Iowa indeed prove, that the first step in deciding who leads the country, is 'showing up'?