THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
US Government
Introductory Question


With a partner, make a list of what you believe the
position of the President of the United States
actually does.
In other words, make a job description for the
POTUS.
The President of the United States
Presidential Qualifications

Native-born U.S. Citizen
 Naturalized
citizens can be in Congress
but not become president


At least 35 years of age
Been a resident of the United States
for at least 14 years
Questions to Consider:
What was the “birther” argument surrounding President Obama?
Can Ted Cruz (born in Canada) run for President?
Terms


President has 4 year terms
Constitution had no term limit, but Washington set
precedent after refusing a third term
 Broken
by FDR in 1940
 FDR served 4 terms

22nd Amendment: Term Limit of Two Terms
Presidential Salary
What do you think the President of the United
States is worth? Why?
Remember: As of 2012, the base salary of US Congressional members is $174,000 per
year, plus benefits
Salary

$400,000 per year

$50,000 expense account

$100,000 travel account


$19,000 entertainment
account
Gets salary of cabinet
member once leaving
office (about $191,000)
Are these fair
amounts?
WHY?
Presidential Powers
Founding Fathers and the Presidency

Remember the founders feared too much power,
thus we created the checks and balance system
even on our head of state.
Party Leader

Help party members win elections or appointed to
office

Campaigning for supporters

Work with party

Be active figure advocating ideas of your party
Can you think of examples of how the president does this?
Chief Legislator

President can share thoughts on laws and propose
ideas
Can you think of any examples of how the president
shares his ideas on legislation?
What are some examples of legislation the president
played a role in?
Role in Legislature

State of the Union Address
 Given
in late January/early February in House of
Representatives
 Outlines programs and policies the president would like
Congress to enact
 Normally addresses the biggest concerns of the times
Role in Legislature (continued)

Creating a budget
 President
sends budget to Congress about raising and
spending money, as well as makes recommendations for
programs and laws for the economy
 Congress considers this when creating the budget the
president needs to sign off on

Presidential Vetoes

Influencing Public Opinion on Laws
Examples of Presidential Vetoes




George W. Bush vetoed a
Stem Cell Research bill
George H. W. Bush vetoed
an act to make Dry
Tortugasa a national park
in Florida
Jimmy Carter vetoed a bill
to reduce federal
firefighters' work week
FDR vetoed more bills than
any other president
Commander-in-Chief


President can give orders to all military leaders
Not required to have military background to be
president
Are there any positives or negatives to an elected
official running the military?
Commander in Chief


Simplified: All military officers answer to the president
and president has final say in how war shall be fought
Checks and balances: Only Congress can declare war
 President
can still send forces to any part of world where
US interests are threatened without Congressional approval
 However, War Powers Resolution declared all troops must
be recalled by 60 days unless Congress permits extra stay
Chief of State


Represent the US at public events
Promote American ideas and values or
acknowledging others who do the same
Can you think of any ways in which the
president represents us?
Chief Executive

Enforce laws of the country

Administer domestic and international policies

Give executive orders
Can you think of any ways in which the president
carries out this role?
Chief Diplomat

Interact with foreign leaders and set foreign policy
Can you think of any examples of the president
working with foreign leaders?
Which countries does the president tend to meet with?
Number of visits
Country
1 visit
Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa
Rica, Egypt, El
Salvador, Estonia, Ghana, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, J
ordan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippi
nes,Portugal, Senegal, Singapore, Sweden, Tanz
ania, Thailand, Trinidad and
Tobago, Turkey, West Bank
2 visits
Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech
Republic, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Italy, Myan
mar (Burma), Poland, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, Vatican City
3 visits
Germany, Japan
4 visits
Afghanistan, South Korea, United Kingdom
5 visits
France, Mexico
Other Presidential Powers




Appoint Supreme Court justices (Senate approval)
Reprieve: postpones carrying out a person’s sentence,
often with a view to a pardon or other review of the
sentence
Pardon: forgives a person for his or her crime and
eliminates the punishment
Commutation: reduce a person’s sentence
Reprieves and Pardons



