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executive branch
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The President and the
Executive Branch
Chapter 7
The President and the Vice President
Qualifications for President
1) 35 years old
2) Native-born “American” citizen
3) Resident US for at least 14 years
Presidential Trends
All but one have been Protestant
Christian
Most have college degrees
Many were lawyers, most came from
states with large populations
Past 50 years office has been open
to wider groups of people (women,
non-Protestant, African Americans)
The President and the Vice President
Electing a President
Presidential elections every 4 years,
Constitution does not provide for direct
elections
System based on the electoral college
Each state appoints electors, who then
vote for one of the major candidates
When you vote for president, not voting
for president, but elector who pledges to
vote for the candidate
Electoral votes total of its U.S. Senators
and Reps. (AR 6, CA 55)
Candidates need 270 of 538 electoral
votes to win the presidency
The President and the Vice President
Term of Office
Until 1951 no limits on how many terms President could serve
22nd Amendment (1951) limits president to 2 terms or maximum 10 yrs if began during another President’s term
Term lasts 4 years
Perks of being a President
Salary $400,000 a year plus travel expenses, lives and works in the White House
Staff of 80 takes care of the President, family
Camp David in Maryland serves as a retreat
The President has many methods of paid travel
The President and the Vice President
Vice President
Qualifications are the same as the President
Vice Presidents rarely in the public eye, purpose
head of Senate, be prepared to take over if
something happens to the President
9 Vice Presidents have taken over in U.S. History
John Adams: “I am Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I
may become everything.”
The President and the Vice President
Presidential Succession
8 Presidents have died during office, the Constitution states
vice president will take on the “powers and duties” of the
presidency
1947, Congress passed the Presidential Succession Act, line
of succession after the vice president
1) President
2) Vice President
3) Speaker of the House
4) President Pro Tem
5) Secretary of State
6) Order Cabinet post created
The President and the Vice President
25th Amendment (1967)
President leaves or dies, the vice president becomes president, chooses another VP
Gives VP a role in determining whether a president is disabled or unable to do the job
Only been used three times
VP Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973 and Pres. Nixon replaced by Gerald Ford who replaced Nixon as president in 1974
1985 Ronald Reagan needed surgery, told Congress he couldn’t lead, VP George H.W. Bush assumed the presidency for about 8 hours
The President's Job
Constitutional Powers
Executive Power –described in Article II
Main job is to carry out the laws passed by
Congress
Other powers/ duties:
1. Veto bills passed by Congress
2. Call Congress into special session
3. Commander in chief
4. Receive leaders, officials of foreign countries
5. Make treaties
6. Appoint heads of executive agencies, federal court
judges, ambassadors, and other gov’t officials
7. Pardon people convicted of federal crimes
8. State of the Union address every year discusses
the most important issues facing nation
The President's Job
Roles of the President
Chief Executive
In charge of 15 cabinet departments
and 3 million workers of the federal
government
Gives executive orders (rule or
command that has the force of law),
executive orders deal with big issues
(integration of the armed forces in
1948)
Appoints judges to the Supreme and
federal courts, pending
Congressional approval
Power to pardon, reprieve, or give
amnesty
The President's Job
Chief Diplomat- directs foreign policy toward other countries,
decides how the U.S. will act
Commander in chief of all armed forces
President and Congress share power to declare war,
Congress has only declared war 5 times, president has sent
troops into action overseas more than 150 times
1973 - War Powers Resolution -president must notify
Congress within 48 hours when troops sent to battle, must be
brought home after 60 days unless Congress gives approval
for them to remain longer
The President's Job
Legislative Leader
Influences Congress with legislation that
he would like to see passed
Makes speeches to build support for his
program and campaigns to get his ideas
supported by Congress
Head of State- President is living symbol
of the nation
Economic Leader- President plans the
federal government’s budget
Party Leader- gives support to fellow
party members by giving speeches, help
them in campaigns, raising money
Making Foreign Policy
A nation’s overall plan for dealing with other nations is foreign policy
Goals of foreign policy
1. National security (keep country safe from attack)
2. International trade
3. Promoting world peace
4. Promote democracy, preserve basic human rights, encourage peaceful governments
o Works with the State Department, Defense Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Council
