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 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. – 82nd 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.

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 advisors

President Obama meets with his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

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 GarfieldLithograph 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)

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

Executive Privilege in the 20th Century

NOVA: The Spy Factory

National Geographic Special – The Final Report – Watergate

United Streaming – Nixon’s Second Term

United Streaming – Watergate Part One