the executive branch. the president of the united states (potus)

The Executive BranchThe Executive Branch

The President of the The President of the United StatesUnited States

(POTUS)

From our first President to the most recent, the United States has had a wide array of men leading our country.

George Washington (1) Barack Obama (44)

We’ve had intellectuals…

…and Rednecks.

John Adams (2)

Andrew Jackson (7)

We’ve had rich men…

…and poor.

John F. Kennedy (35)

Abraham Lincoln (16)

We’ve had a whole line of Generals.

Taylor (12), Pierce (14), A. Johnson (17)

Arthur (21), B. Harrison (23), Eisenhower (34)

Washington (1), Jackson (7), Wm. H. Harrison (9)

Grant (18), Hayes (19), Garfield (20)

Eight Presidents have died in office.

Four of them were assassinated.

Wm. H. Harrison (9), Taylor (12), Harding (29), F. D. Roosevelt (32)

Lincoln (16), Garfield (20), McKinley (24), Kennedy (35)

One President got married in the White House.

Cleveland (21 and 23) – He was the only President to win two separated terms in office.

Another one never married.

James Buchanan (15)

And we’ve had Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Barack Obama (44)

Teddy Roosevelt (25)

Woodrow Wilson (28)

Jimmy Carter (39)

…and we’ve had Presidents Impeached.

Andrew Johnson (17) Bill Clinton (42)

One President even resigned amidst scandal.

Nixon (37)

Qualifications for Office(from Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution)

(Same requirements for V.P.)

35 years old minimum age

Must have been born in the U.S.

U.S. Citizen

Live in the U.S. for last 14 years

4 year term (President Limited to 2 terms in office, plus a maximum of 2 more years if he assumed the Presidency as Vice-President due to Presidential death, disability, or resignation.) 10 years max

Unofficial Requirements:

- male (no female presidents to date)

- white (only one of a racial minority to date)

- have previous political office (Most candidates have

been former Governors or Senators.)

- Christian (all have been some form of Christianity)

- Access to a lot of money (even if they aren’t personally wealthy themselves)

Salary and Benefits:

$400,000 per year salary (Vice President makes $208,000/year)

$50,000 in non-taxable travel, entertainment, and other official expenses

Use of limousines, airplanes (including Air Force One), helicopters, bodyguards

Free medical and dental care

Household staff of over 80 people

Retirement pension of $148,400 per year

After retirement: Free office space, $96,000 for office help, free mailing service, bodyguards (though fewer than while in office)

(Side note: there has never been an attempt to assassinate or kidnap a retired U.S. President to date)

President’s widow gets $20,000 per year in life insurance benefits

Free housing including private movie theatre, bowling alley, tennis court, swimming pool, 132 rooms

The White House

Duties of the President

Commander-in-Chief

- in charge of military

•When the president acts in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief he is a civilian, not a soldier

Head of State

- grants pardons, amnesty, and reprieves

- gives State of the Union “from time to time”

- Ceremonial head of country

Head of Government

- appoints judges (Senate must approve all appointments)

- appoints people to lead government agencies and departments (Senate must approve all appointments)

- official leader of our government

-see’s that nations laws are carried out

Party Leader

- head of his political party

Chief Diplomat - makes treaties with other nations’ governments

- makes executive agreements with leaders of other countries

- picks Ambassadors (Senate confirms appointments)

- determines foreign policy

Chief Economic Planner

- creates the national budget

Chief Legislator

- suggests bills Congress should introduce

- signs bills into law

- vetoes bills

Executive Order v. Law

Executive Agreement v. Treaty

Executive Order – President may give orders to anyone in the Executive Branch. It does NOT require Congress to approve or pass. It’s a rule, issued by the President, that has the force of law

Law – Must be passed by both houses of Congress, but can affect the whole country and apply to everyone.

Executive Agreement – President may make deals concerning only Executive Branch agencies and personnel with the leader of another government. It does NOT require the Senate’s consent or approval.

Treaty – An agreement made between our country and another. It affects more than the Executive Branch and does require the Senate’s approval (2/3 vote)

Mandate- orders from one party to another; or- the expressed will of the people

Executive Privilege- President does not have to share information (e-mail, letters, phone conversations, or testimony) with Congress

- President immune to arrest or lawsuit while in office

- How might a President potentially abuse this privilege?