Give the president advice on foreign relations
“The State Department wants to solve everything with words and the generals with guns”-President Lyndon Johnson
Making Foreign Policy
Tools of Foreign Policy
Creating Treaties and Executive Agreements
The Senate must approve treaties by a 2/3 vote
President can go around the Senate by issuing an executive agreement
Appointing Ambassadors: the president appoints ambassadors (represent U.S. government in countries that the U.S. recognizes)
Foreign Aid: assists other countries in times of crisis by providing support
International Trade: makes agreements with other nations about what products traded and the rules for trading; issues trade sanctions or embargos on countries
Military Force: send troops to foreign countries even if Congress has not declared war
Presidential Advisers and Executive
Agencies
Executive Office of the President
Created 1939 by FDR
White House Office
500 people work directly for the
President
Most powerful the chief of staff,
assistant for domestic affairs, lawyer
to the president, press secretary
White House Office screens the flow
of information and people trying to
reach the President
They decide who gets to speak to the
President
Presidential Advisers and Executive Agencies
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Prepares federal budget, monitors spending by hundreds of
government agencies
National Security Council (NSC)
Helps the President coordinate military, foreign policy
Members include the vice president, secretary of state,
secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
group of the top commander of each of the armed forces
The NSC supervises the CIA which gathers information about
gov’ts of other countries
Presidential Advisers and Executive
Agencies
Council of Economic
Advisers (CEA)
President names
members, Senate
approves them
Give president
advice about
economic matters
(employment, tax
policy, inflation, and
foreign trade)
Presidential Advisers and Executive
Agencies
Cabinet – group of presidential advisers, not
specified in Constitution, head of 15 top level
executive departments
Developed over time through custom and usage
Make important policy decisions
Meet when president finds necessary
Heads of departments must be approved by senate
Cabinet Positions
Department of State
Plans and carries out the
nations’ foreign polices
Department of the Treasury
Collects, borrows, spends, and
prints money
Department of Defense
Manages the armed forces
Department of Justice
Responsible for all aspects of
law enforcement
Department of the Interior
Manages and protects the
nation’s public lands and
natural resources
Department of Agriculture
Assists farmers and consumers
of farm products
Department of Commerce
Supervises trade, promotes
U.S. tourism and business
Department of Labor
Concerned with the working
conditions and wages of U.S.
workers
Cabinet Positions
Department of Health and
Human Services
Works for the health and
well-being of all Americans
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
Deals with the special
needs and problems of
cities
Department of
Transportation
Manages the nation’s
highways, railroads,
airlines, and sea traffic
Department of Energy
Directs the energy plan for
the U.S.
Department of Education
Provides advice and
funding for schools
Department of Veterans
Affairs
Directs services for
veterans
Department of Homeland
Security
Established in 2002 in
response to 9/11,
oversees America’s
defense against terrorist
attacks
Presidential Advisers and Executive Agencies
Vice President and the First Lady
Vice presidents usually have little power
Changed recently
First Lady- wife of president
Not mentioned in Constitution, take on causes
close to them
Presidential Advisers and Executive Agencies
Federal Bureaucracy –agencies and employees of executive branch
Bureaucrats/civil servants – people who work for federal gov’t
Executive branch carries programs created by Congress
1. Turn new laws into action
2. Administer the day-to-day operations of the federal govt
3. Federal agencies regulate various activities
Presidential Advisers and Executive Agencies
Executive Agencies
Independent agencies responsible for certain specialized areas
NASA
Government Corporations
50 independent agencies that act like private businesses
Senate approves president’s choice of a board to run corp.
Charge fees for services, but not supposed to make a profit
Example – USPS (Post Office)
Regulatory Boards & Commissions
President appoints members, approved by Senate
To protect the public
Make & enforce rules
FCC – Federal Communications Commission
Presidential Advisers and Executive
Agencies
Gov’t Workers
Political appointees – chosen by president, proven
executive ability or important supporters of the
president’s election campaign
Civil service workers – approx. 90% of all national
govt workers, based on experience.
Civil service system – the practice of hiring workers on
the basis of open, competitive examinations & merit.
Spoils system – before 1883 – jobs went to people as
a reward for political support (reformed under
Pendleton Act)
Merit system – civil service system, workers have to
meet standards, pass tests