1. The Executive Branch Chapter 8

2. The President and Vice President Lesson 1
Essential Questions:
What is required of leaders?
It Matters Because:
The president and vice president are the only leaders elected by the entire nation.
Guiding Question
How does a citizen become president?

3. President and Vice President
Barack Obama
Joe Biden

4. Office of the President
Rules for being president:
35 years old
Native born citizen
Lived in the United States at least 14 years
Characteristics of Presidents
So far all accept one has been a male Protestant Christian
Most come from large population states
1960- John Kennedy (1st Catholic)
2008- Barack Obama (1st African American)
1984- Geraldine Ferraro (ran for Vice President)
2008- Sarah Palin (ran for Vice President)
2000- Joseph Liberman (1st Jewish American)

5. Office of the President (cont.)
Electing the President
Every 4 years
President is elected by a group called the Electoral College
Elector- person appointed to vote in presidential elections for the president and vice president
Nominate at the state party conventions
When voter vote for their favorite candidates is when they choose electors
To win an election the candidate needs 270 electoral votes
Term in office
Four year term
Two year term limit (set by the 22nd Amendment

6. Office of the President
Salary and Benefits
$400,000 per year salary
Receives money for personal costs and travel
Lives and works in the White House
Staff of 80 people that care for the first family
Use of Camp David
Special fleet of cars, helicopters, airplanes (Airforce One)

7. The Vice President He is elected with the President
Same rules as the President
Very little power and role
Article I, says the Vice President presides over the Senate
Only votes in case of a tie
The Vice President becomes the president if the President
Dies, is removed from office, falls seriously ill, or resigns

8. Presidential Succession
1841 William Harry Harrison
First President to die in office
John Tyler the Vice President declared himself President
The Presidential Succession Act (passed in 1947)
Lists a line of succession listing the order in which officials are expected to succeed, or come next, to an office.
The Twenty Fifth Amendment
Makes it clear that if the President dies or leaves office the Vice President becomes President

9. The Presidential Succession Act
1. Vice President
10. Secretary of Commerce
2. Speaker of the House
11. Secretary of Labor
3. President pro tempore
12. Secretary of Health and Human Services
4. Secretary of State
13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
5. Secretary of the Treasury
14. Secretary of Transportation
6. Secretary of Defense
15. Secretary of Energy
7. Attorney General
16. Secretary of Education
8. Secretary of the Interior
17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
9. Secretary of Agriculture
18. Secretary of Homeland Security

10. The Presidents Powers and Role Lesson2
Essential Questions:
What is required of leaders?
It Matters Because:
The president has many important duties that affect all Americans
Guiding Question
What the duties of the president?

11. Presidential Powers
The president is the most powerful public official in the United States
Article II- “Executive power shall be invested in a President”
Main job is to execute, or carry out, the laws passed by Congress

12. Constitutional Specific Powers
Veto or reject bills
Call Congress into special session
Commander in Chief of the armed forces
Receive leaders and officials from other countries
Make treaties with other countries, with Senate approval
Pardon or reduce the penalties against people convicted of federal crimes
The Constitution requires the president to tell Congress about the “state of the union”.

13. Presidential Roles Chief Executive
The presidents most important job is to carry out the nations laws
The president is in charge of 15 cabinet departments and many agencies
The Senate has to approve the choices to head these departments and agencies
About 3 million workers, not counting the military

14. Presidential Roles (continued)
Executive Order- a rule or command the president gives out that has the force of a law
The president also names people to serve as Supreme Court Justices (Senate has to approve)
Pardon- a declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment.
Reprieve- an order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear the case
Amnesty- al pardon to a group of people

15. Presidential Role (continued)
Chief Diplomat
The president leads the foreign policy of the United States
Decides how the United States acts toward other countries
Names people to serve as ambassadors- an official representative of the country’s government
Head of State
The president is the living symbol of the nation
Builds goodwill with other countries
Represents all Americans at important ceremonies

16. Presidential Role (continued)
Commander in Chief
Under the Constitution, the president is commander in chief of the nation’s armed forces
Backup foreign policy decisions with force when necessary
Congress has the power to declare war, but only the president can order troops into battle.
War Powers Resolution (1973)- The president must let Congress know within 48 hours when troops are sent into battle

17. Legislative Leader Only members of Congress can introduce bills
The President also proposes laws
The president makes speeches to promote his proposed laws
The president meets with senators and representatives
The president and Congress often disagree

