The Three Branches of the United States Government

The Executive Branch It is in the executive branch that our nation’s most powerful leader resides In addition to the president there is also the presidential cabinet. They are a group of presidential advisors not mentioned in the original constitution, but implemented by George Washington. Today we will examine presidential powers, current members, and the Electoral College!

The Executive Branch While your votes are important when there is a presidential election, a president is directly elected by the Electoral College, something we will do an activity on shortly. So while it is essential that you perform your civic duty by voting, the popular vote (the vote of the population/people) does not always decide the next president of the United States.

The Five Basic Principles of the Presidency 1.Executive Powers 2. Diplomatic 3. Military 4. Legislative 5. Judicial Powers

President: Barack Obama 44th President of the United States Falls in a small grouping of presidents to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The President’s cabinet is something very common now. Can you name any of the cabinet member titles?

The nation’s first president, George Washington had appointed a modest cabinet of four members including Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. He started he cabinet to advise him on specific matters and assist with special tasks. Now the cabinet has grown into a larger group of fifteen representatives for various issues/ groups.

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON: 10:30 a. m SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON: 10:30 a.m.  Secretary Clinton presents Lynne Tracy with the Secretary's Award for Heroism, at the Department of State. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE IN THE TREATY ROOM) Pre-set time for cameras: 9:45 a.m. from 23rd Street Entrance. Final access time for writers and still photographers: 10:15 a.m. from 23rd Street Entrance. For more information, click here. 11:00 a.m.  Secretary Clinton hosts the Portrait Unveiling Ceremony and Reception in Honor of Colin Powell, Former Secretary of State, at the Department of State. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE IN THE BEN FRANKLIN ROOM) Pre-set time for cameras: 9:45 a.m. from 23rd Street Entrance. Final access time for writers and still photographers: 10:30 a.m. from 23rd Street Entrance. For more information, click here. 11:30 a.m.  Secretary Clinton attends President Obama’s Bilateral Meeting with His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey, at the White House. (MEDIA TO BE DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE) 12:15 p.m.  Secretary Clinton attends President Obama’s Working Lunch with His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey, at the White House. (MEDIA TO BE DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE) 2:30 p.m.  Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the Department of State. (CAMERA SPRAY PRECEDING BILATERAL MEETING – POOLED COVERAGE FOR CAMERAS) Final access time for writers and still photographers:  2:15 p.m. from the 23rd Street Entrance. 4:00 p.m.  Secretary Clinton holds a Bilateral Meeting with His Excellency Mourad Medelci, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, at the Department of State. (CAMERA SPRAY FOLLOWING BILATERAL MEETING IN THE TREATY ROOM AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 P.M.) Pre-set time for cameras: 3:45 p.m. from 23rd Street Entrance. Final access time for writers and still photographers:  4:00 p.m. from C Street Entrance. 6:00 p.m.  Secretary Clinton hosts “Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays” Reception Honoring Employees Serving Unaccompanied Tours and Their Family Members in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms, Newly Decorated for the Holidays, at the Department of State. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE FOR REMARKS) Pre-set time for cameras: 5:00 p.m. at the C Street Entrance. Final access time for writers and still photographers: 6:00 p.m. at the C Street Entrance For more information, click here. 7:15 p.m.  Secretary Clinton attends a Tribute Dinner Hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition as the Guest of Honor, at the Grand Hyatt Washington. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE) Pre-set time for cameras:  4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Note: All cameras must pre-set during this time to attend. Final access time for writers and still photographers:  6:00 p.m.

Electing the President But how is the president really elected?? There is a lot of encouragement for young people like you to get out and VOTE! MTV ran the campaign Choose or Lose, and many high profile musicians sponsored VOTE or DIE. Either way the message was clear… GET out on voting day and have your vote heard!!

Send Your Vote to College!

The Electoral College BACK The Electoral College is the name for the group of people who choose the president and vice president of the United States. This group is made up of electors from the separate states who are selected by the voters in presidential elections. Each state is entitled to a number of electors equal to the total number of senators and representatives it sends to the Congress of United States. Thus, each state has at least three electors. (Washington D.C. also has three electors) 13 2 15 New Jersey: _____Representatives + __ Senators = ___ Electors http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008-certificates/ascertainment-new-jersey-01.html

Here is the electoral map from your worksheet Here is the electoral map from your worksheet. We will refer to it as we do some practice exercises to discovery how the electoral college works.

Winner-Take-All System New Jersey Votes in Election #1 New Jersey Votes in Election #2 Popular Vote Electoral Votes Candidate A 40,231 Candidate B 50,799 Popular Vote Electoral Votes Candidate A 66,004 Candidate B 65,035 Candidate B gets ALL 15 Votes Candidate A gets ALL 15 Votes Critics of the Electoral College argue that it is not fair that the winner of the popular vote gets ALL of the electoral votes. What do you think?

Possible Results in a Presidential Election National Totals for Presidential Election #1: Popular Votes Electoral Votes Candidate A 30,100,435 204 Candidate B 74,000,387 334 B B B Who wins the Popular Vote? ______ the Electoral Vote?______ the Election?_______ National Totals for Presidential Election #2: Popular Votes Electoral Votes Candidate A 55,000,424 304 Candidate B 53,856,998 234 A A A Who wins the Popular Vote? ______ the Electoral Vote?______ the Election?_______

Three Presidential Elections Reveal a Glitch in the System Election of 1876 Popular Votes Electoral Votes Rutherford B. Hayes 4,036,298 185 Samuel Tilden 4,300,590 184 Uh-oh! Election of 1888 Popular Votes Electoral Votes Grover Cleveland 5,540,050 168 Benjamin Harrison 5,444,337 233 Election of 2000 Popular Votes Electoral Votes George W. Bush 50,461,080 271 Al Gore 50,994,082 266