Transcript The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch
Duty – Carry out the laws of the Nation
Executive Branch – The largest of the branches with millions
of employees
President
Considered the leader of the United States
Often considered the most powerful person in the world
CAN NOT run the nation alone
Qualifications for President (and VP)
be 35
be native born (can not be naturalized)
live in the United States for 14 years
 Male
 College
 Lawyer
 Military Experience
 Christian
Have any of these changed?
Obama, Clinton, FDR, Hoover, Coolidge, Harding, Wilson, Taft,
Cleveland, John Addams, Van Buren.
Electoral College System elects the
President
serves a 4 year term, elected twice
maximum (22nd Amendment)
Which president was the direct cause of
this amendment?
FDR
 Constitution – states that the Vice President
shall be the President of the Senate
 Usually involved with the policies pursued
by the President
 Serves as Ambassador to other nations
 25th Amendment – The Vice President shall
replace the President
 Order of Succession
 Vice President
 Speaker of the House
 President Pro-Tempore
 Secretary of State
Constitutional Powers
 The Constitution gives the president the power to:
 Veto
 Call Congress into Special Session
 Serve as Commander in Chief
 Receive Foreign Officials
 Make Treaties
 Appoint Judges and Top Government Officials
 Pardon Convicted Criminals
State of the Union
Address
 In the State of the
Union address each
year, the president
informs Congress of
important issues
facing the nation and
proposes new
legislative programs.
Roles of the President
Chief Executive
 As Chief Executive, the president is in charge of 14
cabinet departments and more than 3 million
government workers.
 The president appoints the heads of cabinet
departments and large agencies, with Senate
approval.
 The president may not make laws but can issue
executive orders—rules or commands that have the
force of law.
Judicial Appointments
 The president can appoint federal judges, including
Supreme Court justices.
 This power is important because the way the
Supreme Court interprets laws greatly affects life in
the United States.
 Most presidents
justices who
to their own.
appoint
share views similar
 The president may grant pardons, or declarations of
forgiveness and freedom from punishment.
 The president may issue a reprieve, an order to delay
a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear
the case.
 The president may also grant amnesty, a pardon
toward a group of people.
Chief Diplomat
 The president directs foreign policy, deciding how the
United States will act toward other countries.
Commander in Chief
 As commander in chief, the
president is in charge of all
branches of the armed forces.
 Congress and the president
share the power to make war.
Only Congress can declare
war, but only the president can
order soldiers into battle.
 Congress has declared war
only five times, yet presidents
have sent troops into action
more than 150 times.
 This situation may threaten
the system of checks and
balances.
War Powers Act
 After the undeclared Vietnam War, Congress passed
the War Powers Act.
 This law requires the president to notify Congress
immediately when troops are sent into battle. The
troops must be brought home after 60 days unless
Congress approves a longer stay or declares war.
Legislative Leader
 Only Congress may introduce bills, but the executive
branch proposes most legislation.
 All presidents have a legislative program that they
want Congress to pass.
 They make speeches and talk to key members of
Congress to build support for their programs.
 The president’s staff works on the laws with members
of Congress.
Head of State
 As head of state, the president hosts visiting foreign
leaders and carries out ceremonial functions, such as
giving medals to the country’s heroes.
Economic Leader
 As the country’s economic leader, the president must
plan the federal budget and try to deal with such
problems as unemployment, rising prices, and high
taxes.
Party Leader
 The president is the leader of his or her political
party.
 The party helps the president get elected. In return,
the president gives speeches to raise money and help
fellow party members win office.
Go to Presidential Advisers and
Executive Agencies
Presidential Advisers and Executive
Agencies
Executive Office of the
President
 The employees of the Executive Office of the President
(EOP) help the president by preparing reports, helping to
write bills, and checking the work of various agencies.
White House Staff
 The people of the White House Office work directly for the
president.
 The most powerful member of the White House staff is the
Chief of Staff.
 The White House Staff screens the flow of information and
people to the president.
Office of Management
and Budget (OMB)
 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prepares the
federal budget and monitors government spending.
 The federal budget lays out the administration’s plans and
goals for the coming year.
The National Security
Council
 The National Security Council helps the president
coordinate the military and foreign policy.
 It includes the vice president, the secretaries of state and
defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a
group made up of the top commander of each of the
armed services.
 The NSC supervises the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Office of Homeland
Security
George W. Bush
created the Office of
Homeland Security to
deal with terrorist
activities.
It includes members
of the cabinet and of
agencies such as the
Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI)
and Border Patrol.
Council of Economic
Advisers
 The three members of the Council of Economic Advisers
advise the president about complex economic matters,
such as employment, tax policy, inflation, and trade.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/
Cabinet
 The cabinet is a group of advisers that includes the
heads of the 15 top-level executive departments.
 The head of the Department of Justice is called the
attorney general.
 The other department heads are called secretaries.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/cabinet.html
The Federal Bureaucracy
The executive branch is shaped like a
pyramid.
Directly below the president are the
cabinet secretaries and their
departments.
The President
At the next level are hundreds
of agencies.
Together, the agencies and
employees of the executive
branch are known as the
federal bureaucracy.
The workers are called
The Cabinet
Agencies
Independent agencies
 Independent agencies are not part of the cabinet, but
they are not independent of the president.
 The three types are: executive agencies, regulatory
commissions, and government corporations.
Executive Agencies
 Executive agencies deal with certain specialized areas.
 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) is one example.
Government Corporations
Government corporations
are like private businesses,
except that the government
owns and runs them.
Like businesses, they charge
for their services, but they are
not supposed to make a
profit.
