CHAPTER 6 “THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH”
THE PRESIDENCY 1. Article II of the Constitution gives the
executive power to the President.
a. The President must carry out the
laws.
2. Who Has Served as President
a. There has never been a woman
President or Vice President.
3. George Washington was the first
President of the U.S. (42 others since
then)
A. Qualifications for President
1. 35 years old
2. Native Born Citizen
3. Resident in the U.S. for at least 14
years prior to being elected.
B. How Long May a President Serve
1. May serve two four year terms.
a. Half of another President’s term.
(10 years total)
b. 22nd Amendment (1951) set term
limits.
2. Presidential elections are held every
four years.
3. President/Vice President take office
on January 20 or first day after if it
falls on a Sunday.
a. Inauguration - ceremony in which
the President takes the oath of
office.
b. President-elect - person who is to
become President.
c. Chief Justice reads the oath.
C. Benefits and Privileges of Serving as
President.
1. Salary= $400,000 (must pay taxes)
2. $50,000 travel and entertainment
allowance (Not taxable)
3. Live in the White House
4. Use of Air Force I
5. Use of Camp David (Vacation spot in
Maryland)
6. Health Care and Retirement benefits.
D. The Vice President
1. Vice President Duties:
a. Takes over if the President should
die or be unable to perform his/her
duties. (Has happened 9 times.)
b. President of the Senate. (Only votes
if there is a tie.)
2. The 12th Amendment changed the
way the Vice President was chosen.
a. Senate Chooses Vice Pres. if no
majority is gotten from electoral
college.
b. Also set-up the Vice-President
taking over the Presidency if the
President is ill.
3. Last woman to run for Vice-
President was Sarah Palin in
2008.
E. Presidential Succession
1. Order of Succession - list of
government officials who would take
over in their proper order.
a. Vice President
b. Speaker of the House
c. President Pro Tempore
d. Secretary of State
2. If Vice President dies, resigns, etc. and
President is still in office President will
nominate Vice President.
a. Must receive majority vote in both
House and Senate.
b. Nixon nominated Ford after Agnew
resigned.
POWERS AND ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT
A. Legislative Leader
1. President is the single most powerful
official in the U.S.
2. Head of his/her political party.
3. Is the Chief of State - represents the U.S.
4. Is responsible for carrying out the laws.
5. Is the chief executive.
6. President can not make laws.
a. Has a check and balance over
legislation passed. (veto power)
b. Congress can override the veto
7. Constitution does not list the President’s
responsibilities at great length.
8. State of the Union Address - message
by the President, given to Congress that
sets forth the programs and policies for
the nation.
B. Commander and Chief of the armed
forces. (Can not declare war.)
1. President can send troops into action
in foreign lands.
2. War Powers Act of 1973
a. Troops sent abroad must be brought
back within 60 days unless
Congress approves the action.
b. 60 days can be changed to 90 if
needed for safe removal of troops.
c. President must notify Congress
within 48 hours of sending troops
into action.
C. Foreign Policy Leader
1. Foreign Policy - nations plan for
dealing with other nations of the
world.
2. Treaties - agreement with another
nation.
a. Promises must be kept by each
country even if the chief executives
of the two countries step down.
3. Executive Agreements - agreements
between the two leaders of countries.
a. Only last as long as the two leaders
are in power.
4. Diplomacy - art of dealing with
foreign governments.
D. The Power of Appointment
1. President can appoint many officials
to the U.S. Government.
a. Some appointments require Senate
approval.
E. Judicial Powers
1. Pardon - Keep people who have
been, or who might be, convicted of
federal crimes from being punished.
a. President Ford used it to pardon
Nixon.
b. President Carter used it to pardon
those who evaded the draft during
Vietnam.
2. Reprieve - postpones the carrying out
of a person’s sentence.
3. Commutation - Making a convicted
person’s sentence less severe.
F. The Power to Veto
1. President can only reject a bill or veto
it.
a. Congress can override Presidential
veto with 2/3 vote of each house.
2. Franklin Roosevelt vetoed 635 bills
while in office. (1933-1945)
3. Harry Truman vetoed 250 while in
office. (1945-1953)
IN YOUR SMALL GROUPS DISCUSS IF YOU BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT HAS TOO MUCH POWER. IF SO WHY IF NOT WHY NOT. (3 MIN.)
ASSIGNMENT:
WE TALKED ABOUT 7 MAIN POWERS THE PRESIDENT HAS. FIND 5 ARTICLES IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT IS EXERCISING THE POWERS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED. (SHOULD HAVE 5 SEPARATE ARTICLES)
G. Presidential Daily Life
1. President’s schedule is extremely tight
with all the duties he/she has.
WHAT ARE THE LIMITS OF THE PRESIDENT’S POWER
A. Constitutional limits on the President’s
Power
1. Limits on appointment
2. Limits on military
3. Limits on foreign relations
4. Limits on the power to veto
B. Congressional Oversight - congressional
power to take responsible care for the
way the President is carrying out the law.
1. Congress can limit the actions of the
President in carrying out laws by
passing other laws.
