Vice President, Executive Vice President, Executive Cabinet and Federal BureaucracyCabinet and Federal Bureaucracy

Powers of Modern PresidentsPowers of Modern Presidents

Negotiate executive agreements with foreign powers without Congressional approval

Break treaties without CongressChief State: carries out ceremonial

responsibilities such as dedicating national monuments and government buildings

Chief Ambassador

Presidential ClausesPresidential Clauses

Executive Power Clause: president has the power to develop, create and legislate new laws

Take Care Clause: empowers president with responsibility to see that laws are enforced.

Nixon’s ResignationOne month later President Gerald Ford

pardoned him Watergate shook faith of Americans in

the presidency and test for the U. S. Constitution

Illustrated that no one is above the law, not even the president

Testing of Legislative-Executive Checks and Balances

Vice PresidentVice President

John Adams called it “the most John Adams called it “the most insignificant” office createdinsignificant” office created

9 Vice Presidents have taken over the 9 Vice Presidents have taken over the office of president, first was John Tyler office of president, first was John Tyler in 1841 when President William Henry in 1841 when President William Henry Harrison diedHarrison died

Same qualifications as presidentSame qualifications as president$171, 500 salary plus official expenses$171, 500 salary plus official expenses

Vice PresidentVice President

Before 1804, the vice presidency went to the Before 1804, the vice presidency went to the candidate that was second, no matter the party.candidate that was second, no matter the party.

After 1796 election two rivals John Adams and After 1796 election two rivals John Adams and Thomas Jefferson ended in office together and it Thomas Jefferson ended in office together and it led to very little being accomplishedled to very little being accomplished

1212thth Amendment ratified in 1804, revised the Amendment ratified in 1804, revised the election process so that candidate clearly run for election process so that candidate clearly run for either president or vice presidenteither president or vice president

Evolving Vice PresidentEvolving Vice President

1841: John Tyler first Vice President to become President due to the death of a president

President William Henry Harrison died one month after taking office

Tyler did not have a vice president

Vice PresidentVice President

Between 1789-1921, no vice president attended a meeting of the president’s cabinet

Theodore Roosevelt first to win a full term election of his own

Became president in 1901 when President McKinley was assassinated

Won election of 1904

Increased RoleIncreased Role

Since 1933 vice president has attended cabinet meetings

Since 1947 Congress has included the vice president as one of the four statutory (legal) members of the National Security Council, which advises president on military matters and foreign affairs

2525thth Amendment Amendment

25th Amendment in 1967 provides that a president fill a vacancy in the vice presidency by nominating a candidate who is confirmed by the majority of both houses of Congress

Vice President takes over if the president resigns from office or is incapacitated

Spiro AgnewSpiro Agnew

First use of 25th Amendment

Vice President under President Nixon

Resigned in 1973 over tax evasion, extortion and bribery

Fined $10,000 President Nixon

appointed Gerald Ford as vice president

Gerald FordGerald Ford He was appointed Vice

President when Spiro Agnew resigned

He became President less than one year later when President Nixon resigned

According the 25th Amendment, he appointed John Rockefeller as his Vice President

Only time President and Vice President not elected

ResidencyResidency

1975 obtained a residency for Vice President at the Naval Observatory

Sometimes called the Admiral’s House because it was the former home of the Chief of Naval Operations

Current Issues of Concern

Iraq War/AfghanistanEconomic CrisisEconomic PoliciesHealth CareTaxesEnergy/global warmingAbortionEducation

Executive Office and the Federal Bureaucracy

Executive Office Established 1939 Advise president on current issues Council of Economic Advisers furnish the president with facts

and figures about nation’s economy and recommends programs to promote economic growth

Office of Management and Budget assists in the preparation of the federal budget

National Security Council (NSC) is the president’s top ranking group of advisers on all matters concerning the nation’s defense and security

Office of National Drug Control Policy coordinates federal, state and local activities designed to stop the use of illegal drugs

Council on Environmental Quality monitors the environment and makes recommendations to the president

White House Office includes closest personal and political advisers to the president

Executive Departments

37 “czars” right now15 executive departmentsCongress has the power to establish

executive departments, reorganize and combine different departments or eliminate them

President influences changes

Executive Agencies Executive Branch has established a large number of

agencies that carry out some of the executive functions of the government

There are 15 departments of the executive branch. There are 140 agencies Departments are authorized by Congress, their

chiefs sit in the Cabinet and deal with large policy issues

Agencies are designed to carry out specific tasks A few agencies such as the Central Intelligence

Agency (CIA) are independent Executive Branch employs 98% of all national

government personnel—over 4,000

Cabinet Department of State, includes

ambassadors Department of Treasury,

including IRS Department of Defense,

Armed Forces under this department since 1947. Under this is Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force and Department of the Army. Highest military ranking officers of Army, Navy and Air Force are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This department takes care of the Academies at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs and New London

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 Justice Department of the Interior

The Cabinet

1793 George Washington had the help of three departments: Departments of State (Thomas Jefferson), Treasury (Alexander Hamilton) and War (Henry Knox)

Attorney General Edmund Randolph

The Cabinet

Today there are 15Appointed by the President,

approved by the SenateHeads of departments are

Secretaries, except Department of Justice, Attorney General

Executive Branch Tendencies

United States has a tradition of limited government

U. S. citizens resist taxesLocal and state governments provide

day to day services for citizensExecutive branch different from others

in the world with its separation from the legislative and judicial branches.

Federal Bureaucracy Headed by the President Many department and agencies in the executive

branch form the federal bureaucracy 3 million people work in the bureaucracy: about 2%

of U.S. workforce 7,500 appointed by the President, remainder are civil

service Over 2/3 of federal workers work for two agencies:

the Defense Department and the Postal Service Many rules and regulations “red tape” Subject to in history to the Spoils System President’s power over bureaucracy is limited by

checks and balances in that Congress controls appropriations and size limits influence as well

Interest groups, federal agencies and related congressional committees form the “iron triangle” that influences policies

Current Concerns

War in Iraq and Afghanistan Iran North Korea Health Care Energy Economy/Stimulus Money Housing Nuclear Weapons Relations between Congress and President

are often strained due to political party affiliation