Chapter 7 Notes The Executive Branch

Big Ideas The Constitution gives the executive branch the power to execute, or implement, the law. The president holds one of the most powerful and important offices in the world. The president fills many different roles. The president and Congress have important roles in making foreign policy. Thousands of employees and advisers help the president.

Qualifications The Constitution states that to be president, one must be at least 35 years old, a native-born American citizen, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

Characteristics All of our presidents have been male, all but one a Protestant Christian, most have had college educations, many have been lawyers, and most have come from states with large populations. Firsts: John Kennedy: Catholic president. Geraldine Ferraro: female on a ticket. Joe Lieberman: Jewish candidate on a ticket. Barack Obama: African American on a ticket.

Elections Elections are held every 4 years and are in years divisible by 4 (2000, 04, 08, 12, etc.) Indirect election through the Electoral College. Most votes doesn’t necessarily win!

Electoral College Each state appoints electors who are pledged to a candidate. When you vote for a candidate, you’re actually voting for a list of electors pledged to your candidate. States have the same number of electors as the total of their representatives in Congress. Most states are “winner take all.” 538 votes possible, 270 to win, if nobody gets 270, the House decides with 1 vote per state.

Misc. President 4 year terms. 22nd Amendment limits a person to 2 terms, or 10 years total. $400,000/year pay plus a $50,000 expense account. White House/Camp David 80 person staff Air Force One

Presidential Succession If something happens to the president or if he is removed from office, there is a system in place to ensure order. The 25th Amendment explains the system: VP takes over, then chooses a new VP who must be approved by the Congress.

Constitutional Powers The president’s job is to carry out the laws passed by the Congress. The president can: Veto, or reject bills passed by Congress. Call Congress into special session. Serve as commander in chief of the military. Receive leaders from foreign countries. Make treaties with other countries (w/Senate approval). Appoint cabinet, federal judges, ambassadors, and other govt. officials (w/Senate approval). Pardon or reduce the penalties against people convicted of federal crimes.

Roles of the President Chief Executive: uses the 15 cabinet members to carry out the laws passed by Congress. Chief Diplomat: directs foreign policy, making decisions about how the US acts towards other countries. Commander in Chief: If Congress declares war, the president can then order troops into battle.

Roles of the President (2) Legislative Leader: makes suggestions to the Congress about what laws he would like to see enacted. Head of State: he serves as the living symbol of the nation, and visits with the leaders of other nations.

Roles of the President (3) Economic Leader: Many voters expect the president to make sure their tax dollars aren’t being wasted. The president reviews the government’s budget each year and decides which programs should be funded and which should be cut. Party Leader: They often use a lot of their time to speak and campaign for members of their party running for office.

Foreign Policy Foreign Policy is the nation’s plan for dealing with other nations. The primary goal of American foreign policy is national security. Many presidents have also made decisions dealing with international trade in efforts to generate more wealth and jobs for American companies and workers.

Tools of Foreign Policy Treaties and Executive Agreements: the President can make official agreements or treaties with other countries w/Senate approval or an executive agreement (less formal and not binding). Ambassadors: Representatives sent to other countries to work on relationships. Foreign Aid: The US sends billions of dollars to other countries. Trade Sanctions/Embargo: efforts to punish another country for behavior we don’t like through trade. Military Force: When needed, the country can use the military to shape a foreign policy that benefits the US.

Foreign Policy Bureaucracy Thousands of Americans work under the President dealing with Foreign Policy including those that work in/under the: State Department, Defense Department, Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Council.

Cabinet The cabinet is a group of advisers that includes the 15 top-level executive departments. There is no mention of the cabinet in the Constitution. George Washington had 4 members of his cabinet: Attorney General, Sec. of; Treasury, War (renamed Defense in 1949), and State. There are currently 16 members in Obama’s cabinet.

Vice President & First Lady While the Vice President has little responsibility according to the Constitution, in recent years, many have worked on specific issues and advised the President. The first lady has no official role in government but several have tried to work on special projects and tried gain support of their issues.

Bureaucracy at Work The Executive Branch must carry out the laws passed by Congress. To do this, they: Decide how to apply the laws to daily life. Administer the day to day operations (such as delivering mail, collecting taxes, sending out Social Security checks). Regulate various activities or businesses such as tv/radio, banks, airlines, power plants, etc.

Independent Agencies (no cabinet member) Executive Agencies: deal with specialized areas within the government (NASA). Govt. Corporations: Like private businesses but the govt. owns/operates them. Charge fees for services and products. Supposed to break even, not make a profit (Post Office). Regulatory Boards/Commissions: Supposed to protect the public. Appointed by president, but they don’t report to them. Only Congress can remove them. They make and enforce rules for certain industries. (Federal Communications Commission)

Government Workers Most of the top positions go to political appointees, or people who are chosen by the president because of their skills or because they helped get him elected. Their position ends with a new president. Civil Service Workers make up 90% of all national government employees. Their jobs are permanent and competitive.

Spoils System For many years, federal jobs were given to friends and political supports of the president under the “spoils system.” There was widespread corruption. The Pendleton Act in 1883 placed limits on the number of jobs a new president could hand out to friends and supporters. The civil service is now based on a merit system where officials hire new workers based on the results of demanding written tests.