THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
OPENING DISCUSSION
• What do you remember about the 2008 presidential election?
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What techniques did President Obama use to capture the
attention of the younger generation?
• (e.g., online presence, Skype, social media such as Facebook and
Twitter, etc.)
• What were the conditions that made “middle America,”
typically a very conservative group, vote for Obama?
• (e.g., discontent over the war in Iraq, impending economic crisis)
• How do we “turn over the reins” of government to a new
administration?
• In this lesson, we are going to look more closely at the
election of the head of the Executive Branch of the United
States government, the president.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CARDS
• In your table groups, work to put your cards in order
• You will be given the answer after a few minutes!
Just take your best guess.
DISCUSSION
• Why should we take so long to select the President
of the United States?
• Is the process too complicated?
• Is there a good reason for all the steps?
• What does having such a long and involved
process accomplish?
VOCABULARY ASSIGNMENT
• Each group will get one of the following vocabulary
words:
• primary, caucus, convention, nomination, debate, election,
electoral college, inauguration
• With your large post-it note, you will create a Frayer
model for your word
• You will present your word to the class
VOCABULARY TO KNOW
• Primary: A preliminary election in which voters of each
party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc.
• Caucus: A meeting of party leaders to select candidates,
elect convention delegates, etc.
• Convention: A representative party assembly to nominate
candidates and adopt platforms and party rules.
• Nomination: An act or instance of nominating, especially
to office
• Debate: A discussion, as of a public question in an
assembly, involving opposing viewpoints
• Election: The selection of a person or persons for office by
vote
• Electoral college: A body of electors chosen by the voters
in each state to elect the President and vice President of
the U.S.
• Inauguration: The ceremony to place in office formally
MAPPING THE PRIMARIES
• This is homework!
• Bring it to class first thing tomorrow!
QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESIDENT
• In pairs, look in Article II Section 1 Article 5 of the Constitution
about the Executive Branch
• Write these qualifications down
• Answer the following questions:
• Are these qualifications enough to determine who should be
president?
• What qualifications do you think should be added?
• Are the qualifications written in 1789 still valid today?
• Why do you think the founding fathers had so few
qualifications?
• What qualifications would you add to your personal list of
qualifications?
• Should the Constitution be amended to add or change any of
the current qualifications? Why? Why not?
QUALIFICATIONS QUIZ
• No Notes!
• 3 qualifications (in addition to the constitutional
ones) you would look for in a candidate for
president
• 2 characteristics you would look for in a candidate
for president
• 1 characteristic or qualification you feel is not
important
LEARNING ABOUT PRESIDENTS
• Using the graphic organizer, choose one of the
presidents from the profiles given
• Complete the worksheet about that president.
Make sure to rank his presidency 1-5.
WHAT DOES THE PRESIDENT DO ALL
DAY?
• Take about 5 minutes and make a list of what you
think the president does on a daily basis
• How does your schedule compare with the one I
just gave you?
PRESIDENTIAL SCHEDULES
• http://www.trumanlibrary.org/calendar/index.html
• http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/
diary/diarycol.asp
PRESIDENTS AND POWERS
• On your first ladder diagram, put the President of
the United States on the top rung
• Look at the president’s powers in Article II of the
Constitution. List them one power on each rung
leading up to the president
• On the second ladder, put President of the United
States on the bottom rung
• Using Article II and Article I Section 8 Clause 11, list
the checks on the power of the president working
up.
DISCUSSION
• Why do you feel the Founding Fathers put so much effort
into clearly defining the power of the president?
• How can the other two branches check the power of the
president acting in one of his/her constitutional roles?
• Are there any times when you feel the president should
not be restricted by the checks on his/her power? Justify
your response.
• How effective is the checks and balances system in
controlling the power of the president?
CAN THEY DO THAT?
• What are 3 different powers of the President?
• Do not just put Yes or No on your worksheet. You
must cite where in the Constitution supports your
answer
• All answers are in either Article I or Article II.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLtiw_x-Ik8
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND
AGENCIES
• Article II, Section 2 “He {the President} may require
the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in
each of the executive Departments, upon any
subject relating to the Duties of their respective
Offices…”
• How many cabinet positions do you think
Washington had? What type of positions do you
think he had?
WASHINGTON’S CABINET
Secretary of State
Thomas Jefferson, 1789
Edmund Randolph, 1794
Timothy Pickering, 1795
Secretary of Treasury
Alexander Hamilton, 1789
Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 1795
Secretary of War
Henry Knox, 1789
Timothy Pickering, 1795
James McHenry, 1796
Attorney General (Justice
Department)
Edmund Randolph, 1789
William Bradford, 1794
Charles Lee, 1795
ASSIGNMENT
• Answer on a separate sheet of paper:
• What factors explain the growth in the federal
bureaucracy from just a little over 2000 employees
to over 3 million employees since the creation of
the executive branch by the Constitution?
• What kinds of problems does the nation face today
for which the president might need advice?
25TH AMENDMENT
• Look over the 25th amendment
• On a separate sheet of paper, answer the
following:
• What happens if something occurs that prevents the
President from carrying out his duties?
• What happens if a president cannot perform his duties
temporarily or permanently? How might a President return
to performing his duties?
