The Executive Branch

CARRIES OUT LAWS

The Presidency

• The President & Vice President– The Presidency– The Job of the Vice President– Presidential Succession

• The Cabinet as Advisers– The Cabinet– Selecting the Heads of Departments– The Role of the Cabinet

• The Executive Office and the White House Staff– Executive Office of the President– The White House Office

The Presidency

• Chief Official of the Executive Branch

• Head of the Nation

• Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces

Barack Obama44th President of the United States of America

3% 2%

9%

34%

9%

43%

Presidents By Party

No Party

Federalist

Democratic-Republican

Democrat

Whig

Republican

Categories President

Qualifications • Be a native-born citizen of the United States• Be at least 35 years old• Have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years

Terms of Office • Possible two terms of 4 years each• A Vice President who steps into the presidency and serves two years

or less of the president’s term may be elected for two full terms of 4 years each. (22nd Amendment)

Salary and Benefits • $400,000 in salary• $100,000 in travel allowance• $50,000 expense allowance• Free Health Care• Living rent-free in the White House• Retirement Pension

Privileges • Use of Air Force One (presidential airplane)• Use of Camp David (presidential retreat)• Use of other aircraft, helicopters, and land vehicles

Unofficial Qualifications

• Experience in Government

– Senator

– Governor

• “Campaign Che$t”

• Majority Views:

– Conservative

– Moderate

– Liberal

The Job of the Vice President

• Only Two Official Duties:

– Votes in the Senate to break a tie

– Replacing the President when unable to carry out his duties

• Unofficial Jobs:

– “Balancing the Ticket”

– Other Special Tasks as Needed by President

Vice President Joe Biden

Presidential Succession

• 43 men have been President

• 9 were Vice Presidents who became President on the death or resignation of a President

• Constitutional Sources:

– Article II, Section 1, Clause 6

– Twenty-Fifth Amendment (1967)

# Office Current Officer

1 Vice President Joe Biden

2 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

3 President pro tempore of the Senate Robert Byrd

4 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

5 Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

6 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

7 Attorney General Eric Holder

8 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

9 Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

10 Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke

11 Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

12 Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan

14 Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

15 Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

16 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki

18 Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

The Cabinet as Advisers

• Executive Departments:

– 1,000’s of workers

– Billions of dollars in budgets

• Article II, Section 2, Clause 1:

“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 the respective offices…”

The Cabinet

Choosing the Cabinet

• Experience with the work of the department

• Experience managing large organizations

• Interest Groups

• Balance:• Geographic

• Rural & Urban

• Gender

• Ethnicity

• Politics

The Role of the Cabinet

• Run the departments they head

• Act as advisers to the President (Cabinet Meetings)

• Some presidents don’t ask for advice, they tell the cabinet what to do

• The Inner Cabinet:– Defense

– State

– Treasury

– Justice

CAN YOU NAME THEM?

The Executive Office

• Executive Branch has over 3 million employees

• 15 departments

• Other agencies, commissions, and councils

• Executive Office of the President (EOP)

• White House Office

• 3 goals:– Offer Advice/information for decisions

– Carry out ideas (write bills, enact laws, etc.)

– Management/Communication

White House Office

• Chief of Staff: Manages White House

• White House Counsel: Legal Advice

• Press Secretary: Briefings for Media

• Key Staff and Personal Advisers

• Do not need to be confirmed by Congress

Robert Gibbs

Bob Bauer

Rahm Emmanuel

The Powers of the Presidency

• Executive Powers– Constitutional Sources of Power– Informal Sources of Power– Limits on Presidential Powers

• Roles and Duties of the President– Constitutional Roles– Unofficial Roles

• Presidential Leadership– The Qualities of Presidential Leadership– The Isolation of Presidents

Executive Powers

Oath of office:

“…faithfully execute the office of president.”

– Execute: carry out, perform, fulfill

– Office: duties, roles, responsibilities

Basic Duties:– Prepare a budget

– Act as commander in chief of the armed forces

– Make appointments (judges, ambassadors, officials)

– Pardon

– Negotiate treaties

– State of the Union address

– Enforce all laws

– Veto bills

Limitations on Power

Checks and Balances:

• Appointments must be confirmed by the Senate (Legislative)

• Recess Appointments (loophole)

• Veto can be overridden (Legislative)

• Power of the Purse (Legislative)

• Constitutionality of Presidential Acts (Judiciary)

Expansion of Power

Informal Powers:

• Acquiring territory (Louisiana Purchase, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, etc.)

• National Crises

– Civil War

– Great Depression

• Mandate: strong support of the people

• “The Bully Pulpit”

Constitutional Roles

• Head of State (ceremonial duties)

• Chief Executive

• Chief Legislator

• Chief Diplomat

• Command in Chief

Unofficial Roles

• Economic Planner

• Head of his political party

• Campaigner

Qualities of Presidential Leadership

1. Public Support

2. Communication

3. Timing

4. Flexibility

5. Compromise

6. Political Courage

The Federal Bureaucracy

• Departments, Agencies, and Commissions– The Executive Departments– Independent Agencies– Independent Regulatory Commissions

• The Civil Service System– The Beginning of the Civil Service System– The Modern Civil Service System– Political Activities

• The Many Jobs of the Bureaucracy– The Work of the Bureaucracy– The Growing Influence of Bureaucrats– Influence on Bureaucrats

The Civil Service System• Civil servants: federal government workers

• Patronage: government jobs

• Spoils system: hiring only your supporters

• Pendleton Act (1883): reform of government employment

• Political Appointees: president chooses (≈2,200)

• Career civil servant: not chosen

The Modern Civil Service

• Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

– Independent Agency of the Executive Branch

– Director appointed by President

– Senate approves appointment

– Main recruiter for jobs

– Civil Service Exams

• Hatch Act (1939): fed. workers can vote, but not participate in any other political activities

• Federal Employees Political Activities Act (1993)

The Bureaucracy

• ≈3 million employees

• Only 300,000 work in Washington D.C.

• Bureaucrats influence national policy:

– Writing rules and regulations to carry out laws

– Helping Congress write proposed laws

– Settling arguments over what regulations mean

– Advising Congress and other decision-makers

Growing Influence of Bureaucrats

–Growth of the nation

–Growth of technology

– Economic problems

–Pressure of client groups

– International problems