The president and_the_executive_branch

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)


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


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


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.”


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


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


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)


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


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


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


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


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

The president and_the_executive_branch

Education

Transcript of The president and_the_executive_branch