The Executive Branch

(Just a Few) Reasons Why Teddy Roosevelt is

Awesome• President, cowboy, writer, naturalist, conservationist,

hunter, explorer, soldier, Nobel Peace Prize winner• 1st president to leave the country, fly in an airplane, and

he named the White House• Read several books a day• Was blind in one eye from a boxing match in the White

House• Killed a cougar in a knife fight• Punched a guy in the face for making fun of his glasses• Was shot in the chest but still gave a 90 minute speech

before getting medical help

The President’s Job

• Chief of State: he represents the United States and its citizens to the world

• Chief Executive: is given executive powers by the Constitution (can make the big decisions for the country)

• Chief Administrator: runs the executive branch and all its departments

• Chief Diplomat: on the world stage, he speaks on behalf of the nation

• Commander in Chief: head of the military and controls its movements

• Chief Legislator: in charge of sending many public policies to Congress

• Chief of Party: head of his political party

• Chief Citizen: is the representative of all the people and should work to help them

Qualifications to be President

• Must be a natural born U.S. citizen

• At least 35 years old– Oldest: Ronald Reagan (69 yrs)– Youngest: to hold the office: T. Roosevelt (42 yrs);

to be elected: JFK (43 yrs)

• Resident of the U.S. for 14 years

Presidential Term and Pay

• Washington set 2-term tradition – FDR broke this by being elected for 4

terms

• 22nd Amendment: President can serve no more than 2 terms (8 years)

• President is paid $400,000 a year

Presidential Disability

• If the President is unable to perform the duties of office, the Vice-President may take over as President (25th Amendment)

The Vice-President

• Presides over the Senate (and breaks ties in voting)

• Serves in the event the President is unable to work

Executive Powers of the President

• The President is head of the Executive branch --> enforces all federal laws

• Executive Order - an order/rule of the President that has the force of law

• Appointment power - president appoints federal judges, ambassadors, and exec. branch leaders– Must be approved by the Senate– President can also remove them

Diplomatic Powers of the President

• Can create treaties (agreements with other countries)– need Senate approval

• Executive agreement - an agreement between the president and the leader of another country– does not need Senate approval

Military Powers of the President

• President is Commander-in-Chief --> is in control of the U.S. military forces

• Can station, move, and call back troops

• Can create undeclared war just by moving troops into an area

War Powers Resolution

1.) President must tell Congress of troop movements/combat within 48 hrs.

2.) Troops can only stay 60 days unless Congress gives them more time

3.) Congress has the power to end conflict by resolution

Legislative Powers of the President

• President can’t make laws, but he can SUGGEST them to Congress– Has a legislative agenda to work with

Congress

• Can veto bills or sign them into law• Can call Congress into special session

(emergency)

Judicial Powers of the President

In federal cases, a president can grant:• Pardon - legally forgive someone of a crime

(ex: Ford pardoned Nixon after the Watergate Scandal)

• Amnesty - legal forgiveness for a group of people

• Reprieve - postpone someone’s punishment• Commutation - reduce someone’s sentence

or fine

Graphic Organizer

The Federal Bureaucracy

• The Executive branch is organized as a bureaucracy

• Bureaucracy - the organization of gov’t into departments and agencies to help it run smoother (like a business!)

Characteristics of a Bureaucracy

• 1.) Hierarchy - people operate under a chain of command (fewer people as you go up)

• 2.) Job Specialization - people are given and responsible for very specific jobs

• 3.) Formal Rules - everything operates according to set rules and procedures

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

• Made up of the President’s closest advisors and staff (his “inner circle”)

• Includes:– White House Office: political advisors, chief of

staff, WH press secretary, etc.– Office of Management and the Budget--> helps

the President come up with a budget for the country

– Plus many more…

Explore the White House

• The EOP

• White House Virtual Tour

The Cabinet

• Outside the EOP; another group of advisors to the president

• Made up of the 15 leaders (called secretaries) of the 15 executive depts.+ the VP, etc.

