The Executive Branch
This Guy?
What are the roles of the
President?
George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter
Chief of State
The President is the
main symbol of the
United States.
 He is the “first”
citizen.

Chief Executive/Administrator
Head of the
Executive Branch
and all the
departments under
it.
 Manages over 3
million employees
and over $2
TRILLION dollars.

Chief Diplomat

Person most
responsible for
communicating with
other countries, and
making deals with
other countries.
Commander in Chief
The President controls the military.
 He is the boss of the generals.

Chief Legislator
The President
suggests many
bills.
 The President can
Veto bills.
 Sets the shape of
the congressional
agenda

Chief of his/her Party

Leader or
Symbol of party
Qualifications
Must be 35 years of
age by the time he/she
enters office
 Must be a natural born
citizen
 Must have lived in the
U.S. for the last 14
years

The President’s term
Each term is Four (4)
years.
 He can only be
elected Two (2) times.
 He can serve for a
maximum of Ten (10)
years.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
(elected to 4 terms)
 If VP is moved up and
serves less than 730 days
or two years
22nd Amendment (1951)
created the current rules
Presidential Succession
If the President dies…… the
Vice President becomes
President.
 If they both die, the Speaker
of the House gets the job.
 Then… President pro tem of
the Senate.
 Then… cabinet members in
the order their department
was created.

Joe Biden VP
Paul Ryan, WI: Speaker of
the House
Orrin Hatch, UT: President
Pro Tempore Senate
The 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
Pay and Benefits
US Constitution, Article II, Section 1
 The President shall, at stated times,
receive for his services, a
compensation, which shall neither be
increased nor diminished during the
period for which he shall have been
elected, and he shall not receive within
that period any other emolument from
the United States, or any of them.

Pay and Benefits
$400,000 a year, to be paid monthly
 Expense allowance of $50,000

Pay and Benefits …

Official Business

○ Presidents pay for
 Tax payers are
food lodging and
incidental items
○ Tax payers pay for
travel on official
carriers and salaries
of this who travel with
the president
responsible for the
following:
○ Travel for Official
Business
○ Salaries of those who
work for the President
○ Those who maintain
operations in the
White House
○ State Dinners
Vacation Time

Life in the White
House:
○ Personal items paid
for by the first family
Electing the President
ORIGINS OF THE ELECTION

Framers overly concerned with the
process of picking a new President.
 Two most obvious ways to pick a President:
○ 1.) Congress
○ 2.) Direct Vote
What is wrong with these selections?
First Electoral College

Plan put forth by Alexander Hamilton:
 President / Vice President to be chose by
Presidential Electors.
 Each elector gets two votes:
○ Candidate with the most votes becomes
President,
○ Candidate with the second most votes
becomes Vice President
○ Regardless of party.
Hits and Misses

Election of 1796:
 John Adams: Federalist Candidate
 Thomas Jefferson: Democratic-Republican
 THEY HATE EACH OTHER
 Jefferson loses by 3 votes (original electoral
college)
 Adams becomes President Jefferson Vice
President.
Hits and Misses

Election of 1800
 Jefferson and Adams had created two well
defined Parties by this point
 Tie in the election eventually won by
Jefferson
 CREATED:
○ Party nominations
○ Electoral college members will vote based on
their party’s presidential ticket
○ Electors no longer acting as free agents
12th Amendment

Added to the constitution in 1804
 “The Electors… shall name in their ballots
the person voted for as President, and in
distinct ballots the person voted for as VicePresident…”
Electing the President
Step #1 – “Be Somebody”

ALL Presidents were either:
 Members of the House or Senate
 Governors of States
 Military Generals
 Vice-Presidents

Presidential candidates are usually
influential people within their party.
Step #2 – Win the Primary
Each party holds a
Primary Election
months before the
election (some states
hold caucuses).
 The candidate who
wins the most votes
represents the party in
the general election.

Step #3 – Win the General
Election
Held the first Tuesday
in November, every
four years.
 The candidate who
wins over half of the
Electoral College votes
wins the election.

The Electoral College
Based on population, each state has a
certain number of “Electors.”
 Whoever wins the most votes in a state
gets ALL of the Electors’ votes.

 What are the exceptions?
○ Nebraska & Main
Electors cast their votes after the
General Election.
 Winning candidates must have over
half of the votes.

The Popular Vote
The sum of
each individual
vote (yours and
mine).
 It maters within
the state, but
NOT nationally.

Can a candidate win the popular vote but
lose the election?
When does Congress Step In?

If no candidate gets over half of the
electoral votes… The House of
Representatives votes to decide who
becomes President.
Executive Departments
Department Heads
There are 15 different
executive departments
that the President
supervises.
 The leaders of the
departments are given
the title “Secretary.”
 The secretaries are the
president’s “Cabinet.”

•State Department
•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
State Department

Takes care of
relationships with
foreign countries.
 Meets with leaders of
other countries.
 Negotiates treaties.
 Supervises
Embassies and other
diplomats.
Department of Treasury
Regulates the
nation’s banking
systems.
 Prints money.

Defense Department

Supervises the
Military and
defense industries.
Department of Justice
Supervises
FEDERAL law
enforcement
agencies and
attorneys.
 Secretary is called
the Attorney
General.

Department of the Interior

Manages the country’s
natural resources.
Department of Commerce

Regulates businesses
and financial markets.
Department of
Homeland Security
Coordinates information
form FBI, CIA, NSA,
military and local law
enforcement agencies.
 Created after 9/11

Executive Powers
Article II

This part of the
Constitution creates
the executive branch
and establishes its
powers.
 Over time powers have
expanded and have
been approved by the
Supreme Court.
Makes the Federal Budget

Oversees the Office of
Management and
Budget, which plans
out how much the will
be spent and what it
will be spent on.
 Congress has to
approve all taxes and
spending.
Military Powers
The president is Commander in Chief
 He can send troops to war (for 60 days
without Congress approval).
 Can call the National Guard into action

 On American Soil

Is the only person who can authorize
nuclear weapons.
Kent State (1970)
LA Riots (1992)
Appointments
Judges
 Cabinet Members
 6,000 other
positions

You’re Hired!
Power of Clemency

The president can:
 Pardon – forgive people
for crimes (set them free)
 Commute – reduce the
sentences of criminals
 Give Amnesty – pardon
whole groups of people.
Executive Agreements

The president can
make deal with
other countries
(without Congress
approval).
Emergency Powers
Can send troops /
agencies to deal
with disasters.
 In times of war
can declare
martial law,
suspend rights,
etc.

Executive Privilege

The right to keep
information from
the public – if it is
in the interest of
national security.
Legislative Powers

Can Veto laws
passed by
Congress.