Unit 5: The Executive Branch

Quick Review

• The _____________ branch is responsible for:– Putting the laws into _______________– _______________the laws

• The head of the Executive Branch is the ______________

• The Executive Branch also includes:– The __________ ______________– The _____________ (15 heads of the executive

departments)– _____ Executive Departments

The President• Formal qualifications for office:

1. Must be a “_________ __________citizen” of the US• Born in the ___________, OR• Born to parents who are both US ______________ (if

born in another _______________)

2. Must be at least __________ years of age• Youngest = ___________________(43 when elected)• Oldest = _____________________ (69 when elected)

3. Must have spent at least _____continuous years as a resident of the US (lived here for 14 yrs)

Presidential __________

• Article II of the Constitution sets the Presidential term at ______ years.

• Until __________, there was no limit on the # of terms a President could serve

• However, beginning with George Washington, every President refused to run for more than ____ terms

• ___________________broke the unwritten “2 term” rule, and won a 3rd term in 1940, and a 4th in 1944….

_______ Amendment

• Adopted in ________• No President shall:– Serve more than _______ years– Serve more than _______ terms– Serve more than ____additional term IF they

_____________ as President for more than _____ yrs of a ________________President’s term (i.e. If a VP has to take over for a President.

The Constitution and __________• : the order in which a presidential

________________ is filled– In other words, the line of people who will take the President’s

____________if he/she cannot continue to serve in office

• Before _________, the Vice President just assumed the position

• _________amendment: If the ___________ is removed from office (by death, illness, resignation, removal, etc.), the ______________becomes the _____________.

• The order of Presidential ____________ after the VP is established by ____________. The current order was established in the ____________ _________ Act of _____.

1. The Vice President: Joseph Biden2. Speaker of the House: John Boehner 3. President pro tempore of the Senate: Patrick Leahy4. Secretary of State: John Kerry5. Secretary of the Treasury: Jacob Lew6. Secretary of Defense: Chuck Hagel7. Attorney General: Eric Holder8. Secretary of the Interior: Ken Salazar 9. Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack 10. Secretary of Commerce: John Bryson11. Secretary of Labor: Hilda Solis 12. Secretary of Health and Human Services: Kathleen Sebelius13. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Shaun Donovan14. Secretary of Transportation: Ray LaHood 15. Secretary of Energy: Stephen Chu 16. Secretary of Education: Arne Duncan 17. Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Eric Shinseki 18. Secretary of Homeland Security: Janet Napolitano

The Many Roles of the US President1. Chief (Head) of __________– Role: He is the “____________” of the US, the

symbol of nation and its people– Example Duties: Making a patriotic speech on the

4th of July, Greeting visitors to the White House, congratulating astronauts returning from space

2. Chief ________________– Role: He is the “__________” of everyone in the

Executive Branch– Example Duties: Appointing a head of the Central

Intelligence Agency (CIA), Holding cabinet meetings to discuss government business

3. _______________-in-Chief• Role: Control over of all of the men and women

in the ____________ ____________. – President determines where troops will be

stationed, where naval ships will travel, what weapons will be used and how, etc.

– All _____________ leaders take their orders from the President

– Example Duties: Inspecting a naval yard, ordering a bombing of a city (in wartime), calling in troops to stop a riot

4. Chief _________________– Role: Sets American _______________policy– America’s _______________to the rest of the world– Example Duties: Travelling to London to meet with

British leaders, entertaining Japanese diplomats at the White House

5. Chief _____________________– Remember, because of separation of powers, the

President ____________ be a member of Congress– But, the President sets the legislative ____________– Role: Setting the legislative agenda - The President

may suggest, request, encourage, and demand certain ______________be considered in Congress

– Example Duties: Making a speech to Congress, vetoing a bill

6. Chief of ___________– Role: Helps members of his ____________

___________ get elected or appointed to office– Supports and _________________for members of

his political party– Example Duties: Choose leading party members to

serve in cabinet positions, travel to New Hampshire to speak at a rally for a party nominee to the Senate

7. Chief ____________Planner– Role: President must be aware of

________________rates, taxes, business profits, gas prices, and the general _________________ of the country

– Example Duties: Meet with economic advisors to discuss unemployment, meet with business leaders and labor unions to discuss needs/issues

The ______ __________: Formal Duties

• The _____________ assigns only ____ duties to the VP:

1. Preside over the _________ (break ties)

2. Take over the “__________and ___________” of the _____________ if the Prez dies or becomes ______________ while in office

The Vice President: Modern Role• The role of the VP depends on the specific ______________

between each President and his/her VP• If the President and VP are very close, the VP may

____________ the President on many of his/her decisions • ex. GW Bush/Dick Cheney

• If they are not close, then the VP’s role will be limited• Presidents choose a VP candidate to “____________________”

(strengthen the Presidential candidate’s chance of getting elected)

• The VP position has been used more and more to increase the VP’s personal chances of being elected _______________later on

Getting Elected• Political parties want to present the most _____________ candidate

possible• Who is “electable?”

– Lots of political ________________• The largest number of presidential candidates have been former

State _______________________– Examples: George W. Bush (TX), Bill Clinton (AR), Ronald Reagan

(CA), Jimmy Carter (GA), Michael Dukakis (MA)• Also, many presidential candidates have been ______________

– Examples: Barack Obama (D-IL), John McCain (R-AZ), John F. Kennedy (D-MA)

– Broad _______________within the party and the electorate– A well-known record of public office WITHOUT ______________ or

___________________

Other Common Characteristics of U.S. Presidents….