• Advise the president on topics dealing with their department

Executive Departments

• Do most of the work of the executive branch

• 15 departments total• Each dept. deals with a certain

topic/area of expertise– Is in charge of advising and enforcing laws

that have to do with their topic

1.) Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• In charge of food inspection, agriculture/farming, and natural resources

• Ex. Agencies: – Rural Development– Food Safety and

Inspection Service

2.) Department of Commerce

• In charge of trade with other countries, economic and business issues, census, weather reports, and copyrights

• Ex. Agency:– Census Bureau

3.) Department of Defense (DOD)

• In charge of defending the country and providing for the military

• Ex. Agencies: – National Security

Agency (NSA)– Army– Navy– Air Force

4.) Department of Education

• In charge of improving the U.S. education system and setting national standards

5.) Department of Energy (DOE)

• In charge of nuclear energy/weapons, how the U.S. uses its energy, and research on energy resources

6.) Department of Health and Human Services

• In charge of health care and services, disease control, and food and drug safety

• Ex. Agencies:– Food and Drug

Administration (FDA)– Centers for Disease

Control (CDC)

7.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

• In charge of border control, national security threats, anti-terrorism, and cybersecurity/hacking

• Ex. Agencies: – Secret Service– U.S. Coast Guard– Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA)

8.) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• In charge of housing codes, low-income housing, and community development

• Ex. Agency:– Federal Housing

Administration (FHA)

9.) Department of Justice (DOJ)

• In charge of enforcing federal law and punishing violators

• Ex. Agency:– Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI)

10.) Department of Labor (DOL)

• In charge of fair employment and labor laws, unemployment, and minimum wage

• Ex. Agency:– Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA)

11.) Department of State (DOS)

• In charge of foreign affairs, treaties, ambassadors, passports/visas, and citizenship services

12.) Department of the Interior

• In charge of national parks and lands, wildlife and environmental conservation, and Indian affairs

• Ex. Agencies: – National Park Service

(NPS)– Fish and Wildlife Service

13.) Department of the Treasury

• In charge of the nation’s money, collecting/enforcing taxes, and currency

• Ex. Agencies:– Internal Revenue Service

(IRS)– Bureau of Engraving and

Printing– U.S. Mint

14.) Department of Transportation (DOT)

• In charge of building federal projects (like roads), sets/enforces safety rules and regulations

15.) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

• In charge of benefits, services, and burials for veterans

Independent Agencies

• Next level of the bureaucracy (outside the 15 depts.)

• Smaller agencies that act separately from the executive departments

• Enforce laws on an even smaller level

Why Independent Agencies?

• 1.) They don’t fit in with the exec. depts.

• 2.) They’re separate to keep them away from political influence

• 3.) The information they’re in charge of is too sensitive/specific for a big dept.

Types of Independent Agencies

• 1.) Independent Executive Agencies– Include most of the independent agencies– Operate like executive depts., but they

don’t have the high status

– Ex: NASA, EPA, Federal Election Commission, Peace Corps

• 2.) Independent Regulatory Commissions– Regulate/make rules on laws that effect the

economy– Given some legislative/judicial powers by

Congress to police the detailed parts of laws– Are the farthest away from the President’s control

– Ex: FCC (Federal Communications Commission), Federal Reserve, SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

• Independent Government Corporations– Agencies that run like little government

businesses

– Ex: Amtrak, TVA, U.S. Postal Service

The Civil Service

• Made up of civilians who work for the gov’t agencies– Work under leadership positions– Can be on federal, state, and local levels– Must compete for employment

The Spoils System

• “To the victor be the spoils” - the winner gets all the prizes

• Giving gov’t jobs to all your political supporters and friends (aka “patronage”)

• Win office + appoint friends = corruption

The Pendleton Act (1883)

• Under President Arthur, it got rid of the spoils system

• Required people who wanted to work for the gov’t or an agency to have qualifications for the job, not just connections

• Had to compete for their job

Consider this…

• “Bureaucracy is ever desirous of spreading its influence and its power. You cannot extend the mastery of the government over the daily working life of a people without at the same time making it the master of the people's souls and thoughts.”– Herbert Hoover