Executive Branch
Chapters 13 - 15
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Chapter 13
Section 1
Article II in the Constitution
President’s Job
– Roles
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Chief of State:
Chief of Executive:
Chief Administrator:
Chief Diplomat:
Commander in Chief:
Chief Legislator:
Party Chief:
Chief Citizen:
• Section 1 Ch. 13 cont.
– Formal Qualifications
• Natural Born Citizen
• 35 years old
• Lived in U.S. for 14 years
– President’s Term
• 4 years : Hamilton – Federalist Papers No. 71 = long
enough to gain experience, demonstrate abilities, and
establish stable policies.
• No term limit until 1951 in the Constitution b/c of
Washington the “no third term tradition” became and
unwritten rule in politics
• 22nd amendment: 2 term limit / 10 year max.
• Section 1 Ch. 13 cont.
– Pay and Benefits of President
• Fixed by Congress now at $400,000 / year
– Initially set at 25,000/year in 1789
• Since 1949: 50,000 expense account per year.
• Each former Pres. – 143,000 / year pension
- First ladies = 20,000 / year
- Other Benefits: White House, air force one, marine one,
yacht, cars, Camp David
- All President’s assets put into a blind trust.
• Ch. 13 Section 2
• Presidential Succession and the V.P.
– 25th Amendment
– Constitution originally did not provide for succession
• 1841: informal amendment to the constitution through
custom (started with John Tyler)
• Line of Succession determined 1-17 by the Presidential
Succession Act of 1947.
• Presidential Disability (25th Amendment)
– V.P. takes over as acting President if…
» President informs Congress in writing
» V.P. and Majority of Cabinet inform Congress in Writing
– President can challenge the process and Congress will have 21
days to decide if he/she is fit to lead.
– Vice President
• “I am Vice President, In this I am nothing but I may be
everything.” John Adams
• Duties:
– “a President-in-waiting”
– Preside over senate
– Help decide Presidential Disability
• 8 Presidents have died in office and 1 forced to resign.
– If V.P. takes over as President they will have to nominate a New
V.P. to be approved by Congress.
• Chapter 14
• Section 1
• Presidential Powers
– Original intention of 1787
– Why have they grown?
• Unity of the President (1 leader always agrees with
himself/herself)
• Pressure from social and economic life of a nation/people
• Emergencies (war, pearl harbor, 9/11)
• Congress: to be efficient it delegated authority to the
President
• Roles: Attract and hold public attention - media
• President’s Executive Power
– Executing the law: use own discretion as to which
laws are executed/enforced vigorously and which
are lesser
– Ordinance Power: directive, rule, regulation with
the force of law
• Not expressly written in Constitution but implied and given
by Congressional Acts that the Executive Order exists.
– Appointing Power: Names top ranking officers in
white house and Judiciary
• President Nominates = senate approves it
– Removal Power
• Can remove an appointed official without approval of
Congress (except a judge!)
• Powers cont.
– Diplomatic Powers
• Make treaties (with congressional approval)
• Executive Agreements
• Recognition of another Country and it’s government
– Military
• President can make undeclared war
• Use forces abroad in combat over 200 times in our
History
• Korea and Vietnam were never technically “war” as
declared by Congress.
WAR POWERS RESOLUTION of 1973
1. -Vetoed by Nixon – overridden by Congress
2. -Within 48 hours of committing troops president
must report to Congress on circumstances
3. -60 limit to use in combat unless otherwise
extended by Congress (+ 30 days to withdraw = 90
days total)
4. -Congress may bring an end to the commitment
by passing a concurrent resolution to do so
• Powers of the President cont.
– Legislative Powers
• Recommend legislation
• Veto Power
– Judicial Powers
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Reprieve
Pardon
Commute (reduce) a sentence
Amnesty
– 1893 Harrison forgave Mormons
– 1977 Carter grants a blanket pardon for Vietnam draft dodgers
Acronyms
How many can you name?
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CIA
FBI
NASA
USPS
DOD
DOT
OMB
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HUD
FEC
FDIC
SEC
FEMA
NSA
FCC
• Chapter 14
• Section 5
• Office of the President and the Cabinet
– E.O.P. : complex of several separate agencies staffed by the
President’s most trusted advisers and assistants
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White House Office
National Security Council (NSC)
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Council of Economic Advisors
Office of Policy Development
Council on Environmental Quality
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Office of Science and Technology
Office of Administration
Cabinet (Advisors as the head / secretary of 15 executive
departments)
• Chapter 15
• Section 1
• Federal Bureaucracy
– What is it?
• 3 principles
– 1. hierarchical authority
– 2. job specialization
– 3. Formal Rules
– Major groups of administrative agencies
• 1. Executive office of the President
• 2. 15 cabinet departments
• 3. large number of independent agencies
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Departments = ex. DOL / DOD
Agency = ex. CIA / NSA
Administration = ex. TSA
Commission = ex. FCC
Bureau = ex. FBI / BMV
• Section 2
– See internet worksheet?
• Section 3 - The Civil Service
– Words to know:
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Spoils systemPatronage –
Pendleton ActRegister –
– Questions to Answer:
• What standard did Washington set for federal
employment?
• What can’t federal employees participate in (types of
activity)?
• What is the goal of Civil Service today?
• How did (why did) Civil Service come to be?