Download The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch
• Not only the President and Vice
President
• Also The Cabinet and Government
Agencies
Article II of the Constitution
• The Executive power shall be vested
in a president of the United States.
Presidential Oath
• “I do solemnly swear that I will
faithfully execute the office of
President of the United States, and will
to the best of my ability, preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of
the United States.” –Article II, Constitution
Term of Office
• 4 year term
• Allowed two terms
• Based off George Washington’s
Presidency
• FDR had 4 terms
• After his (FDR’s) death amendment made
it only 2 terms or 10 years in office.
Qualifications
• Formal
• Natural born citizen
• At least 35
• At least 14 years residency in the US
• Informal
• Military background?
• Executive experience? Ex: Governor
• Educational background
• Occupations
• Charismatic
Chief Executive 3 Main Powers
1. Appointment or Removal of
key executive branch
officials
2. Issuing executive orders
3. Maintaining executive
privilege
Appointment and Removal Powers
• Constitution gives president to appoint
people to fill top posts in the executive
branch
• Some are checked by the Senate
•Federal Judges
•Cabinet Members
•Ambassadors to Foreign Nations
•Top Military Advisors
• President can remove them at anytime
•Except Federal Judges (Lifetime)-Congress
can impeach
Executive Orders
• A formal Rule or Regulation
• Instructing Executive Branch
officials on how to carry out their
job
• Controversy
• War Powers Act of 1973
• https://youtu.be/zBji4BuNHDE
Executive Privileges
• President can withhold information
from congress or a court
•United States v. Nixon 1974
•Watergate
•Limited the executive privilege and
power
Check and Balances Review
• The Executive Branch is given the power to
carry out the laws. It has the following checks
over the Legislative Branch:
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Veto power
Ability to call special sessions of Congress
Can recommend legislation
Can appeal to the people concerning legislation and
more
• The Executive Branch has the following checks
over the Judicial Branch:
• President appoints Supreme Court and other federal
judges
Diplomatic Powers
Diplomatic Powers
• Foreign Policy Leader- formulates
the nation’s plan and procedure
with dealing with other countries.
• Negotiating treaties
• 2/3 Senate Vote to approve
•World War I Treaty of Versailles never
approved
• Diplomacy- the art of negotiating with
foreign countries
Diplomatic Cont.
• Executive Agreements
• Agreements between President and
Foreign Governments
• Ex: NAFTA North American Free Trade
Association
• Diplomatic Recognition
• Recognizing the legitimacy of a foreign
country
• Ex: Harry Truman recognized Israel in
1948, Controversial today
Military Powers
• Commander in Chief
• Congress has power to declare war
• President has called out the armed forces
over 200 times (executive orders) Only 5 has
Congress declared war
• Post-Vietnam saw the War Powers Act
follow
• Modern times the Iraq War 2002
Unofficial Roles
•Chief of State
•Party Leader
•Chief Citizen
Removal from Office
• The president shall be removed from
office if convicted in an impeachment
trial
• Crimes
• Treason
• Bribery
• Other high crimes and misdemeanors
• This also applies to the Vice President
• Two Presidents were Impeached
• Andrew Johnson
• Bill Clinton
• Richard Nixon resigned before impeachment
Line of Succession
• The order successors to the
presidency if the president is unable to
serve as specified in the Constitution
1.Vice President
2.Speaker of the House
3.President pro tempore of the Senate
4.Secretary of State
Line continues by each of the 14 heads
of the Cabinet departments, in the order
in which their offices were created by
Congress
Vice President
• 1st in line in succession.
• Changed very much from earlier VPs
• Duties
• Presides over the Senate
• Votes in deadlock (50-50)
• Role in 25th Amendment
• Helps decide the question of Presidential
disability
• Debate whether VP is an Executive or
Legislative position or both.
Federal Bureaucracy
• Bureaucracy- Large, complex
administrative structure that
handles the everyday business of
the federal government
• Bureaucrats- civil servants who
work for the Federal Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy Cont.
• Federal government is the largest
organization in the country
Consists of four main groups:
• The White House staff
• The Executive Office of the President
• Executive departments
• Independent agencies
White House Staff
• Consists of about 400 people
• Chief of Staff
• Rahm Emanuel
• President’s most loyal aid
• “Gate-keeper”—controls who talks to
president and who does not
• Provide guidance and advice on issues
Executive Office of the President
• AKA (EOP)
• About 1,800 employees
• Perform a variety of specialized
tasks for President
Ex:
• Office of Management and Budget—aids
president in developing budget proposal to
Congress
• National Security Council (NSC)—advises
president on foreign and defense policy
Executive Departments
• Carry out work of government in
broad areas of public policy
• President’s “cabinet”
• Click on pic
Cabinet Departments
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State
Treasury
Interior
Agriculture
Justice
Commerce
Labor
Defense
Health and Human Services
Housing and Urban Development
Transportation
Energy
Education
Veterans Affairs
Homeland Security-last in line of presidential succession
Independent Agencies
• Independent establishments are created
by Congress to address concerns that
go beyond the scope of ordinary
legislation.
• These agencies are responsible for
keeping the government and economy
running smoothly.
• Ex: AMTRAK, NASA, FDIC, Social Security
Administration, USPS (postal service)
Regulatory Commissions
• Independent of all three branches
• Impartial
• Appointed by the president,
approved by the Senate
• Unlike Bureaucrats, They do not
report to the president and cannot
be fired or removed by president
• Impact our daily lives
Well Known Commissions
• Research online