Unit 4: The Executive Branch

Government

1. Chief Executive: Head of the Executive Branch

2. Commander in Chief: Head of the Armed Forces

3. Chief Agenda Setter: State of the Union Address-sets forth policies and programs the Pres. wants

4. Representative of the Nation: Only person with 300 million constituents

5. Chief of State: meets with foreign leaders.

Diplomacy- Art of negotiating with other countries.

6. Foreign-Policy Leader: relations with other nations

7. Party Leader: top Democrat or Republican

The Role of The President

Presidential Benefits

White House Camp DavidBlair House

Armored Limo Air Force One Marine One

• $50,000 Expense account

• $19,000 Entertainment account

• $100,000 Tax-Free travel account

• Free Housing with maids, fitness rooms, and medical care, and free food!

• 24 Hour personal security

• $191,000/year retirement

• Up to Clinton life time security

• After Clinton security for 10 years after leaving office

More Presidential Benefits and Perks

Executive Powers of President

Executive Orders- “rules” made by the president. Emancipation Proclamation was an example.

Appointing Officials- appoints or “hires” people to fill important positions, such as Department Heads and Supreme Court Justices.

Executive Privilege- President can refuse to hand over information requested by Congress.

Richard Nixon tried to invoke Executive Privilege when Congress asked him to hand over the Watergate

tapes.

Diplomatic Powers of President

Making Treaties- w/ the consent of the Senate, Prez signs treaties and makes alliances with other nations.

Executive Agreements- Prez meets with foreign officials to make compromises.

Recognizing Governments- Prez decides if the US will recognize other governments as “legitimate.”

The Taliban Government was NOT recognized by the U.S. as a “legitimate.”

Military Powers of President

Officially, Congress declares war, but the President can commit troops and makes wartime decisions.

• War Powers Act of 1973- Any troops sent by Prez must be back w/in 90 days unless approved by congress.

Vietnam was officially a

“conflict.” President Johnson sent troops, but Congress never officially

declared war

Judicial Powers of President

• Prez appoints Federal Judges (including Supreme Court Justices)

• Grants Reprieves- postpones a sentence

• Grants Pardons- a release from sentence

• Grants Commutations- lessens the severity of a sentence

Bush pardons a turkey onThanksgiving (top) and President Ford Pardons former President

Nixon (bottom)

Quiz1. The President can sign treaties with the

consent of the __________________.

2. In 1973, congress passed the ______________ saying that troops must return home after 90 days if congress does not approve.

3. When the President releases a person from punishment, it is called a _______________.

4. What is the mandatory speech given by the President that sets forth national policies for the nation called?

5. What is the President’s helicopter called?

Declared Candidacy State Primary

Elections or Caucus

National ConventionGeneral Election

President Elected

Presidential Nomination and Election Process

Electoral College Votes

Nomination and Election Process

1. Declare Candidacy- Usually hold a press conference to inform the people of his/her decision. The candidate also must send written intent to the to each state. States can ask a person not to apply for candidacy (Stephen Colbert 2008 South Carolina)

2. State Primary Elections or Caucus- Elections: popular vote in the state determines who wins; Caucus: Meeting of the political party in the state to make the decision. Each state decides if they want a Primary or Caucus or both. These start in February of the election year.

3. At the party's national convention the winner of all the states is announced: sometimes the winner is known before this time (McCain R-2008) and some times the winner is not known until just before the convention (Obama D-2008)

4. On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November all states hold an election for the next President. This is the General Election.

5. Each state has electorates. They cast their votes based on the states’ popular vote. Only two states can divide their electoral votes.

6. The candidate who wins the majority of the electoral votes wins. (270 or more)

Job of Federal Reserve- Monetary Policy

• pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.

• Supervising and regulating banking institutions and protect the credit rights of consumers.

• Maintaining stability of the financial system

Fiscal Policy- Taxes

All tax policies are created by Congress

Pensions & Income Security

39% NationalDefense16%

Health19%14%

Interest

All Other

12%PayrollTaxes34%

PersonalIncome Tax

48%

CorporateIncome Tax

10%

All Other4%

Excise Taxes

4%

Expenditures Tax Revenues

Organization of the Fed

Board of Governors

Federal Open

Market Committee

Reserve Banks

Member Banks

Regulates Money Supply

12 District Federal Banks

Most US banks are required to be

members

Federal Reserve Districts

Quiz

1. How much $ does a President get each year in retirement?

2. What does the President do as the “Chief of State?”

3. What is the President’s Airplane called?

4. What does the President do as the “Commander in Chief?”

5. Who is allowed to make tax policies?

6. What does it mean when the President grants a “reprieve?”

The US Debt

• http://www.usdebtclock.org/

• The US debt is currently over $12 TRILLION and it is climbing every second.

Foreign Policy and National Security• Goals of Foreign Policy:

−National Security—Protect the rights and freedoms of Americans

−Support Democracy—Aid other Democratic nations

−Promote World Peace—Resolve disputes in between countries

−Help people in need—US gave $22.7 Billion in Foreign Aid in 2006

−Establish Open Trade—Agreements with other nations brings oil, bananas, coffee, etc.

• Should the US get involved in World Affairs? −helping starving

people in other nations

−helping friendly nations that are attacked by others

− stopping nations that are building nuclear weapons

The US intervened in the Somalia Civil War.

300,000 to 400,000 people died.

Iran, an unstablenation, has been

developingnuclear weapons.

Millions of people around the world

die from starvation each year

Bureaucracy—Government Agencies

• Each new President appoints his own staff.

• There are 15 Cabinet Departments

• The Senate must approve each appointment.

President Obama,Vice President

Joe Biden and therest of the

CabinetChairpersons. Can you find

Hillary Clinton? She is Secretary

of State.

Cold War (after WWII)—Nukes, Capitalismvs. Communism,

Korean War, Cuban Missile and Vietnam

Rise to World Power—Industrial Revolution &

dominance in WWI and WWII

IsolationismMonroe Doctrine 1823—US should

stay out of foreign affairs. Pre-WWI... “Walk softly and

carry a big stick”

US ForeignPolicy

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