The Executive Branch

Chapter Eight

Chapter Objectives

• President and Vice President Describe the requirements for the office of president and the role of the vice president. (Section 1)

• Electing the President Discuss the historical foundations of the Electoral College and its advantages and disadvantages. (Section 2)

• The Cabinet Evaluate how politics influences cabinet appointments and relationships. (Section 3)

• The Executive Office Describe the components of the Executive Office of the President. (Section 4)

Section One

The President Formal Requirements:

• Must be 35 years old• Must have resided in

U.S. for 14 years• Natural born citizen

– Informal “Requirements”:• White (except current

President)• Male• Protestant (except one)

– All manner of professions, but mostly political ones (former state governors, for example)

Election: The Normal Road to the White House

• Once elected, the president serves a term of four years.

• In 1951, the 22nd Amendment limited the number of terms to two.

• Most Presidents have been elected to office.

Salary and Benefits

• The Constitution did not specify the amount of the president’s compensation, or salary, but left the matter for Congress to determine

• The President earns a $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment.

DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE SALARY AND BENEFITS?

Other Benefits

• the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president

• Air Force One, a specially equipped jet, as well as other planes, helicopters, and limousines

• free medical, dental, and health care • residency in the White House, a 132-room mansion

with a swimming pool, bowling alley, private movie theater, and tennis courts

• a domestic staff which does the cooking, shopping, cleaning, and other chores for the president’s family

Air Force One

• The First Family has been issued code names by the Secret Service.

• Barack Obama's is "Renegade," • Michelle Obama's is "Renaissance," • Malia Obama's is "Radiance," • Sasha Obama's is "Rosebud."

Order of Succession

Eight presidents have died in office–bullets struck down four; four died of natural causes

The Vice President's Role

• The vice president presides over the Senate and votes in that body in case of a tie.

• Under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, the vice president helps decide whether the president is disabled and acts as president should that happen.

Modern Responsibilities • Vice presidents today often

represent the president overseas, attending state funerals and other ceremonial functions. They serve in a diplomatic role and visit with heads of state.

• In addition, vice presidents may make speeches around the country defending the president’s policies and decisions.

Section Two

Introduction • At the Constitutional

Convention, the Founders proposed that Congress choose the president without a popular or an electoral vote.

• They gave up the idea because it violated the principle of separation of powers, making it possible for Congress to dominate the presidency.

The Electoral College is Born

• After weeks of debate, the Founders settled on a compromise that Alexander Hamilton proposed–an indirect method of election called the Electoral College.

• With a few changes, the Electoral College system is still in use today.

• Each state would have as many electors as it had senators and representatives in Congress.

• At election time, the electors would meet in their own states and cast votes for two presidential candidates. This vote was the electoral vote.

• To be elected president or vice president, a candidate must win at least 270 of the 538 votes.

Tie

• The amendment also provides that if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes, the House chooses from the three candidates who have the largest number of electoral votes.

Problems with the System

• A third-party candidate could win enough electoral votes to prevent either major-party candidate from receiving a majority of the votes.

• The winner-take-all system makes it possible for a candidate who loses the popular vote to win the electoral vote.

Inauguration

• The new president, called the president-elect until the inauguration, takes office at noon on January 20 in the year following the presidential election.

Section Three

The Cabinet

Introduction

• One of the first responsibilities of a president is to organize and staff the executive branch of government.

• Today the president appoints the secretaries that head the 14 major executive departments. Each appointee must be approved by the Senate.

The Selection Process

• Secretaries should have some credible expertise in the policy areas their departments will manage, be acceptable to all groups with political power, and provide geographic balance as well as racial and gender representation.

• Several recent presidents have attempted to increase the role of the cabinet in decision making. In the end, however, most have given up and turned elsewhere for advice.