While a presidential pardon will restore various rights
lost as a result of the pardoned, it will not erase or
expunge the record of that conviction
He/she must still disclose their conviction on any form
where such information is required, although they may
also disclose the fact that they received a pardon
Famous example: Thanksgiving turkey is allowed to live
out life on a farm
Reprieves and Pardons
Gerald Ford
Richard Nixon– Granted a full and unconditional pardon just before he could be indicted.
Vietnam draft dodgers– Ford offered conditional amnesty to over 50,000 draft dodgers.
Ronald Reagan
W. Mark Felt and Edward S. Miller – FBI officials convicted of authorizing illegal break-ins. Mark
Felt later in life admitted to being Deep Throat, the informant during the Watergate affair.
George Steinbrenner– Was convicted of illegal Nixon campaign contributions and obstruction of
justice; pardoned
Bill Clinton
Roger Clinton, Jr. – brother of Bill Clinton. After serving a year in federal prison for cocaine
possession.
Almon Glenn Braswell– convicted of mail fraud and perjury; pardoned
Patty Hearst– Bank robbery. Prison term commuted by Jimmy Carter. She was released from
prison in 1979. She was fully pardoned by Clinton in 2001.
Brainstorm

What happens if the POTUS dies?


Read through the descriptions of the different
cabinet positions
Rank them in importance
 What
should be the order of succession?
 Which departments are most important?
 Include the cabinet posts, Speaker of House, and
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
The Line of Presidential Succession
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Vice President
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
President Pro Tempore of
the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General (Justice)
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
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
DO YOU THINK THIS ORDER SHOULD BE CHANGED IN ANY WAY? IF SO, HOW?
Vice President  Speaker of the House 
Joe Biden
John Boehner
President Pro Tempore  Secretary of
State
Orrin Hatch (newly elected,
Rep.)
John Kerry
Secretary of the Treasury  Secretary of
Defense 
Jacob Lew
Ashton Carter- newly
nominated to replace Chuck
Hagel
Attorney General 
Eric Holder
Presidential Perks
“THE BEAST”
Other Perks

Staff Appointments

Image of the Free World

Most Recognized Person in the World
“It’s Good to be President”



Make a list of 5 interesting facts you gather from
watching the film
This is due at the end of the period
Be descriptive…make sure to include why you find
each fact interesting
Executive Departments
Presidential Advisers and Aides

Executive Office covers a lot of areas

Need for specialists in each field
 Example:

National Security Council
White House Office
 President’s
closest personal/political advisers and a
press secretary
 Other jobs include researchers, secretaries, speech
writers, etc.
Change over time

Washington’s Executive Branch
5

Departments (Cabinet)
Today’s Executive Branch
 15
Departments (Cabinet)
 Each has distinct responsibilities
 Presidential Appointees (Senate must approve by
majority vote)
WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVE ADDED 10 CABINET DEPARTMENTS?
Cabinet Overview
Department of State—Key Terms





Main function is to regulate Foreign Policy
Ambassadors: Highest ranking US representatives in
foreign nations
Embassy: Official residence and offices of ambassadors in
foreign countries
Consul: Represents US commercial interests in foreign
nations
Consulate: Consul’s office, normally found in large cities
Department of State’s Domestic Role



Since it deals with international affairs, the state
department keeps track of international travel
Passports: formal documents that allow US citizens
to travel abroad
Visas: Allow foreigners to come to the United States
DO YOU THINK THE UNITED STATES NEEDS STRICTER CONTROLS ON TRAVEL?
Department of Defense

Runs armed forces and military bases globally
Military endeavors
 Peacekeeping missions
 Relief efforts--overseas


Secretary of Defense is always a civilian to ensure
nonmilitary control over the armed forces


Secretary’s assistants are military officers
Joint Chiefs of Staff: highest-ranking military officers of
each of the armed forces

They advise the president on military action
DO YOU THINK THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SHOULD HAVE A MILITARY BACKGROUND?
Other Cabinet Posts

Homeland Security
Created after 9/11
 Primary goal: prevent terrorist attacks within the US
 Other roles: Federal assistance with natural disasters;
Immigration


