Johnson and Johnson:
Trauma and the Succession of Presidential Power in American History
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Kelly J. Keogh
Normal Community High School
the thumbnail images related to this learning experience from your resource table. Resize the image to fit within this frame.
Spring 2010
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Cecil Stoughton photograph of Lyndon Johnson taking oath of office on
Air Force One; November 22, 1963 following John Kennedy’s assassination.
Gift from Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
The lesson will confront students with the Constitutional, historical and political ramifications of the transition of presidential power following traumatic events in the country’s history.
Overview/ Materials/Historical Background/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· Examine the Constitutional provisions pertaining to the Presidential succession of power.
· Analyze historical case studies where the Presidential succession of power due to a death/resignation was enacted.
· Evaluate the difficulty and success of four Vice-Presidents following the death/resignation of a President.
Recommended time frame / 3-4 days
Grade level / 11-12th grades
Curriculum fit / U.S. History, A.P. Government
Materials / Videos:
· Ken Burns “Civil War” Episode 9 Chapters 1-4. 1990, All rights reserved PBS.
· “Truman”, Part One Scene 6-9. 1997 WGBH Educational Foundation and David Grubin Productions, Inc. All rights reserved PBS.
· “LBJ”, Part Two Scene 1-10, 1991 North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved PBS.
· “Nixon”, Part Three Scene 1-4, 1990, WGBH Educational Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved PBS.
Documents:
· President Andrew Johnson’s “First Annual Speech to Congress”, December 4, 1865; Miller Center for Public Affairs, University of Virginia. http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3555
· President Harry S. Truman’s “Address to Joint Session of Congress”, April 16, 1945; Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. https://trumanlibrary.org/ww2/stofunio.htm
· President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Address to Joint Session of Congress”, November 27, 1963; Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, National Archives and Records Administration. http://www.lbjib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/speeches.hom/631127.asp
· President Gerald Ford’s “Remarks Upon Taking the Oath of Office as President”, August 9, 1975; Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/speeches/74001.asp
· “Constitution on Line”; USConstitution.net http://www.usconstitution.net/index.html
Images:
· “Andrew Johnson taking the Oath”, “Harry S. Truman taking the Oath”, “Lyndon Johnson taking the Oath”, “Gerald Ford taking the Oath”; Citations and URL location found on “Primary Source from the Library of Congress” page.
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Social Studies
· State Goal 14 Understand Political Systems with an emphasis on the United States
· 14.A.3 Describe how responsibilities are shared and limited by the United States and Illinois Constitutions and significant court decisions
· 14.A.4 Analyze how local, state and national governments serve the purposes for which they were created.
· 14.B.3 Identify and compare the basic political systems of Illinois and the United States as prescribed by their constitutions.
· 14.F.A Determine the historical events and processes that brought about changes in the United States political ideas and traditions.
· 14.F.3a Analyze historical influences on the development of political ideas and practices as enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Illinois Constitution.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Have students read aloud the “Historical Background” reading from lesson to provide background. After reading the background, issue them Assignment #1 on the “Constitution and Presidential Succession of Power” for homework.
Day Two:
· Go over Assignment #1 and then issue the class Assignment #2 on “Four Case Studies of Presidential Succession”. Show them video Clip #1 from “Civil War” series and video Clip #2 from “Truman” (cited in Resource section)
Day Three:
· Continue Assignment #2 by showing Clip #3 “LBJ” and Clip #4 “Nixon” (cited in Resource section).
· Have students complete Assignment #2 for homework if they do not complete it in class
Day Four:
· Go over Assignment #2 with the class. Have them discuss their answers in small groups first before leading into a general class discussion. Place their answers on the white board for analysis. Issue them the culminating Position Paper assignment. Go over the directions with them as well as explain the Rubric that will be employed for evaluation. Be certain to point out the websites for the Presidential speeches as they’re a major part of the assignment. They have two days to complete their essay either at home or in a computer lab if possible.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
The first two assignments will be evaluated as homework grades. The Position Paper will be assessed as a test grade.
