Executive Branch

Power•Power is vested in the President of the

United States▫Acts as Head of State▫Commander in Chief of the armed forces

Head of State

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

The President is responsible for•Enforcing the laws written by Congress

▫Appoints the heads of federal agencies, including the Cabinet

▫The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, will obtain the Presidency if the need arises

Responsibilities•The Cabinet and Federal Agencies are

responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws.

•Employs more than 4 million Americans

The President - Barack Obama• Article II of the

Constitution• 15 Cabinet Members

(Departments)• Power to sign legislation

into law or to veto bills by Congress

• Power to negotiate and sign treaties

• Unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crime

Constitutional Requirement“from time to time give to the Congress

information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient”

•State of the Union address to Congress every January (although they do not have to)

Three Qualifications for President•Must be 35 years of age

▫Youngest President: Theodore Roosevelt (42)

▫Oldest President: Ronald Reagan (69)

•A Natural Born Citizen

•Lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years

Election•Not directly voted for by the people

•Elect members of the Electoral College (538 electors) Apportioned by population

President Obama – 44th President•Only the 43rd person to ever serve•Grover Cleveland served two

nonconsecutive terms

•Two- four year terms•22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 limiting

the terms •FDR had served into his fourth term when

he passed away

Living Conditions•President and family live in

the White House

•Travel by plane: Air Force One

•Travel by Marine Corps Helicopter: Marine One

The Vice-President - Joe Biden

• Primary responsibility: Be ready at a moment’s notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to fulfill his duties.

• Elected along with the President at the Electoral College

• Serves as President of the United States Senate, casts the deciding vote in case of a tie

Vice President Joe Biden• 47th Vice President of the U.S.

▫Out of 45 previous Vice Presidents▫9 have succeeded to the Presidency▫4 have been elected to the Presidency on their own

• Vice Presidential duties outside of the enumerated powers given in the Constitution

• Office in the West Wing of the White House and in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building

• Lives in: The United States Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington, DC▫Air Force Two: Marine Two

Executive Office of the President•Created in 1939 by President FDR•Responsibility for communicating the

President’s message to the American people to promoting our trade interests abroad

EOP•Overseen by the White House Chief of

Staff•Many of the President’s closest advisers

What departments do you know?

Vice President of the United StatesJoseph R. Biden

Department of StateSecretary John Kerry

Department of the TreasurySecretary Jack Lew

Department of DefenseSecretary Chuck Hagel

Department of JusticeAttorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Department of the InteriorSecretary Sally Jewell

Department of AgricultureSecretary Thomas J. Vilsack Department of CommerceActing Secretary Penny Pritzker

Department of LaborActing Secretary Thomas Perez

Department of Health and Human Services

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSecretary Shaun L.S. Donovan Department of TransportationSecretary Anthony Foxx Department of EnergySecretary Ernest Moniz Department of EducationSecretary Arne Duncan Department of Veterans AffairsSecretary Eric K. Shinseki Department of Homeland SecuritySecretary Jeh Johnson

•The President's Cabinet