the executive branch. opening discussion what do you remember about the 2008 presidential election?...
TRANSCRIPT
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
OPENING DISCUSSION
• What do you remember about the 2008 presidential election? •
What techniques did President Obama use to capture the attention of the younger generation? • (e.g., online presence, Skype, social media such as Facebook and Twitter, etc.)
• What were the conditions that made “middle America,” typically a very conservative group, vote for Obama? • (e.g., discontent over the war in Iraq, impending economic crisis)
• How do we “turn over the reins” of government to a new administration?
• In this lesson, we are going to look more closely at the election of the head of the Executive Branch of the United States government, the president.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CARDS
• In your table groups, work to put your cards in order• You will be given the answer after a few minutes!
Just take your best guess.
DISCUSSION
• Why should we take so long to select the President of the United States? • Is the process too complicated? • Is there a good reason for all the steps?• What does having such a long and involved
process accomplish?
VOCABULARY ASSIGNMENT
• Each group will get one of the following vocabulary words:• primary, caucus, convention, nomination, debate,
election, electoral college, inauguration
• With your large post-it note, you will create a Frayer model for your word• You will present your word to the class
VOCABULARY TO KNOW
• Primary: A preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc.
• Caucus: A meeting of party leaders to select candidates, elect convention delegates, etc.
• Convention: A representative party assembly to nominate candidates and adopt platforms and party rules.
• Nomination: An act or instance of nominating, especially to office
• Debate: A discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints
• Election: The selection of a person or persons for office by vote
• Electoral college: A body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the President and vice President of the U.S.
• Inauguration: The ceremony to place in office formally
MAPPING THE PRIMARIES
• This is homework!• Bring it to class first thing tomorrow!
QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESIDENT
• In pairs, look in Article II Section 1 Article 5 of the Constitution about the Executive Branch
• Write these qualifications down• Answer the following questions:• Are these qualifications enough to determine who should
be president? • What qualifications do you think should be added?• Are the qualifications written in 1789 still valid today?• Why do you think the founding fathers had so few
qualifications?• What qualifications would you add to your personal list
of qualifications?• Should the Constitution be amended to add or change
any of the current qualifications? Why? Why not?
QUALIFICATIONS QUIZ
• No Notes!• 3 qualifications (in addition to the constitutional
ones) you would look for in a candidate for president• 2 characteristics you would look for in a
candidate for president• 1 characteristic or qualification you feel is not
important
LEARNING ABOUT PRESIDENTS
• Using the graphic organizer, choose one of the presidents from the profiles given• Complete the worksheet about that president.
Make sure to rank his presidency 1-5.
WHAT DOES THE PRESIDENT DO ALL DAY?
• Take about 5 minutes and make a list of what you think the president does on a daily basis
• How does your schedule compare with the one I just gave you?
PRESIDENTIAL SCHEDULES
• http://www.trumanlibrary.org/calendar/index.html
• http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/diary/diarycol.asp
PRESIDENTS AND POWERS
• On your first ladder diagram, put the President of the United States on the top rung• Look at the president’s powers in Article II of the
Constitution. List them one power on each rung leading up to the president
• On the second ladder, put President of the United States on the bottom rung• Using Article II and Article I Section 8 Clause 11,
list the checks on the power of the president working up.
DISCUSSION
• Why do you feel the Founding Fathers put so much effort into clearly defining the power of the president?
• How can the other two branches check the power of the president acting in one of his/her constitutional roles?
• Are there any times when you feel the president should not be restricted by the checks on his/her power? Justify your response.
• How effective is the checks and balances system in controlling the power of the president?
CAN THEY DO THAT?
• What are 3 different powers of the President?
• Do not just put Yes or No on your worksheet. You must cite where in the Constitution supports your answer• All answers are in either Article I or Article II.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
• Article II, Section 2 “He {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 their respective Offices…”
• How many cabinet positions do you think Washington had? What type of positions do you think he had?
WASHINGTON’S CABINET
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, 1789Edmund Randolph, 1794Timothy Pickering, 1795
Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, 1789Oliver Wolcott, Jr., 1795
Secretary of War Henry Knox, 1789Timothy Pickering, 1795James McHenry, 1796
Attorney General (Justice Department)
Edmund Randolph, 1789William Bradford, 1794Charles Lee, 1795
ASSIGNMENT
• Answer on a separate sheet of paper:
• What factors explain the growth in the federal bureaucracy from just a little over 2000 employees to over 3 million employees since the creation of the executive branch by the Constitution?
• What kinds of problems does the nation face today for which the president might need advice?
25TH AMENDMENT
• Look over the 25th amendment• On a separate sheet of paper, answer the
following:• What happens if something occurs that prevents the
President from carrying out his duties?• What happens if a president cannot perform his duties
temporarily or permanently? How might a President return to performing his duties?