2. Congress tries to pass acts that clarify
the Constitution.
a. War Powers Act
3. Civil Service Act - test that must be
taken by some government employees
appointed by the President. (Not the
most important ones such as his
cabinet.)
a. Civil Service Act end the spoils
system - rewarding political
supporters with appointments to
office.
b. President James A. Garfield was
killed by a person that thought they
should have been appointed to
office.
C. How the Judicial Branch Limits the
President
1. Judicial Review
2. Limits inherent powers - powers the
President believes he/she has not
listed in the Constitution.
3. Truman and the steel mills.
D. How Elections Limit the President
1. People can vote a President out if they
don’t like him/her.
2. Why are other limits needed.
a. Majorities aren’t always right.
b. A lot of people don’t vote.
IN YOUR SMALL GROUPS DISCUSS HOW/WHY YOU WOULD LIMIT THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENT (5 MIN.)
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND THE CABINET
A. Executive Office of the President.
1. President’s closest advisors.
2. Keeps President abreast on situations.
a. Ex. - National Security Council,
Chief of Staff
B. Executive Departments
1. 15 of them
C. The Cabinet
1. George Washington had 3 cabinets.
(War, Treasury, and State)
2. Secretary is the title given to the heads
of cabinet offices. (Attorney General is
head of the Justice Department.)
3. Department heads are chosen by
Presidential appointment.
a. Senate must confirm or approve the
President’s selections.
D. The Department of State
1. Conducts relations with other
countries.
a. Ambassadors - highest ranking
U.S. official in a foreign country.
b. Embassy - official residence of an
ambassador.
c. Ministers - represents the U.S. in
smaller countries.
d. Consul - work to improve trade
between the U.S. and countries.
E. Department of Treasury (manages money)
1. Collects taxes & borrows money.
2. Supervises the printing of money.
a. Counterfeiting - printing of fake
money.
3. IRS is a branch under this department.
F. Department of Defense
1. Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines
a. Joint Chiefs of Staff - highest
military officers of the 4 armed
forces.
2. Responsible for 4 military training
schools. (the four academies)
a. Upon graduation a person becomes
an officer in the military.
b. Women were admitted in 1976.
G. Department of Justice
1. Defends the U.S. if a suit is brought
against it.
2. FBI and INS are branches under it.
H. Department of the Interior
1. Manages the nations resources.
I. Department of Agriculture
1. Helps farmers raise and market crops.
J. Department of Commerce
1. Encourages U.S. trade and business
2. Bureau of Census is a branch under it.
K. Department of Labor
1. Gathers information on working
conditions in business and industry.
L. Department of Health and Human
Services
1. Gathers information, conducts
research, and runs programs to
promote the health and well-being of
all citizens.
M. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD)
1. Seeks to improve housing conditions
and help people buy houses.
N. Department of Transportation
1. Helps coordinate the nation’s ground,
water , and air transportation.
O. Department of Energy
1. Manages the countries energy policy.
a. Tries to lessen the amount of
wasted energy.
P. Department of Education
1. Provides information and advice on the
nation’s school systems
Q. Department of Veterans Affairs
1. Administers government benefits to
U.S. veterans and their families.
R. Department of Homeland Security 1. Preserve freedoms, protect and secure America. 2. Identify and understand threats, assess vulnerabilities, determine potential impacts. 3. Issues passports and visas a. Passport - allow U.S. citizens to travel abroad. b. Visas - allow people from other countries into the U.S.
MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE TABLE ON PAGE 107!!!
ASSIGNMENT:
1. FIND OUT WHO SERVES IN
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S CABINET?
2. FIND OUT WHO HIS CHIEF OF
STAFF AND PRESS SECRETARY
ARE.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND REGULATORY COMMISSIONS
1. Help the President carry out specific
duties.
A. Independent Agencies
1. There are more than 60.
a. Ex. Commission on Civil Rights
B. Regulatory Commissions
1. Have the power to make rules and
bring violators to court.
a. Ex. Interstate Commerce
Commission (ICC) regulates,
railroad, bus, truck, and water
transportation that crosses state
lines.
- Oldest independent regulatory
commission.
C. Who Runs the Regulatory Commissions
1. Appointed by President with Senate
confirmation.
a. Have very long terms.
b. Because of this no President can
nominate more than a few.
2. Because they are independent some
people say they have too much power.
D. The Federal Bureaucracy
1. Bureaucracy - the many departments
in the executive branch of government.
a. Roughly 3 million people work in
the bureaucracy.
b. They work throughout the nation.
2. “Red Tape” - rules and regulations of
the bureaucracy that often lead to
delays.
a. There are often many forms to fill
out.
POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Find articles on the powers of the
President.
2. Treaty negotiation sheet.
3. “We the People Video”
4. Create a brochure on the cabinet or
regulatory agency.
5. Case Study (pg. 29-30) Possible with
English class.
6. Reteaching (pg. 11-12)
7. Test Form (pg. 21-24)
8. Building your portfolio (pg. 113)
9. Citizenship in your community
(pg. 113)
10. Section Review (pg. 96, 100, 109, 111)
EXTRA CREDIT (5 PTS.)
1. Voc. Workshop, Reviewing Main Ideas,
Thinking Critically (pg. 113)
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