The United States Postal
Service is a government
corporation.
Regulatory Commissions
 Unlike other independent agencies, regulatory
commissions do not report to the president.
 The president appoints members, but only Congress can
remove them through impeachment.
 Regulatory commissions
protect the public
by
making and enforcing
rules for certain
industries.
Political Appointees
 Top department jobs generally go to political
appointees—people whom the president has chosen
because they have ability or were supporters of the
president’s election campaign.
 Their employment usually ends when the president leaves
office.
Spoils System
 Before 1883 government jobs went to people as a reward
for their political support.
 Abuses of this spoils system led Congress to pass the
Pendleton Act, also known as the Civil Service Reform Act
of 1883.
 This law limited the number of jobs the president could
give to friends and backers.
 It also created the civil service system.
Merit System
The civil service
system is a merit
system.
Government officials
hire new workers
from lists of people
who have passed the
test or otherwise met
civil service
standards.
 Administration – term applied to the people that work
closest to the President
 White House Staff – the people who work directly with
the President in the White House Complex (Chief of
Staff, Press Secretary)
 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) –
separate office whose job is to prepare the
Federal Budget; budget must be approved
and/or changed by Congress
 National Security Council – Small group
whose job is to discuss and advise the
President on issues on National security
 *Members – President, VP, Sec. Of State,
Sec. Of Defense, Chief of Staff
 Other Offices – Economic Advisers, Science
and Technology, Administration, US Trade
Representatives, Policy Development
 Executive Departments – There are currently
15 separate cabinet positions and many
independent agencies that are under the
control of the President
 The Cabinet – Each department (15) is made up of a
Secretary, supposedly an expert in their field.
 The State Department – Plans the Nations foreign
policy, issues Visa’s and passports, sets up
Embassies (gov’t offices that are set up to help
Americans in foreign nations)
 Treasury Department – collects and spends all of
the Nation’s money
 IRS – Internal Revenue Service – collects US taxes
 US Customs – controls the entrance of people and
goods into the US
 Bureau of Mint, Printing, and Engraving – Makes
money
 Secret Service – Protection of the President,
investigates counterfeiting
 ATF – Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms – enforcement of
alcohol, tobacco, and firearms laws
 Defense Department – Protects the nation. Each
branch of the military (Army, Navy/Marines, Air
Force) is led by a civilian. The Joint Chiefs of Staff
(made up of the top ranking Officers) advise the
President on military affairs.
 Justice Department – Represents the US in the legal
system
 FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigations – investigated
violations of federal laws
 INS – Immigration and Naturalization
Service – enforces immigration laws and
regulations
 Interior Department – Manages our
nation’s lands and resources
 National Park Service – Manages millions of
acres of national parks
 Department of Agriculture – helps farmers and
consumers of agricultural products
 Food and Safety Inspection, Food and Nutrition
Service, Soil Conservation, Agricultural Research
 Dept. of Commerce – promotes the economy and
business interests of the nation
 Census Bureau – counts the people every 10 years
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –
the nations weather service
 Dept. of Labor – protects the interest of laborers
and employers in the nation
 Occupational Health and Safety Administration –
makes sure the work place is safe
 Health and Human Services – works for the well
being of the public
 Social Security Administration – works for the
retired, disabled
Public Health Service – Center for Disease
Control
Food and Drug Administration – safe food and
drugs
Housing and Urban Development – deals
with special problems faced in urban areas;
rebuilding slums, improving neighborhoods
 Department of Transportation – manages and
oversees the nations transportation networks;
National Highway Traffic Safety Ad, FAA, US Coast
Guard
 Department of Energy – manages the nation’s
energy resources and tries to promote wise energy
use
 Department of Education – offers advise and
assistance to states; gives grants and funds projects
designed to improve education
Veteran’s Affairs – manages the
system of benefits for the veterans of
our armed forces; Veteran’s Hospitals
Department of Homeland Security –
newest cabinet position that watches
over the safety of America
Independent and Regulatory
Agencies
 Independent Agencies
 Special Parts of gov’t were formed to meet special
needs
 Executive Agencies – there are agencies that are
under the direct control of the President
 Central Intelligence Agency - CIA – in charge of
collecting and interpreting information about foreign
nations
 National Aeronautics and Space Administration –
NASA – created to develop and administer our space
program
 Environmental Protection Agency – EPA – enforces
environmental protection laws
Regulatory Commissions
 there groups are given powers to regulate or control a
certain industry or activity
 Federal Reserve – controls the nation’s system of
banks
 Federal Trade Commission – Regulates the affairs of
businesses to ensure fair business practices
 Securities and Exchange Commission – regulates the
activities of the Stock Market
 Federal Communications Commission – regulates the
telecommunication industries (phones, TV,
Computers)
 Consumer Product Safety Commission – oversees the
safety of products sold to the public
a. National Labor Relations Board – oversees the
practices of labor unions and employers
Federal Bureaucracy
 Bureaucracy – those people that who work
permanently for the gov’t
 Red Tape – this refers to the extra hassle and
paperwork that is required to get things done in a
bureaucracy
 Why is it needed? – Although a hassle, the
procedures which cause red tape also reduce the
number of Decision-Makers in the bureaucracy. This
hopefully creates a system which absolutely equal for
all involved.
 Spoils System – gave gov’t positions as political
rewards. This often led to graft and corruption.
 Civil Service System – set up a testing procedure to
give jobs to the most qualified applicants (Pendleton
Act of 1873, establishes a merit system where one is
given a job based on qualifications and test scores,
not their political connections)