Treasury


Manages federal finances; collects taxes; produces postage
stamps, currency, and coins; investigates and prosecutes tax
evaders, counterfeiters, and forgers
Justice

Enforces the laws of the United States and ensures safety
against both foreign and domestic threats
Foreign Policy
International Relations



Foreign Policy is the government’s plan
for interacting with the other countries
of the world
Importance: we live in an interdependent world
where US actions impact the rest of the world and
vice versa
Friendly relations key, but must not compromise
national security
Foreign Policy

President meets with leaders
around the globe
 In

US, in foreign nations, in neutral sites
Diplomacy: Art of interacting with foreign governments
 Can

build friendships, help security, promote US interests
Make treaties (written agreements) with foreign nations
 Must
be made with advice of Senate
 Must be approved by Senate
Review/Brainstorm





Review
What are the qualifications to become president?
What is the presidential salary?
What is the presidential line of succession?
Brainstorm
What are some perks to being the POTUS?
What is the role of the president?
Everyone knows the POTUS…what
about these other influential people?
The Vice President
Responsibilities

Serve as president if president is unable to fulfill duties

Must meet same requirements as president

Preside over the Senate
May not participate in debates
 Does not get a vote unless there is a tie


Other roles given by president: represent US overseas,
policy decisions, gathering support
Salary

$208,100 per year
Independent Agencies &
Regulatory Commissions
Independent Agencies



Executive Branch covers many areas, including some
outside of the cabinet posts
Each commission was created by Congress to
perform a specialized job
Examples: NASA, US Commission on Civil Rights,
CIA, EPA, Office of Personnel Management, etc.
WHY ARE INDEPENDENT AGENCIES IMPORTANT IN THE UNITED STATES?
Regulatory Commissions


Special type of independent agency that has the
power to make rules and bring violators to court
Established because of a perceived need
 Example:
Government monitoring of elections needed
so Congress creates Federal Election Commission (FEC)
HOW ARE REGULATORY COMMISSIONS DIFFERENT FROM GENERAL INDEP. AGENCIES?
WHAT IS A PERCEIVED RISK (AND COMMON CRITICISM) OF REGULATORY COMMISSIONS?
BRAINSTORM: CAN YOU THINK OF ANY EXAMPLES OF REG. COMMISSIONS IN YOUR LIFE?
More Examples: News & Last Year

Consumer Product Safety Commission
Sets and enforces standards for products and conducts
safety research
 Can recall goods


Securities and Exchange Commission


Enforces laws regulating buying and selling of stocks and
bonds
National Labor Relations Board

Enforces federal labor laws and prevents unfair labor
practices
Regulatory Commissions (continued)

Heads of commissions are appointed by president
 Congress
feared presidential influence of commissions
 As a result, president only appoints a few commission
leaders and Senate must approve all appointments

Commissions run themselves for most part and have
a lot of freedom and power
 Supporters:
Public protection and focused on certain
areas
 Opponents: Over-regulation and interference in lives
DO YOU THINK REGULATORY COMMISSIONS ARE GOOD OR BAD FOR THE PUBLIC?
Homework: Current Event

Your job for tonight is to find a current event that
includes an independent agency or a regulatory
commission playing a role in the lives of the
American public.
The Federal Reserve




Conduct the nation's
monetary policy
Supervise and regulate
banking institutions
Maintain the stability of
the financial system
Provide financial
services institutions both
domestically and
internationally



Maintain employment in
the United States
Keep prices stable
Control interest rates
through monetary policy
Federal Bureaucracy

Employees of agencies, commissions, and executive
departments make up the federal bureaucracy


Consists of almost 3 million workers
People often believe regulations are confusing and that
there are too many departments involved in the same
areas
Red tape: Symbol for government paperwork and working
through the levels of bureaucracy
 Other people say that the complexity of our modern society
requires many layers of oversight and management

Discussion Questions



Is the United States government too big? Why/why
not?
Do you believe bureaucracy is a good or bad thing
for the people of the United States? Why/why not?
Are government agencies and regulatory
commissions necessary for the US to function?