Chapter 9: The Executive Branch

Social ScienceChapter 9: The Executive BranchThe Office of the PresidentThe President is the head of the executive branch, or the branch of government responsible for executing, or carrying out, the lawsThe most important duty for a president, however, is to set goals and develop policies for the nationThe Presidents term in office is four years, and they are allowed to run for a second term, but they can not serve more than two termsBecause of the system of checks and balances, the Presidents powers are limitedHe can not make lawsHis decisions must be approved by CongressIf he does wrong, he can be removed from officeTo be President, you must be at least 35 years old, a natural citizen, and must have lived in the United States for 14 yearsChief ExecutiveThe Presidents main job is to make sure that the laws that Congress votes on are carried outAs the leader of the country, the President only makes the broadest decision, and leaves the minor decisions to other officialsOne way the President can give orders is through an executive order, which are rules and regulations that the government must followMust be approved by Congress and not violate the ConstitutionThe President also has the power to appoint top officialsMust be approved by Congress also

Commander in ChiefThe President is also the leader of the armed forcesMilitary leaders and specialists try to discourage the President from getting into daily operations, but when the nation is at war, the president makes the important decisions, such as setting military goals and approving operationsThe President has the power to send troops to a foreign country, but can not keep them there for more that 60 days unless Congress approvesMaking military decisions effects not only the lives of the American people, but also the lives of people from other nations, so this part of the job carries a heavy burden

Chief DiplomatThe President is also the chief representative of the United States in relations with other nationsMakes foreign policy, or a set of plans for guiding our nations relationship with other countriesCongress helps the President in this role by making treaties with other countries and by approving presidential appointments of ambassadors, or official representatives to foreign countriesThe President does have the power to make executive agreements, or agreements with other countries that do not need Senate approval

Legislative LeaderEven though Congress makes the laws, the President holds great power in trying to influence Congress what laws to pass, and Congress must think of what the President will think of a particular law before making itDuring the State of the Union address, the President discusses not only foreign policy, but also domestic policy, or a set of plans for dealing with national problemsThe President has many ideas when influencing Congress to make or discontinue a lawGet members of Congress to write billsHolding meetings with members and interest groups to gain supportVeto a bill

Judicial PowersThe President also has the power to create a budget, which must be approved by Congress The President has the power to appoint judges, but they must be approved by Congress firstThe President can also put off or reduce the punishment of someone who has been convicted of a federal crimeMay even do away with the punishment all together through a pardon, or release of punishment

Roles Created by TraditionThe President has two additional roles not stated in the Constitution, but have been created over the yearsThe President belongs to a political party, and since he is the highest elected official, he is seen as the leader of that partySupports party goals and candidates in electionsThe President is also the chief of state, which gives him many tasksSpeaking to the nation on values and setting goalsCarrying out of many ceremonial dutiesStands for a national unity despite disagreements from different political parties

The Executive Office of the PresidentThe executive branch has become a huge bureaucracy, or an organization of government departments, agencies, and officesTo help the President make decisions, he appoints an administration, or a team of executive branch officialsMade up of 2,000 membersThe Executive office is largely made up to help the President make decisions in foreign and domestic policy

Breakdown of the officeAt the center of the office is the Presidents staff, who give the President advice and information about national issuesMade up of a chief of staff, key advisors, press secretaries, legal experts, speechwriters, office workers, and researchersSome advisors come to the president on a daily basis, while others report to the chief of staffThe Vice-President plays an active role only if the President asks him to do soMay make up special commissions, visit foreign countries, work with Congress, and take over for the President if he dies or becomes seriously illThe President also has special advisory groups that help the President make decisions on foreign and domestic policiesTwo important ones are the Office of Management and Budget (decides how much goals will cost) and the National Security Council (concerned with foreign affairs and national defenseThe Executive DepartmentsThere are 15 executive departments whose main job is carrying out the nations laws and running government programsDepartment of State (carries out foreign policy)Department of the Treasury (collects taxes and prints money)Department of Defense (maintains the armed forces)Department of the Interior (manages federal lands)Department of Agriculture (provides assistance for food issues)Department of Justice (assists in federal issues, runs the FBI)Department of Commerce (assists in American business issues)Department of Labor (assists the employed and unemployed)Department of Health and Human Resources (runs health programs)Department of Education (assists in education issues)Department of Housing & Urban Development (assists in housing issues)Department of Transportation (maintains transportation safety)Department of Energy (conducts research on energy and conservation of energy)Department of Veterans Affairs (helps out military veteransDepartment of Homeland Security (provides security for the country)The heads of each department, along with the Attorney General (the nations lawyer) makes up the Cabinet, or an important group of policy advisors to the PresidentIndependent AgenciesThere are three types of independent agencies that conduct many tasks for the PresidentExecutive Agencies: under direct order of the President, who can choose and remove its directorsNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)Regulatory Commissions: twelve exist to carry out rules for certain business or economic activityFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Government Corporations: try to make a profit for the government through public programsThe United States Postal ServiceAll government jobs are given through a Civil Service System, and those who perform high on tests in relation to an open position are given the job

Presidential FreedomsThe President does have some freedoms that do not have to approved by CongressCan meet with heads of foreign countries, which can lead to executive agreements or treaties, or formal agreements between nationsHas executive privilege, or the right to keep some information secret from Congress and the courtsThe need for the President to be independent from all the other branches relies on his ability to act in times of crisis, but a need for balance of power must also exist in order to keep the President from making rash decisions

Make an activity regarding pages 257-258: have students read the three examples, explain them, and discuss how the presidents have used their powers at certain times13