• ________________ Religion– JFK = only _________________President

• Wealthy• Come from (born in)_______________States– ________ has changed this somewhat, as appearance

and speaking ability tend to have more impact that where a candidate is from

– ___________ has produced the most presidents (8)– Georgia has only produced 1 president –

___________ ___________(President from 1974-1980)

• ____________________– No woman has ever made it out of the nomination process to run for president in

the general election– Several have tried in recent years (Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Michele Bachmann)– There have been 2 female ____________________ candidates:

• 1st = Geraldine Ferraro ran with Walter Mondale (Democrats) against Reagan/Bush (Republicans) in 1984

• 2nd = Sarah Palin ran with John McCain (Republicans) against Obama/Biden in 2008

• ___________________________– Only divorced President = _____________ _______________(divorced in 1949,

remarried in 1952)– Only President who never married = James Buchanan

• Friendly, attractive, healthy ___________________– Many studies in psychology confirm that _________________people receive

better treatment by others. "These judgments are not confined to first impressions: People who know an individual well attribute more positive traits to cute children and beautiful or handsome adults” (Morris& Maisto, 2002, p. 567).

The Growth of Presidential Power• _________________ of the Constitution (aka the _____________ article)

gives _____________ ______________to the President– There has been an ongoing struggle over the meaning of the phrase

“executive power”– Some argue for a weaker presidency, others argue for a stronger one

• Expressed powers of the President:– Command of the _____________ forces– Power to make _______________ (with the consent of the Senate)– approve/veto acts of Congress– Send ___________________(representatives) to foreign countries– Grant _________________– “to take care that the laws are ________________ executed”

• But, the rest of Article II is written in a very sketchy fashion – it’s very open to ____________________

Why Presidential Power Has Grown

1. _________________of the Presidency – The office and powers are held by 1 person. It’s easier for one person get things done than for a Congress with 435 people to get things done

2. The _____________ nation – as the country has grown bigger and gained more people, we have looked to the federal government to take a larger role in transportation, communications, health, welfare, employment, education, civil rights, etc.

3. The need for immediate, decisive action in times of ________ and ____________ – Presidents’ actions in these times throughout history have strengthened the executive power

4. __________________ actions – The more laws passed by Congress, the more power the executive branch has, because it has to enforce them and put them in to action

5. ___________ _______________– Since Teddy Roosevelt, the President has used TV, radio, internet, and other forms of media more and more to draw public attention and support for his policies.

Growth of Presidential Power: Executive Agreements

• Executive agreement: legally binding agreement made between the ____________ and a foreign leader– NOT a ____________. A treaty is an agreement between 2 ____________ that requires approval from 2/3 of the _________________

– Executive agreements are only binding as long as the two leaders that made the agreement are in _______________

– The _________________ does not say anything about executive agreements. The __________ __________________upheld the President’s power to make executive agreements because of the President’s expressed power to “…faithfully execute the laws…”

Inauguration Day

• _________________Day = January _____th after the November election (For example, after the 2008 election in November 2008, Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009)– The new President takes the official __________ =

a pledge to preserve, protect, and defend the ______________ of the United States

– This is his/her ____________that he/she will act within the limits of the Constitution and do his/her best to do what is best for the country as a whole

The “Other Guys” in the Executive Branch:

1. The __________ _____________• Most of the work of the executive branch is done

in each of the ____ executive departments• The leader of each department is called a

_______________ (example: the _______ Department is headed by the Secretary of _______)

• There are 15 total–Oldest = __________ Dept (1789)–Newest = Dept of _________________(2002)

Department of State

Department of the Treasury

Department of Defense Department of Justice Department of the Interior

Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce

Department of Labor

Department of Health and Human Services Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Transportation Department of Energy Department of Education Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Homeland Security

The Executive Departments

The “Other Guys” in the Executive Branch: 2. The cabinet

• The _______________ is an informal group of advisors to the President. Each advisor is the ____________ (head) of a executive department– Not mentioned by the __________________– 1789-first Cabinet. Consisted of Sec. of State, Sec. of War, and

Attorney General.• There are _______Cabinet positions today. • Head of each is ____________ by the President (but must be confirmed

by the Senate)– Almost all chosen on __________ lines.– Many helped get President _____________– President tries to give ___________ balance by choosing people

from all demographic and geographic areas.

• Cabinet members have 2 major jobs:1._____________ leader of his/her department. (like a

manager of the department)2._____________to the President in their particular

area. • Some Presidents take advice more ___________ than

others.

The Cabinet

3. The _________ ____________of the President (EOP)

• The complex organization of several ____________ that are staffed by the President’s closest _________ and ___________

• Based in the “________ _________” of the entire executive branch – the White House Office

• Most of the officer of the EOP work in the ____________ Wing of the White House

Executive Office of the President

• Includes:1. ______ of ___________• Highest ranking EOP staff member• ____________ WH staff• Manages flow of _________• _______________interest of the Prez• Communicates with ______________• ______________ President

Current WH Chief of Staff: William Daley

2.White House _________ ___________–_____________ for the WH–Communicates with ___________–__________ the Prez on daily news/info

3.White House _____________–Advises President on all _________issues

4.Staff for the _______________5.Deputies, Assistants, Advisors, etc, etc, etc…..