Executive Branch Roles of the President, Electing the President

The Executive Branch Article II of the Constitution sets up the executive branch to carry out the laws and run the affairs of the national government The President is the head of the executive branch Other members are the Vice President, Cabinet, and other departments that assist them Cabinet – Group of officials that advise the President

Roles of the President Highest elected official that represents all Americans. Has the duty to carry out the nations laws, direct foreign policy, make treaties with other nations, and appoint ambassadors Commander-in-chief of the armed forces Grants pardons and calls special sessions of Congress Can veto laws made by the House and Senate (2/3 vote of both houses overrides this) Living symbol of the nation Greets foreign leaders, makes speeches to commemorate holidays, gives medals to national heroes

Electing the President Elected to a 4 year term Cannot be elected for more than two complete terms Must be a citizen of the US since birth, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the country for 14 years Salary: approximately $400,000 a year

Presidential Successors The Vice President – Joe Biden Speaker of the House – Nancy Pelosi President pro tempore of the Senate – Robert Byrd Secretary of State – Hillary Clinton Secretary of the Treasury – Timothy Geithner Secretary of Defense – Robert Gates (current secretary) Attorney General – Eric Holder Secretary of the Interior – Ken Salazar Secretary of Agriculture – Tom Vilsack Secretary of Commerce - Gary Locke Secretary of Labor – Hilda Solis Secretary of Health and Human Services – Tom Daschle Secretary of Housing and Urban Development – Shaun Donovan Secretary of Transportation – Ray LaHood Secretary of Energy – Steven Chu Secretary of Education – Arne Duncan Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Eric Shinseki Secretary of Homeland Security – Janet Napolitano

Electoral College Complex system for electing the President Do not vote directly for a candidate. Rather, they vote for a group of electors who are pledged to the candidate. The number of the state’s electors depends on the number in the Senate and in the House. No state has fewer than 3 electors. Pennsylvania has 21 The candidate with the majority of the popular vote in the state wins the votes for that state. The candidate who receives 270 electoral votes is the winner. Some people oppose this system and want a direct system.

Presidential Oath “ I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Pair-Share Discuss these comments from Past Presidents about the work of the Chief Executive. “My view was that every executive officer…was a steward of the people, bound actively and affirmatively to do all that he could for the people…” – Theodore Roosevelt ( )

“No President who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure.” – James K. Polk ( ) “Well all the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.” – Harry S. Truman ( ) “Our president…must stand always at the front of our affairs, and the office will be as big and as influential as the man who occupies it.” – Woodrow Wilson ( )

“All this will not be finished in the first hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.” – John F. Kennedy ( ) “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln ( ) “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.” - FDR ( )