SOME SIGNIFICANT PRESIDENTS
• George Washington• First President• Two terms, stepped down• Created Cabinet• Neutrality Proclamation
• Thomas Jefferson • Third President• Author of Declaration of Independence• Formed Democratic-Republican Party• Served two terms• Encouraged Westward expansion with Louisiana Purchase in 1803, nearly doubling the size of the US
• Andrew Jackson• 7th President• War of 1812 fended off British in Battle of New Orleans• Powerful presidency• Popular support known as Jacksonian Democracy• Appointed allies to government positions (“spoils system”• Vetoed more bills than previous presidents combined
• Abraham Lincoln• 16th President• Preserved US in Civil War• Gettysburg address called for national unity• 13th amendment (banned slavery)• 1st Republican President
SOME SIGNIFICANT PRESIDENTS
• Theodore Roosevelt• 26th President• Leader of “Rough Riders” in Spanish-American War• Governor of New York• McKinley’s vice president, McKinley assassinated in 1901 and became President. Re-elected in 1904• Supported expansionism, powerful navy, and central American canal (Panama Canal)• US became police of western hemisphere• Big business trust violations, Pure Food and Drug Act, created national parks
• Franklin Roosevelt (FDR)• 32nd President• Elected in 1932 with Great Depression • New Deal and first 100 Days• Growing executive power• Four terms as president (more than any other)• 22nd amendment adopted in 1951 limits presidents to two terms (called Anti-Franklin Roosevelt
amendment)
• Ronald Reagan • 40th President• Sweeping political and economic initiatives• Reagonimics• Called Soviet Union “evil empire”• Massive military building • Decreased US and USSR’s nuclear arsenals
IMPORTANT GLOBAL AREAS TO US
• Cuba – communist country located 90 miles from United States; strategically important for foreign policy because the United States opposes its communist system and human rights violations; strategically important geographically because it sits at the “entrance” to the Gulf of Mexico. Historical relationship with Cuba through the Spanish-American War, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Guantanamo Bay
• Taiwan – strategic in U.S. relations with China; United States recognized its opposition to communism, and supports Taiwan militarily; geographically, the “gateway” to China.
• Southwest Asia – strategic in U.S. relations because of its huge deposits of oil; Southwest Asia is consider to have one fourth of the oil in the world, much of which is exported to the United States. Political implications and involvements are vast, from Saudi Arabia to Kuwait, to Iran and Iraq. In turn the region imports U.S. consumer goods (and cultural influences).
HOW US FOREIGN POLICY AFFECTS DIFFERENT PLACES
• Isolates some regions, such as Iran and Cuba• Assists in the economic development of some
regions, such as many of the nations in sub-Saharan Africa, and Mexico• Rebuilds following wars in some regions, such as
Afghanistan and Iraq• Fosters peace negotiations in some regions, such
as between Israel and Palestine• Additional topics may be added depending on
current events.
HOW US GOVERNMENT USES ECONOMIC RESOURCES FOREIGN COUNTRIES
• Foreign Aid – accounts for approximately one percent of the United States budget; aid is given to countries such as Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Afghanistan to promote peace, security, economic development, human rights, and provide for health and educational services
• Sale of weapons – done to support foreign allies such as Israel
• Free Trade Agreements – promotes economic development, examples include North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the United States- Australian Free Trade Agreement along with many others
• Boycott/Sanctions – are intended to bring about political changed in countries that have strained diplomatic relations with the United States, including Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, and Russia
ROLE OF EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN SETTING INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND FISCAL POLICIES
• International Trade Policies • The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
was created by Congress and operates as part of the Executive Branch. The USTR has the responsibility of development and implementation of U.S. trade policy, including coordinating with Congress on pending legislation and testimony.
• Trade agreements must be approved by Congress.
• Fiscal Policies• The Executive Branch submits a budget from the President
to Congress. Congress through a series of hearing created a budget resolution, which unlike an ordinary bill does not go to the President for a signature or veto.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRESIDENT
• Responsibilities for domestic policy• Executive Branch - propose laws, “bully pulpit”, or use
position of the Presidency to advocate for a policy, issue executive orders to carry out policies
• Responsibilities for foreign policy• Executive Branch - establish foreign policy, negotiate
treaties, represents US to foreign nations, commander in chief of the armed forces, grant recognition to foreign governments, nominate ambassadors, receive foreign ambassadors, make executive agreements to carry out foreign policy.
PROBLEM SOLVING
• You will be put into groups of 3-4 and given For the “President’s Eyes Only”• You will be using this to help organize your ideas
• Each group will be given a different scenario. These were actual problems encountered by past presidents
• Use the Decision Making Spectrum for ideas to solve it, but you are not limited to those actions
• You will give 3 alternatives to each crisis and 3 pros and 3 cons for each alternative.
• Each group will present to the class their scenario and the option they chose to solve it.
REVIEW
• What are some presidential powers?• What are some checks on presidential power?• What is the role of cabinets?• What are some examples of the cabinet
departments?
ASSIGNMENT
• Both Cabinet Department Scenarios and What Should the President Do? Are due tomorrow when you walk in.• You have today to complete both in your table
groups; synergize and make good use of your time!