THE ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT

Executive Branch – headed by the President of the United States

 Creating the Office of President  Term of Office – 4-year terms; 2-term limit  Limited Power  Carries out laws  Decisions must be approved by Congress  Can be removed from office

 Qualifications and Salary  35 years old  Natural born U.S. citizen; must live in U.S. for 14 years  Salary set by Congress; currently around $400,000 Salary set by Congress; currently around $400,000 Washington & His Cabinet

 Executive orders – rules/regulations that government officials must follow  Ending segregation in armed forces (Truman)  Appoints about 4,000 government employees Eric Holder, Jr. – 82 nd U.S. Attorney General

 Leads armed forces  Does not declare war  Can send troops to a foreign country to protect American interests

 United States representative to foreign nations  Makes foreign policy – plans for guiding our nations relationships with other countries  Makes treaties- formal agreements with other nations  Appoints ambassadors – official representatives to foreign governments  Makes executive agreements- agreements with other countries; does not need Senate approval US President Barack Obama speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

 Congress must consider President’s suggestions when making laws  Sets domestic policy – plans for dealing with national problems  Prepares an annual budget subject to Congressional approval  Vetos/signs laws  Can call a special session of Congress

 The President’s Judicial Powers  Chooses judges  Can put off/reduce sentences and grant pardons  Roles Created by Tradition  Party leader (Democratic/Republican)  Chief of State – represents the interests/values/goals of the American people Obama Supreme Court appointee Sonya Sotomayor President Ford announcing Nixon pardon on television

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 A big bureaucracy – an organization of government departments, agencies, and offices.bureaucracy  Appointed administration – a team of officials ( Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder, etc…)  The White House Staff  Advisors, pres secretaries, legal experts, speechwriters, researchers  The Vice President  Preside over Senate (only Constitutional duty)  The President decides the VPs activities

 Special Advisory Groups  Office of Management & Budget - decides how much policy will cost  National Security Council - top military/agency officers; help determine foreign policy/defense  Office of Homeland Security- created in response to 9/11: “lead, oversee, and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard our country from terrorism”. Thomas E. Donilon, National Security Council Advisor Jeffrey Zients, Deputy Director for Management

 Has grown over years  Executive Department of Leadership  All appointed; must be approved by Senate  Department Heads form the Presidential Cabinet – group of policy advisorsPresidential Cabinet President Obama meets with his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

 Executive agencies Executive agencies  Under direct control of President (EPA, NASA)  Regulatory commissions  Make/carry out business economic activity (FCC – media, FTC – business)  Should regulate freely without political influences  Government corporations  Operate like businesses (United States Postal Service)  Political Battlegrounds  Congress may disagree with Agencies; can pass laws to limit agency powers

 Created because of President Garfield’s assassination  President used to hire friends (crony/patronage system)  Government workers on basis of merit  Cannot be fired when President leaves office Political Cartoon ca. 1880s Assassination of President James Abram Garfield Lithograph by W.T. Mathews, 1881

 Agencies/Departments must coexist with Congress  EPA and Congressional Clean Air Act

PRESIDENTS & POWER

 Can hold talks with other countries and make treaties  Executive Privilege – right to keep information secret from Congress & courts  National safety  Keeps other branches from interfering with President

 Jefferson & The Louisiana Purchase (1803)  No Constitutional Amendment justifying purchase  Congress eventually approved the deal

 Truman & the Steel Mills ((1952) Truman & the Steel Mills  Workers practically on strike  Tried to take control of private steel mills to create weapons for Korean War  Supreme Court ruled his actions unconstitutional

 Nixon & Watergate (1974)  Nixon would not hand over tapes (executive privilege)  Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege is not unlimited & can’t be used to cover criminal actions.

 Obama and Executive Privilege Obama and Executive Privilege  Executive Privilege in the 20 th Century Executive Privilege in the 20 th Century  NOVA: The Spy Factory NOVA: The Spy Factory  National Geographic Special – The Final Report – WatergateThe Final Report – Watergate  United Streaming – Nixon’s Second Term United Streaming – Nixon’s Second Term  United Streaming – Watergate Part One United Streaming – Watergate Part One