SOME SIGNIFICANT PRESIDENTS
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George Washington
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First President
Two terms, stepped down
Created Cabinet
Neutrality Proclamation
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Third President
Author of Declaration of Independence
Formed Democratic-Republican Party
Served two terms
Encouraged Westward expansion with Louisiana Purchase in 1803, nearly doubling the size of the US
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7th President
War of 1812 fended off British in Battle of New Orleans
Powerful presidency
Popular support known as Jacksonian Democracy
Appointed allies to government positions (“spoils system”
Vetoed more bills than previous presidents combined
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16th President
Preserved US in Civil War
Gettysburg address called for national unity
13th amendment (banned slavery)
1st Republican President
Thomas Jefferson
Andrew Jackson
Abraham Lincoln
SOME SIGNIFICANT PRESIDENTS
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Theodore Roosevelt
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26th President
Leader of “Rough Riders” in Spanish-American War
Governor of New York
McKinley’s vice president, McKinley assassinated in 1901 and became President. Re-elected in 1904
Supported expansionism, powerful navy, and central American canal (Panama Canal)
US became police of western hemisphere
Big business trust violations, Pure Food and Drug Act, created national parks
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32nd President
Elected in 1932 with Great Depression
New Deal and first 100 Days
Growing executive power
Four terms as president (more than any other)
22nd amendment adopted in 1951 limits presidents to two terms (called Anti-Franklin Roosevelt amendment)
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40th President
Sweeping political and economic initiatives
Reagonimics
Called Soviet Union “evil empire”
Massive military building
Decreased US and USSR’s nuclear arsenals
Franklin Roosevelt (FDR)
Ronald Reagan
IMPORTANT GLOBAL AREAS TO US
• Cuba – communist country located 90 miles from United States;
strategically important for foreign policy because the United States
opposes its communist system and human rights violations; strategically
important geographically because it sits at the “entrance” to the Gulf of
Mexico. Historical relationship with Cuba through the Spanish-American
War, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Guantanamo Bay
• Taiwan – strategic in U.S. relations with China; United States recognized its
opposition to communism, and supports Taiwan militarily; geographically,
the “gateway” to China.
• Southwest Asia – strategic in U.S. relations because of its huge deposits of
oil; Southwest Asia is consider to have one fourth of the oil in the world,
much of which is exported to the United States. Political implications and
involvements are vast, from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait, to Iran and Iraq. In
turn the region imports U.S. consumer goods (and cultural influences).
HOW US FOREIGN POLICY AFFECTS
DIFFERENT PLACES
• Isolates some regions, such as Iran and Cuba
• Assists in the economic development of some
regions, such as many of the nations in sub-Saharan
Africa, and Mexico
• Rebuilds following wars in some regions, such as
Afghanistan and Iraq
• Fosters peace negotiations in some regions, such as
between Israel and Palestine
• Additional topics may be added depending on
current events.
HOW US GOVERNMENT USES
ECONOMIC RESOURCES FOREIGN
COUNTRIES
• Foreign Aid – accounts for approximately one percent of the
United States budget; aid is given to countries such as Mexico,
Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan to promote peace, security,
economic development, human rights, and provide for health
and educational services
• Sale of weapons – done to support foreign allies such as Israel
• Free Trade Agreements – promotes economic development,
examples include North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and the United States- Australian Free Trade
Agreement along with many others
• Boycott/Sanctions – are intended to bring about political
changed in countries that have strained diplomatic relations
with the United States, including Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea,
and Russia
ROLE OF EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN
SETTING INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND
FISCAL POLICIES
• International Trade Policies
• The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
was created by Congress and operates as part of the
Executive Branch. The USTR has the responsibility of
development and implementation of U.S. trade policy,
including coordinating with Congress on pending legislation
and testimony.
• Trade agreements must be approved by Congress.
• Fiscal Policies
• The Executive Branch submits a budget from the President
to Congress. Congress through a series of hearing created a
budget resolution, which unlike an ordinary bill does not go
to the President for a signature or veto.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
PRESIDENT
• Responsibilities for domestic policy
• Executive Branch - propose laws, “bully pulpit”, or use
position of the Presidency to advocate for a policy, issue
executive orders to carry out policies
• Responsibilities for foreign policy
• Executive Branch - establish foreign policy, negotiate
treaties, represents US to foreign nations, commander in
chief of the armed forces, grant recognition to foreign
governments, nominate ambassadors, receive foreign
ambassadors, make executive agreements to carry out
foreign policy.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• You will be put into groups of 3-4 and given For the
“President’s Eyes Only”
• You will be using this to help organize your ideas
• Each group will be given a different scenario. These
were actual problems encountered by past
presidents
• Use the Decision Making Spectrum for ideas to solve
it, but you are not limited to those actions
• You will give 3 alternatives to each crisis and 3 pros
and 3 cons for each alternative.
• Each group will present to the class their scenario
and the option they chose to solve it.
REVIEW
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What are some presidential powers?
What are some checks on presidential power?
What is the role of cabinets?
What are some examples of the cabinet
departments?
ASSIGNMENT
• Both Cabinet Department Scenarios and What
Should the President Do? Are due tomorrow when
you walk in.
• You have today to complete both in your table
groups; synergize and make good use of your time!