The Presidency Unit 8

Responsibilities of the President & Vice President Overseeing the various parts of the executive branch Enforcing laws Issuing executive ordinances Appointing and removing officials Making treaties and executive agreements Commanding the military

Presidential Succession 1.Vice President 2. Speaker of the House 3. President pro tempore of the Senate 4. Secretary of State 5. Secretary of the Treasury 6. Secretary of Defense 7. Attorney General 8. Secretary of the Interior 9. Secretary of Agriculture 10. Secretary of Commerce On page. 359 in textbook. Presidential Succession Act of 1947: Law specifying the order of presidential succession following the Vice President.

Conventions & Primaries In both parties, the national committee makes arrangements for the party’s convention. Presidential Primary is an elections in which a party’s voters may: Choose some or all of a State party organization’s delegates to their party’s national convention. Or express a preference among various contenders for their party’s presidential nomination.

Party Convention’s Goals 1. Name the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates 2. Bring the various factions and the leading personalities in the party together in one place for a common purpose. 3. Adopt the party’s platform (formal statement of basic principles, stance on policy matters, and objectives.).

Checks over the Legislative Branch To veto acts of Congress To call special session of Congress

Checks over the Judicial Branch To appoint federal judges

Bureaucracy At all levels of government, bureaucracies conduct the day-to-day operation of government and carry out public policy. Bureaucracies shape the meaning of laws passed by legislatures through rule- making and help to draft new bills for lawmakers. Some bureaucrats shape policy by providing information and advice to the executive branches of Government.

Levels of Bureaucracy National: cabinet departments, Office of the President, and federal agencies Virginia: cabinet departments, Office of the Governor, and state agencies Local: County/city agencies and regional authorities

Federal Agencies Bureau of Prisons Federal Aviation Administration Medicaid Rural Housing Service Bureau of Labor Statistics

State Agencies Virginia State Police Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Virginia National Guard Department of Education

Local Agencies Bedford County Health Department Bedford County Fire and Rescue Bedford County Sheriff’s Department Manpower

Foreign Policy American foreign policy consists of the official positions and actions that the national government takes in its relationship with other countries. The President has the primary responsibility for making foreign policy. The President can: Negotiate Persuade Apply economic pressure Threaten military intervention

Shared Power With Congress, which has the power to declare war and appropriate funds. With the Senate, which has the power to confirm ambassadors and to ratify treaties. With the Supreme Court, which has the power to interpret treaties.

Key Agencies in Foreign Policy State Department National Security Council Foreign Service Department of Defense Central Intelligence Agency

Foreign Policy Goals A commitment to preserving a peaceful world. Promoting democratic values. Protecting nations from aggression. Encouraging market-oriented economies and free trade. Safeguarding the global environment. Advancing international cooperation.

United States Participation in the World The US participates in the following: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)- a trade organization dedicated to lowering tariffs and quotas and to limiting unfair trade practices. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – A free trade zone (Canada, Mexico, and the US) intended to eliminate trade barriers, promote fair competition, and increase investment opportunities.