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)