18. Presidential Role Economic Leader Party Leader
Every president tries to help the economy to prosper
The president deals with problems such lack of jobs, rising prices, and high taxes
Party Leader
The president is the leader of his or her political party
The president helps member of his party who are running for office
Helps the party raise money

19. Making Foreign Policty Lesson3
Essential Questions:
Why do nations interact with each other?
It Matters Because:
The president makes key decisions about our relations with other countries
Guiding Question
What are the goals of foreign policy

20. The President and Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy- a nation’s overall plan for dealing with other countries
National Security- the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm
The main goal of foreign polity
Another goal is to build trade with other countries
Third is to promote world peace
Fourth is to advance democracy around the world

21. Foreign Policy Team
National Security Advisor- studies foreign policy questions and gives advice to the president
State Department
Defense Department
National Security Council
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

22. The Tools of Foreign Policy
Treaties- a formal agreement between the governments of two or more countries
NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Executive Agreement-an agreement between the president and the leader of another country
Many of these agreements deal with trade

23. The Tools of Foreign Policy
Appointing Ambassadors
The president appoints about 150 ambassadors
Confirmed by the Senate
Ambassadors represent our nation to other countries
Foreign Aid-
Consists of money, food, military help, and other supplies given to other countries

24. International Trade
The president has the power to make economic agreements with other countries
Treaties cover what products may be traded and the rules for trade
Trade sanctions- an effort to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
Embargo- an agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them from trading with a target nation
Congress sets tariffs (taxes), and must approve treaties

25. How The Executive Branch Works Lesson 4
Essential Questions:
What is required of leaders?
It Matters Because:
Decisions made by people working in the executive branch affect many areas of life.
Guiding Question
What offices make up the Executive Office of the President?

26. Executive Office Agencies
Executive Office Agencies (EOA)
1801 President Thomas Jefferson had a small staff
Few advisors, one messenger, and a part-time secretary
Today
Thousands of experts, advisers, and clerks assist the president
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939
Helps the president
Over 2,000 employees, $400 million budget

27. The White House Office
The EOP is overseen by the president’s chief of staff
The presidents closest adviser
The White House Office
500 people work directly for the president
They help and advise the president
Office of Management and Budget
OMB-prepares the federal budget
The budget shows the president’s spending plans for the coming year
OMB monitors the spending for all the agencies of the executive branch

28. Executive Office Agencies
National Security Council
NSC- advises the president on matters of national security
Includes the Vice President, Secretaries of State and Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairperson
Council of Economic Advisers
Helps the president carry out the job of economic leader

29. The President’s Cabinet
Cabinet- a group of advisers to the president that includes the heads of 15 top-level executive departments.
Cabinet Responsibilities- members give the president advice on matters that deal with their departments
Department of Homeland Security
Signed by President G.W. Bush in 2002
Homeland Security Act
The task is to protect the nation from attack by terrorists

30. The Federal Bureaucracy
The executive branch also has hundreds of agencies
Federal Bureaucracy- agencies and employees of the executive branch of government.
About 3 million people work for the executive branch
Three basic tasks:
First, agencies write rules that put laws Congress passes into practice
Second, departments and agencies carry out the day-to-day activities of the federal government
Third, federal agencies oversee certain activities
Watch over banks, product safety, health and environment

31. Independent Agencies (3 types)
These agencies are called independent because they are not part of a cabinet department
1. Executive Agencies- independent agency that deals with certain specific areas within the government
NASA- space program
CIA- intelligence information
EPA- human health and environment

32. Independent Agencies (3 types)
2. Government Corporations a business owned and operated by the government
Operated like a private business
Not for profit
i.e. Portal Service, The Tennessee Valley Authority

33. Independent Agencies (3 types)
3. Regulatory Commissions- the goal is to protect the public
They make and enforce rules that an industry and group must follow
FCC- Federal Communications Commission
Makes rules for television and radio stations
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Establishes safety standards for thousands of products
These commissions do not report to the president
The president nominates them but only Congress can remove them

34. Government Workers Top Jobs
Political Appointees- a person appointed to a federal position by the president
Civil Service System- the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive examinations and merit
Spoils system- rewarding people with government jobs on the basis of their political support
“to the victor belong the spoils” (jobs)
Merit System- hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications