1. Executive Branch Chapter 7 Section 1

2. “The president of the United States carries with it a responsibility so personal as to be without parallel…No one can make decisions for him…Even those closest to him…never know all the reasons why he does certain things and comes to certain conclusions. To be President of the United States is to be lonely, very lonely at times of great decisions.”
-Harry S. Truman

3. Presidential Requirements
At least 35 years old
Native-born US citizen
Resident of US for at least 14 years
(US Constitution, Article II, Section 1)

4. Background Past Presidents have all been: White (except Obama) Male
Protestants (except for Kennedy)
Other interesting facts:
1st Pres: George Washington
1st VP: John Adams
1st Pres. to die in office: William H. Harrison

5. Term of Office Term of Office Four years Two-term limit or 10 years
(if began during another’s term)
Franklin D. Roosevelt & 22nd Amendment(1951)-Roosevelt was elected to a 4th term in Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, which limits each president to two elected terms in office or a maximum of 10 years.

6. Election Process Two steps of Election of President:
Popular Election: citizens vote for electors
Electoral College: electors vote for president

7. Electoral College 538 Electors (Washington, D.C. has 3)
The number of electors each state receives is the state’s number of senators + number of representatives
How many electors does Alabama get?
Meet at state capitals after popular election
Most states use winner-take-all method (candidate who wins popular election receives all of the electors’ votes)
Must win 270 votes to be elected (one more than half)
What are the consequences of president being elected by Electoral College, rather than popular election?

9. Salary/Benefits $400,000/year
White House (gym, bowling alley, heated pool)
Camp David (estate in Maryland)
Presidential Fleet of special cars, helicopters & airplanes

10. Presidential Succession (1947 Presidential Succession Act)
In 1947, Congress passed the Presidential Succession Act, which established a line of succession after the vice president if the president dies or leaves office.
Vice President
Speaker of the House
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security

11. 25th Amendment
There were still questions about how to handle this situation, so 20 years later, in 1967, Congress passed the 25th Amendment.
If President dies or leaves office, VP becomes President and chooses another VP
**(Senate & House must approve)

12. 25th Amendment, continued
Has only been used 3 times:
1973 VP Spiro Agnew resigned and was replaced by Gerald Ford
1974 Nixon resigned; Ford became president and appointed Nelson Rockefeller as VP
1985 Ronald Reagan underwent surgery, he appointed George H.W. Bush as acting president

13. Chapter 7, Section 2 The President’s Job

14. “Frankly, being President is rather an unattractive business unless one relishes the exercise of power. That is a thing which has never greatly appealed to me.”
-Warren Harding

15. Constitutional Powers
Veto, or reject, bills
Call Congress into special session
Serve as Commander in Chief
Receive foreign leaders
Make treaties (requires Senate approval)
Make appointments
Cabinet
Supreme Court judges
Ambassadors
Pardon or reduce penalties of those convicted of federal crimes
(This comes from Article II of the Constitution.)

16. Roles of the President Chief Executive Chief Diplomat
Gives executive orders, a rule or command that has the force of law. (Ex. Harry Truman issue executive order to integrate the armed forces in 1948)
May give pardon, reprieve or amnesty.
Pardon: declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment
Reprieve: delay person’s punishment until higher court hears case
Amnesty: pardon toward group of people
Chief Diplomat
Directs foreign policy
Commander in Chief
In charge of the army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard
Has power to order troops into action
**Only Congress can “declare war.” This is an example of checks and balances. Also, president must get approval from Congress if troops are there for more than 90 days.

17. Other Roles, cont. Legislative Leader Head of State Economic Leader
Most of the bills Congress considers come from the President and his legislative program, or the laws that he wants Congress to pass
Head of State
Living symbol of nation (Ex. Lighting national Christmas tree)
Economic Leader
Plans federal budget
Party Leader
Gives speeches for other party members running for offices and helps raise money

18. Chapter 7.3
Making Foreign Policy

19. “We must have a policy to guide our relations with every country in every part of the world. No country is so remote from us that it may not someday be involved in a matter that threatens the peace....Who knows what may happen in the future? Our foreign policy must be universal.”
-Harry Truman

20. The President and Foreign Policy
Foreign policy- the nation’s overall plan for dealing with other nations

21. Foreign Policy Basic Goal
National security- ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm
Other goals
International trade
Promoting world peace
Promote democracy

22. Tools of Foreign Policy
Creating treaties/executive agreements
Appointing ambassadors
Foreign aid
International Trade
Military Force

23. Creating Treaties & Executive Agreements
Treaty- formal agreement between the governments of 2 or more countries
Ex. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Executive agreement- agreement between the president and the leader of another country

24. Appointing Ambassadors
Ambassador- official representative of a country’s government
Must be:
Appointed by the president
Approved by the Senate
John Bolt
US Ambassador to the UN

25. Foreign Aid
Money, food, military or other assistance sent to other countries
Example: Marshall Plan (program used to rebuild Western Europe after WWII)
George Marshall won the Nobel Peace Prize for developing the Marshall Plan.

26. International Trade
Ability to make agreements with other nations about the exchanging of products
Trade sanctions- efforts to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
Embargo- agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them all from trading with a target nation

27. America’s longest embargo
CUBAN EMBARGO
1962-present

28. Military Force
As commander in chief, president may use military to carry out certain foreign-policy decisions
Ex. Washington used troops to put down Whiskey Rebellion; Clinton ordered cruise missiles to be launched at terrorist facilities in Afghanistan & Sudan in 1998; Bush used military to invade Iraq in 2003

29. Presidential Advisors
Chapter 7.4
Presidential Advisors

30. Executive Office of President
“president’s administration”
Created by FDR’s administration in 1939
2,000+ employees
$100m budget
Responsibilities
Prepare reports on special projects
Help write bills
Check on other agencies

31. Other Important EOP Agencies
Office of Management & Budget
Prepares federal budget and monitors spending
National Security Council
Assists president with military and foreign policy
Office of Administration
Council of Economic Advisers
Gives presidents advice about economic matters

32. White House Office ~500 people President’s political advisors
Examples:
Deputy Chief of Staff
Assistant for Domestic Affairs
Counsel (lawyers)
Press Secretary

33. Cabinet 15 departments Not mentioned in the Constitution
Heads must be approved by Senate
Examples:
Department of State
Department of Treasury
Department of Defense
Newest: Department of Homeland Security