1. Executive Branch

2. Roots (background) Colonial America Distrust with strong executive
Royal Governor
Appointed by King
Clashed with colonists
Distrust with strong executive
Governor appointed by legislature (symbolic post)
No executive branch under Articles of Confederation

3. Qualifications The President AND Vice President must be
Native born citizens
35 years old
A legal US resident for at least 14 years

4. Terms of Office 4 year term
Eligible for re-election (Founders Framers agreed)
HOWEVER…this is never written into the Constitution
Tradition of 2 terms (max) set by George Washington
Lasted for 150 years
F.D.R. broke it!
Elected 4 times!

5. 22nd Amendment Limits the Presidency to 2 terms or a total of 10 years
10 years? What is the President dies? The VP takes over.

6. Impeachment Benjamin Franklin’s idea Chief Justice presides over trial
Legal mechanism to remove President or VP
“Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Chief Justice presides over trial

7. Impeachment and Executive Privilege
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
Richard Nixon
Covered up details of the Watergate scandal
Claimed executive privilege in US v. Nixon (1974)
Power to refuse to disclose information regarding confidential conversations or national security to Congress or the judiciary
Presidents cannot refuse court orders

8. Rules of Succession
Vice President job created for the sole purpose of taking over for a dead President
Presidential Succession Act (1947)

9. 25th Amendment
Passed in 1967
If there is a vacancy in the Vice President position, the President can appoint a new Vice President
Subject to Congress’ approval
Needs a simple majority

10. 25th Amendment
1973, Nixon’s VP Spiro Agnew resigned and Ford was appointed
Ironically, less than a year later, Ford became the President when Nixon resigned
Ford then appointed Nelson A. Rockefeller to be his VP

11. 25th Amendment
Also sets up a section that allows the VP and a majority of the Cabinet to deem a president unable to fulfill his duties
VP can become “acting president” if the president is incapacitated
Twice, President George W. Bush made VP Dick Cheney acting President during colonoscopies

12. So many!
Powers

13. "The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.” —Lyndon B. Johnson

14. POWERS Commander in Chief Veto Pardon Make Treaties Make Appointments
Receive Foreign Leaders
Call Congress into Session

15. Appointment Power
Appoint “Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States”
Advice and consent of the Senate
Until the Clinton administration 97% of presidential nominations were approved
President appoints 3,500 people
Only 1, 125 need Senate approval
Appoints more than 75,000 military personnel

16. Appointment Power How can Presidents get around Congress?
Recess appointments!
While Congress is on break, the President can make a temporary appointment

17. Convene Congress State of the Union
This power was more important in the past
This has happened only 27 times
Examples: budget, war, natural disasters

18. Make Treaties This power is checked by the Senate
Senate must have 2/3 of members approve
Historical example-Treaty of Versailles by President Woodrow Wilson—not approved!
How do Presidents get around the Senate?
Executive agreements
President can form secret arrangements with foreign nations without Senate approval

19. Veto Reject bills passed by Congress
Presidents can threaten to veto. This can lead to large influence to how a bill is written.

20. Commander in Chief Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy
War Powers Resolution
Limit president’s authority to introduce American troops into hostile foreign lands without Congress approval
This was used by President George W. Bush to invade Iraq

21. Pardon
Executive grant releasing an individual from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime before or after conviction, and restores all rights and privileges of citizenship
Check on the Judicial Branch
Impeachments cannot be pardoned
Individuals or groups

23. Receive Foreign Leaders

24. Presidential roles

25. Chief Executive In charge of 15 cabinet departments Carry out laws
Executive Order
Rule or command that has the same power and force of law

26. Chief Diplomat
Leads foreign policy
Names ambassadors

27. Head of State Living symbol of the nation Greets foreign leaders
Represents all Americans at important ceremonies

28. Commander in Chief Back up foreign policy with force
If need be
Only the president can can order troops into battle
Only Congress can declare war
Congress had declared war five times
President has sent troops 150 times

29. Congress did not necessary like this so they passed
The War Powers Resolution
President must let Congress know within 48 hours of troops leaving
Troops must be home after 60 days
Unless Congress approves

30. Legislative Leader
President tries to convince/influence members of Congress to create certain laws

31. Economic Leader
Plan the federal government’s budget

32. Party Leader Leader of their political party
Democrat, Republican Whig, etc
Gives speeches for fellow party members
Fundraises

33. How the executive branch works

34. Executive Office Agencies
Created by FDR
Most people work in the Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Roughly 2,000 people
Budget is $400 million

35. Executive Office of the President
Led by the Chief of Staff
Take care of president’s schedules
Decides who is allowed to meet with the president
Denis McDonough
From Stillwater, MN
Graduated from St. John’s and Georgetown

37. Office of Management and Budget
Prepares the federal budget
Monitors and oversees spending of all the other agencies

38. National Security Council (NSC)
Headed by the National Security Advisor
Appointed by President
Includes VP, secretaries of state and defense, Director of National Security and the chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chief of Staff
Top commanders from the four parts of the US armed services

40. Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)
Helps president carry out the role of Economic Leader
President names people to CEA but Senate must approve them
Focuses on job growth and prices

42. Federal Bureaucracy Agencies + 3 million people What does it do?
Agencies write rules that put laws into practice
Carry out day-to-day activities
Oversee certain activities

43. Independent Agencies Executive agencies Deal with certain areas
Ex. NASA, CIA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

44. Government corporations
Owned by government
Ex. US Postal Service

45. Regulatory commissions
Protect the public
Only Congress can remove heads of the commissions
ex. FCC

46. Who gets to work in the EB?
Spoils System
Rewarded for political support
“to the victor goes the spoils”
Merit System
Met certain standards
Ex. tests