The Executive Branch

The President, White House and Federal Government

The President and Vice President

Key terms for this section

Electoral collegeElector Presidential Succession

Constitutional RequirementsIn order to be President, you must:

Be at least 35 years oldA Native-born American citizenA resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years

Vice Presidents MUST meet the same requirementsSo far every President has:

Been a white male until nowAll but one have been Protestant ChristiansMost have won other electionsMost have a college educationMany have been lawyersMost have come from states with large populations

Constitutional Requirements

Terms of Office:A term lasts for 4 yearsYou may be elected to a maximum of 2 CONSECUTIVE (back to back) termsThe 22nd Amendment limited the number of terms to 2, with a max of 10 years

Electing a President

The Constitution does not provide for the direct popular election of the PresidentThe Constitution set up an indirect method of election called the Electoral College (a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president)

Those appointed to vote for each state is called an elector (a person appointed to vote in presidential elections for the major candidates)

Electing a President

Each state has as many electoral votes as the total of its U.S. senators and representatives.The Electoral College includes 538 electors (Washington, D.C. has 3 electoral votes)In order to be elected, a candidate must win at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes

Electing a President

Why have the electoral college and not a direct popular election?

The founding fathers were concerned that the public did not have a good enough knowledge of the politics to make an informed decisionThe electoral college was designed to offer representation by state

When do they vote?The electors meet ONE MONTH BEFORE the INAUGURATION (takes place in January) in their state capital to cast their ballots

Salary & Benefits

The President is paid $400,000 per year, plus $$$ for expenses and travelLives in the White House

Contains a private movie theater, bowling ally, and a heated pool

Has the use of Camp DavidHave privilege of using Air Force One

Presidential Succession

The 25th Amendment says that if a president dies or leaves office, the vice president becomes president—this is known as Presidential SuccessionThe new Pres.appoints a new VP, with Congress’s approval

Presidential SuccessionExample: Nixon’s Term1973: Spiro T. Agnew resigns as VPNixon appoints Gerald Ford as VP1974: Nixon resignsFord becomes Pres. And appoints Nelson Rockefeller as VPALL VP must be approved by Senate

Agnew

Ford

Rockefeller

The President’s Job

A. The Powers of the President

B. Roles of the President

Key Terms in this Section

TreatyAmbassadorExecutive Order Pardon ReprieveAmnestyChief ExecutiveParty LeaderLegislative LeaderCommander in ChiefForeign policy

Veto PowerPocket VetoCommutationCabinetState of the Union AddressChief DiplomatHead of StateEconomic LeaderDiplomatic Notes

The President’s Job

The President is the most powerful public official in the U.S.The U.S. Constitution is the basis of the President’s powerArticle II says the president’s main job is to execute, or carry out, the laws passed by Congress

“Executive power shall be invested in a President…”

The President’s JobFive Powers of the President

LegislativeVeto/approval of billsCall Congress into session

Military: Commander in Chief of Armed ForcesDiplomatic

Receive leaders of foreign governmentsWrite/propose treaties (a formal agreement between the governments of 2 or more countries)

The President’s Job

Five Powers of the President cont.Executive

Financial powers-propose budgetPower of appointment: cabinet/judges/ambassadors

Judicial Power: Enforce laws/exceptions to court judgments

Roles of the President

Chief ExecutiveJudicial “Chief” of PowersLegislative LeaderChief DiplomatCommander in ChiefHead of StateEconomic LeaderParty Leader

Chief ExecutiveCEO—Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.The Pres. Is in charge of 15 cabinet (advisors to the President) departments and approximately 3 million civilians who work for the federal governmentOne of the Pres.’s most important tools for carrying out the laws is the power to issue executive orders (a rule or command that has the force of law)

Falls under Pres.’s constitutional duty to “take care that the laws are faithfully executed.”

Judicial “Chief” Powers

The President has the power to check the Judicial branch through appointments of judges to the Supreme Court and other federal courts

Judicial “Chief” Powers

The Constitution gives the President 4 major Judicial powers:

Pardon-full forgiveness for a crime and freedom from punishmentReprieve-an order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear the caseAmnesty-forgiveness of a crime towards a GROUP of peopleCommutation-lessen the sentence of a crime

Chief Diplomat

The President is in charge of establishing our nation’s foreign policy (relationships of the U.S. with other countries)Diplomatic notes-Treaties-agreements between nations

Diplomatic Corporations

The Diplomatic corporation is made up of ALL the members of the State DepartmentThe President appoints the following w/Senate approval

Ambassadors-representatives appointed by the President to represent our country in other nations

Leaders of foreign embassies

Ministers-Representatives of our nation in tiny countriesConsuls-economic ambassadors to major nations/promote trade

Leaders of foreign consulates

Commander in ChiefHead of all branches of the U.S. militaryArmy, navy, air force, marines, and coast guardMakes decisions from the political perspectiveWar Powers Act of 1973-the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into battle; these troops must be brought home after 60 days unless Congress gives its approval and declares war

