The Executive Branch
Electoral College
The Process of electing a President
by a vote in Congress and election
of the President by a popular vote
of “qualified citizens”
Qualified citizens= 535 members of Congress and
3 members from District of Columbia
MAGIC NUMBER TO BECOME PRESIDENT: 270 Electoral
College votes!
FUN FACT OF THE DAY: In reality your direct vote for
president does not count
Term & Salary:
•Four Year Term
•2 term limit (22nd amendment)
•10 Year Maximum (those who take over
presidency and then run 2x)
•FDR: elected to 4 terms(1933-45) limits were
set by the 22nd Amendment (1951)
•Salary:
•1789: $25,000/year
•2001: $400, 000 /year
Job Description:
The Responsibility of the Executive Branch is to
ENFORCE LAWS
Job Description:
8 Duties:
1. Chief of State: ceremonial duties
2. Chief Executive: head of fed offices and agencies
that see Congress’ laws are carried out
3. Chief Administrator: Boss of Department
Secretaries
4. Chief Diplomat: directs foreign policy
5. Commander in Chief: control of armed forces
6. Chief Legislator: proposes new laws
7. Chief of Party: patronage
8. Economic Planner: requests federal budget
The President’s Executive Powers
• Ordinance Power
(Executive Orders)
• Appointment Power
• Removal Power
• Diplomatic/Military
Powers
• Legislative Powers
• Judicial Powers
The Ordinance Power
• President has the power to issue
executive orders, which are rules,
directives or regulations that have
the effect of law.
• The President can issue these orders
to any office of the Executive Branch
• The President does this to enforce
acts or regulations of Congress.
The Appointment Power
• With consent of the Senate, the
President appoints most of the topranking officers of the Federal Gov’t.
• Ambassadors and diplomats
• Cabinet members (Secretary of Education, State,
Labor etc.) and top aides
• Heads of agencies (EPA, NASA,)
• Federal judges, U.S. marshals
• Officers in armed forces
Who has Obama appointed?
The power
to appoint
is an
Executive
Power
The Removal Power
• Pres. doesn’t need reason to
remove an official
• Senate consent needed for
appointment…is it needed for
removal???
• Answer: NO!!! (Ruled in 1789
Congress debate)
• Solution to removal issues:
“resignation”
Diplomatic/Military Powers
• Make treaties
• Executive
Agreements
• Recognition
Power
• Make Undeclared
War (War
Powers
Resolution)
Legislative Powers of President
• Recommend
Legislation
• Veto Power
• Veto: Refusal to sign a
bill into law
Judicial Powers of President
• Grant pardons
• Commute
sentences
• Grant amnesty
The President’s Cabinet
• Purpose: to advise
the President on any
subject he may
require relating to
the duties of their
respective offices.
• Creation: Pres.
George Washington
The President’s Cabinet:
• The Constitution does not directly
mention a "Cabinet," but the
Constitutional authority for a Cabinet is
found in Article II, Section 2.
• The Constitution states that the
President "may require the opinion, in
writing of the principle officer in each of
the executive departments, upon any
subject relating to the duties of their
respective offices."
Order of Succession:
• Vice President
• Speaker of the House
• President Pro Tempore of the
Senate
• Secretary of State
• And each department of state that
follows in order of oldest to
newest
The Vice President:
Role of the Vice President
• 2 Formal Duties:
• To Preside over the Senate
• To help decide question of presidential disability
“only a heartbeat away from the presidency!”
• Recently role has been reinvented
• Dick Cheney (Bush) – seen as most influential
VP ever
• Joe Biden (Obama) – Served 36 years in
Senate, Chair of Foreign Relations Committee
• When VP is vacant – president may nominate
replacement – needs approval by majority vote of
BOTH Houses of Congress