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
An entertaining extension of this lesson would be to show your class the episode of the NBC television series “West Wing” where the Presidential character, President Bartlett, submits his temporary resignation and then resumes the office in a later episode. The episodes where from Season 4 “Twenty Five” and Season 5 “Dogs of War” and “Jefferson Lives”. You could have your students analyze the episode to see what Constitutional provisions are invoked and followed by the film and whether or not they’re valid. Another extension could be just to have them research the 8 times when Presidents have left their office prematurely and examine each as a Case Study under the analysis of the Constitutional provisions for transfer of power.
Historical Background
Back to Navigation Bar
The transition of presidential power from one elected leader to the next has always been a major goal of the United States since its founders first ratified its Constitution in 1789. Although overall successful, there have been instances in American history where the presidential transition did not go as smoothly as hoped due to traumatic factors such as assassination, death by natural causes, voting irregularities and resignation. Of the 44 men who have held the office of the Presidency, eight died while in office with four being assassinated. The political chaos that usually follows a change in executive power has been somewhat abated throughout America’s history with the existence of Article 2, Sec.1 of the United States Constitution that underscored the requirements for the office of the President and Vice-President
Article 2, Sec.1 of the United States Constitution lays out the age and residency requirements of the office of the Presidency and Vice-Presidency. Although generally accepted by the masses through this provision that the Vice-President would replace the President if the latter died or resigned in office, there were later Amendments to the section to clarify the succession of Presidential power in case of death or removal of President or Vice-President. The 1804 12th Amendment, the 1933 20th Amendment, the 1951 22nd Amendment and the 1967 25th Amendment of the Constitution dealt with different aspects of the qualifications, limits of terms, and succession of power of the Presidency. The 25th Amendment offered the most specific clarification concerning the presidential succession of power.
Of the eight Presidents that did not complete their term of office due to death or resignation, there were four transitions of power that were especially traumatic to the body politic. The 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at the conclusion of the American Civil War, the 1945 death of four term President Franklin Roosevelt in the waning days of the Second World War, the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy at the height of the Cold War and the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal all shocked the country. Each occurred at transformational points of volatile domestic and foreign challenges to the country when Presidential leadership was vital. The importance and necessity of the office of Vice-President was never more apparent than in these situations as well as the need to have qualified people serving in that capacity.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar
Rubric
Back to Navigation Bar
Position Paper Rubric
An “A” paper has the following qualities:
· Strong ideas that are carefully and extensively explained, supported or illustrated
· Ideas, opinions, or positions are clearly supported by references to the text
· Ideas are original or presented in an insightful or creative manner
· Final draft form has proper spelling and mechanics
A “B” paper has the following qualities:
· Ideas are clearly formed and explained in the essay
· Arguments are supported by appropriate references to the text that are also explained
· A logical flow to the paper from the introduction to body to conclusion
· Paper is long enough to meet the expectations of the assignment
· Final draft form with minor spelling or mechanical errors
A “C” paper has the following qualities:
· Less evidence of careful writing (no introduction or conclusion, weak explanations)
· Few or no references to the text
· Text references are unconnected or not explained
· Paper is not long enough to adequately present the ideas
· Too many spelling or mechanical errors
A “D” paper has the following qualities:
· Less evidence of careful thinking or writing
· Significant spelling or mechanical errors
· No references to text
· Paper is unclear due to arbitrary or random ideas
· Ideas are poorly developed and are not explained or clarified for the reader
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ON WRITING: YES NO
USE OF SPECIFIC EXCERPTS FROM THE TEXT 5 4 3 2 1
FOCUS ON THE QUESTION ASKED 5 4 3 2 1
EXPLANATION OF IDEAS AND/OR OPINIONS 5 4 3 2 1
ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE IDEAS FROM TEXT 5 4 3 2 1
LENGTH OF 2-2.5 PAGES OF REAL CONTENT 5 4 3 2 1
Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar
Article II - The Executive Branch Note
Section 1 - The President Note1 Note2
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector……No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President, neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and have been fourteen years a Resident within the United States. In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability…..
Section 4 - Disqualification
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits. Ratified 2/27/1951. History
1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President, when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
Amendment 25 - Presidential Disability and Succession. Ratified 2/10/1967. Note History
1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.