Legislative LeaderConsidered to be the most important legislator for 3 reasons:Suggests more bills than any AmericanVeto power-power to reject proposed bills

Line item veto- reject one part of a proposed bill

Gives the State of the Union Address-an annual event in which the President reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the US Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). The address is also used to outline the President's legislative proposals for the upcoming year

Head of State

The president is the living symbol of the nationIn this role, the president aid diplomacy by greeting and visiting kings and queens, prime ministers, and other foreign leadersAlso carries out ceremonial duties for Americans such as lighting the national Christmas tree

Economic Leader

Every president tries to help the country’s economy to prosperVoters expect the president to deal with such problems as unemployment, rising prices, or high taxesMain economic task is to plan the federal government’s budget

Party Leader

The president is generally regarded as the leader of their political party

Making Foreign Policy

Key Terms in this Section

Foreign PolicyNational SecurityExecutive AgreementAmbassadorTrade SanctionEmbargo

The President and Foreign Policy

A nation’s overall plan for dealing with other nations is called its foreign policyThe basic goal of foreign policy is national security (the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm)

Goals of American Policy

National securityInternational trade-trade with other nations is vital to economic prosperityPromoting world peacePromote democracy around the world

Tools of Foreign Policy

Creating treaties and Executive agreementsAppointing AmbassadorsForeign AidInternational TradeMilitary Force

Creating Treaties and Executive Agreements

Treaties-formal agreements between the governments of 2 or more countries

The Senate must approve a treaty by a 2/3 vote

Executive agreement-agreement between the president and the leader of another country

Appointing Ambassadors

Ambassadors-an official representative of country’s governmentThe president appoints about 150 ambassadors, who must be approved by the Senate

Foreign Aid

Money, food, military assistance, or other supplies given to help other countries

International TradeThe president has the power to make agreements with other countries about what products may be traded and the rules for such tradingTrade sanctions-efforts to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers Embargo-agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them all from trading with a target nation

Military Force

As commander in chief, presidents may use the military to carry out some foreign policy decisionsThis is a powerful tool of foreign policy, but one that must be used with great care

Cabinets of the Executive Branch

Key Terms in this Section

Federal bureaucracyIndependent agencyGovernment corporationPolitical appointeeCivil service workerCivil service systemSpoils systemMerit system

EOP: Executive Office of the President

White House Office: Consists of 500 people who work directly for the president

The most powerful of these people in the White House Office is the chief of staffScreens the flow of information and people trying to reach the president

OMB and NSC

OMB: Office of Management and Budget

Prepares the federal budget and monitors the spending in hundreds of government agencies

NSC: National Security CouncilHelps the president coordinate U.S. military and foreign policyAlso supervises the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Office of Administration & CEA

Office of Administration: provides administrative services to all of the executive offices of the presidentCEA: Council of Economic Advisors

Primary duty involves giving the president advice about complex economic matters such as employment, tax policy, inflation and foreign trade

Department of Homeland Security

On Nov. 25, 2002 Pres. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act The act created a federal dept. to consolidate the nation’s defenses against terrorist attack

Cabinets of the President: 15 Departments—see page 226 in textbooks

Dept. of StateDept. of TreasuryDept. JusticeDept. of InteriorDept. of AgricultureDept. of CommerceDept. of Labor

Dept. of DefenseDept. of Health and Human ServicesDept. of H.U.D.Dept. of TransportationDept. of EnergyDept. of VeteransDept. of Homeland Security

The First Lady

Many first ladies have served the countryFirst Ladies have an office in the White House as well as a staff that includes a chief of staff and a press spokesperson

The Federal Bureaucracy

Below the cabinet departments are hundreds of agencies that deal with everythingFederal Bureaucracy-all of the agencies and employees of the executive branchThe people who work for these organizations are called bureaucrats, or civil servants

What does the Federal Bureaucracy do?

3 main jobs:Turn new laws into action by deciding how to apply these laws to daily lifeDepartments and agencies administer the day-to-day operations of the federal governmentRegulate various activities

Agencies

Independent agency-federal agencies that are not part of any cabinet departmentsExecutive Agencies deal with specialized areas within the government (NASA)Government corporations-a business owned and operated by the federal government

Government Workers

Political appointees-people whom the president has chosen because they have proven executive ability or were important supporters of the president’s election campaignCivil service workers-person hired into federal positionCivil service system-practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive exams and merit

Government Workers

Before 1838 a great many federal jobs fell under the spoils systemSpoils system-government jobs went to people as a reward for their political support

Ended in 1883 with Civil Service Reform ActOffice of Personnel Management (OPM) directs the civil service system today

Government Workers

The civil service system is a merit systemMerit system-hiring people into government jobs based on their qualifications

Agencies

Regulatory Boards and Commissions are supposed to protect the public

They make and enforce rules for certain industries or groupsExample: FCC (Federal Communications Commission)-makes broadcasting rules for the nation’s tv and radio