Loyalty

• Even though the president appoints them, cabinet officials have three other constituencies that require loyalty

1. career officials in their own department

2. members of Congress

3. special-interest groups

Cabinet level positions qualify for Level I pay, which was set at an

annual salary of $199,700 in 2011. Some Cabinet-level officials, including

the Vice President and the White House Chief of Staff, have their salaries determined differently.

Secretary of State

John Kerryconcerned with foreign affairs

Secretary of the Treasury

Jack Lewconcerned with financial and

monetary matters

Secretary of Defense

Chuck Hagelpower over the United States military is second only to that

of the President.

Attorney General

Eric Holderconcerned with legal

affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the

United States

Secretary of the Interior

Sally Jewelloversees such agencies as the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Park

Service. The Secretary also serves on and appoints the

private citizens on the National Park Foundation board.

Secretary of Agriculture

Tom VilsackThe 297,000 mi2 (770,000 km²)

of national forests and grasslands are managed by the

United States Forest Service. The safety of food produced

that are produced in the United States and sold here is ensured

by the United States Food Safety and Inspection Service.[3] The Food Stamp Program

Secretary of Commerce

Penny Pritzkerconcerned with promoting American businesses and

industries

Secretary of Labor

Thomas Perezenforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Sylvia Mathews Burwell

concerned with health matters.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Juilan Castroto increase

homeownership, support community development and increase access to

affordable housing free from discrimination.

Secretary of Transportation

Anthony Foxxto develop and

coordinate policies that will provide an efficient

and economical national transportation system,

with due regard for need, the environment, and the

national defense.

Secretary of Energy

Ernest Monizfocused on energy production

and regulation.

Secretary of Education

Arne Duncanmatters related to

accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of

higher education

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Robert McDonald

concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and

national veterans' memorials and cemeteries.

Secretary of Homeland Security

Jeh Johnsonconcerned with protecting the U.S. and the safety of

U.S. citizens.

CHAPTER NINEPresidential Leadership

Head of State

• The president represents the nation and performs many ceremonial roles – host to visiting heads of govt., attends important funerals, throws out first ball to begin major league baseball season, etc.

Chief Executive

• As the nation’s chief executive (comparable to a CEO), the president sees that the laws of Congress are carried out.

• Ex.– Executive Orders– Presidential

appointments– Pardons– Removal of other

administrators

Chief Legislator

• Usually the president lays out a plan of values and beliefs during his first State of the Union address that is an indicator of what types of legislation he wants to see enacted.

• The president has a large staff to help write proposed legislation.

Party Leader

• President is expected to campaign for his party’s candidates.

• President selects party’s national chairperson.

• Presidents are expected to appoint members of their party to available government jobs – patronage.

Chief Diplomat

• The president directs foreign policy making key decisions about our relations with other countries.

• President has sole power to sign treaties – formal agreements between the governments of two or more countries.

Commander in Chief

• The president shares with Congress the power to make war. The War Powers Act of 1973 forbids the president to commit American forces to combat for more than 60 days without congressional notification within 48 hours.

Head of State

Chief Legislator

Party Leader

Chief Diplomat

Commander in Chief

Video Clips

THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY Chapter 10

What is a Bureaucracy A professional corps of unelected officials

organized in a pyramid hierarchy, functioning under impersonal uniform rules and

procedures.

Duty of Bureaucracy

• Most Important duty: Carry out the Day-to-Day business of the government

• 15 cabinet departments

• 97% are career government employees

• Only 10% live in the D.C. area

• 30% work for the D.O.D.

• Less than 15% work for social welfare agencies

• Most are white collar workers: secretaries, clerks, lawyers, inspectors & engineers

• Civil employees more diverse demographically than Congress

Independent Agencies

Over 100 organizations that are not part of the major 14, but the president still appoints.

ExamplesNASACIAEPA

Government Corporations

• Businesses that federal government runs.

Examples1. USPS2. FDIC3. TVA

Getting the Job

PastThe Spoil Systema practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party

Present Civil Service Systempromoted on the basis of a merit-and-seniority system, which may include examinations