The Vice-PresidentReplaces the President in case of vacancy

President of the Senate (breaks tie votes only)

Advisor (cabinet member) to the President

Often selected to “balance the ticket” for a Presidential election

Joe Biden Dick Cheney

•A vacancy in the Vice Presidency can be filled by the President nominating someone, then confirmed by a majority vote in both the house and senate

The First Lady(No official job title)

Michelle Obama

The Doomsday PlanThe Doomsday Plan

In case of disaster, our Government will go on…In case of disaster, our Government will go on…

- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)- Strategic Petroleum Reserve- Stockpiled Food- Portable Shelters- Nuclear Triad- Airborne Command Posts, Hardened Bunkers- Evacuation plans, Disaster Training- Entire government never together at any one time

Additional Doomsday Plans include:

The Federal Bureaucracy

Bureaucrat One of the vast millions of people who work for the Executive Branch

Spoils System (1789-1883)- Andrew Jackson: “To the victor go the spoils of

war”- President picks his followers to fill government jobs

Pendleton Act 1883 –Gov’t jobs should be rewarded based on merit

-President Chester Arthur creates due to assassination of President Garfield - Creates the Civil Service System - Government workers must apply competitively for jobs

Hatch Act 1933- Keeps Civil Service System politically neutral- Government employees may not discuss or promote politics on the job

Order of Presidential SuccessionEst. by the 25th amendment in 1967

(List is located on page 359 of your textbook)

Presidential succession defines who may become or act as President of the United States upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a president-elect.

Four types of Executive Offices

1. Executive Departments

- Lead by Cabinet Level Department Secretary

Department of State- Handles relations with foreign governments- Staffs Embassies around the world

- A U.S. Embassy is the official residence of a U.S. Ambassador in a foreign country and is considered sovereign U.S. territory- U.S. Embassies are guarded by the U.S. Marine Corps

Secretary of State - Hillary Clinton

Department of the Treasury- Prints Money-Operates the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who collect taxes

Tim GeithnerSecretary of the Treasury

Department of Defense

- In charge of the Army, Navy and Marines, and Air Force,and in time of war, the Coast Guard- Each Service Branch has its own Department under the DoD, except the Marine Corps, which is part of the Navy Department

Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta

Department of Justice

- Only Department to be lead by someone other than a Department Secretary. Head of Justice Department is called the Attorney-General, not “Secretary of Justice.”- Operates Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF-E), U.S. Marshall Service

Attorney General- Eric Holder

Department of the Interior

- Responsible for management of our natural resources- Operates many government agencies including:

- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)- National Park Service- Bureau of Land Management (BLM)- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

Department of Agriculture

- Protects the nation’s food supply- Assists farmers- Administers school lunch program

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Department of Commerce

- Regulates business and trade

- Administers NOAA, National Institute for Standards and Technology, Patent and Trademark Office

Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank

Department of Labor

- Regulate and track the nation’s workforce- Enforces minimum wage laws- Operates the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

Department of Health and Human Services

- Helps protect nation’s health- Operates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC-P), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of the Surgeon General, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

- Assists people in affording housing

HUD SecretaryShaun Donovan

Department of Transportation

- Regulate our transportation system (airports, harbors, highways, railways)- Operates the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Maritime Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Department of Energy-Protects and regulates nation’s energy supply-Operates the Atomic Energy Commission

Secretary of EducationArne Duncan

Department of Education

- Regulates our nation’s schools

Secretary of Veterans AffairsRetired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki

Department of Veterans Affairs

- Cares for our country’s veterans, administers veterans’ health care and death benefits

Secretary of Homeland SecurityJanet Napolitano

Department of Homeland Security

- Protects the nation against disaster or attack- Administers the U.S. Coast Guard during peacetime, FEMA, and coordinates intelligence information between the CIA, FBI, DIA, and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies-Operates the Secret Service to bust counterfeiters and guard the President- Regulates immigration through the Immigration Customs Enforcement Service (ICE)

2. Independent Agencies

These are government agencies that are not controlled by any specific Executive Department and report directly to the President.

They include the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Social Security Administration.

3. Government Corporations

These are companies owned and operated entirely by the U.S. Government.

They include the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the United States Postal Service (USPS).

4. Regulatory Commissions

Government Agencies designed to regulate various aspects of American life, public safety, and business

They include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

White House Chief of StaffBill Daley

highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.

Electing the President

• The Electoral College actually elects the President and V.P., not the public.

• On Election Day in November, the public decides who their electors will be.

• In December, those electors will then vote for the President and Vice President.

Electoral College formula

# of house of representatives + 2 senators = # of electoral votes

2008 Electoral Map ResultsBlue=Obama 365, Red=McCain 173

The number of Electors equals the number of Congressmen for each state.

The only Federal Territory that gets to vote for President is Washington, D.C. because the 23rd Amendment allows them 3 Electors even though D.C. does not have any Congressmen.

Today, the total number of electors is 538

In order to win the Presidency, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. 270 today

If no candidate has 270 or more EV, the House of Representatives will select a President from the top 3 candidates with EV. The Senate will select a Vice President from the top 3 Vice Presidential candidates with EV.

Campaign Finance

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, (January 21, 2010), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting political expenditures by corporations and unions.

Terms• Pardon - the release of an individual from

punishment • Ambassador - title of a government’s official

representative in another country (work in embassies)

• Civil Service System - the principle and practice of government employment on the basis of open, competitive examinations and merit

• Amnesty – The president can declare for illegal immigrants to allow them to be here and not be punished

That’s all the notes!!

(Whew!)