EXECUTIVE BRANCH ARTICLE II

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES The President is the head of the executive branch and a symbol of the United States. In order to run for President you must be at least 35 years old, a natural- born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. The President is elected through the process known as the Electoral College.

POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT Executive Orders—A command by the president that is treated like a law. (What branch makes the laws…) Treaty—Formal agreements between two or more countries. Treaties are usually negotiated by the president and his staff. Treaties must be approved by the Senate. Executive Agreement—An agreement between the president and the leader of another country. This is a way that the president can bypass the House of Representatives/Senate.

VETO POWERS Veto Power—The president has the power to veto any bill that is passed by Congress. To veto means to send back to Congress. Congress can override the president’s veto with a 3/5 majority vote in both houses. Pocket Veto—If the President doesn’t sign a bill for 10 days and Congress goes out of session (takes a break) during that 10 day period, then the bill is automatically vetoed. If the President doesn’t sign or veto a bill within 10 days while Congress is in session, then it automatically becomes a law.

State of the Union Address—The president is required by the Constitution to give a State of the Union update to Congress. Article 2, Section 3 Presidential Succession—Article 2 of the Constitution states that the vice president shall become president if the president dies or leaves office. --The 25th Amendment lays out what happens if the President and Vice President die or leave office and if the President becomes unable to fulfill the duties of the office. President > Vice President > Speaker of the House > President Pro Tempore> Secretary of State…

THE MANY JOBS OF THE PRESIDENT The President is the head of the military or the Commander in Chief. The President is the chief negotiator with other countries. He/she is the Director of Foreign policy. The President is the head of the government and makes sure that the government runs smoothly. He/she is the Chief Executive. The President is the head of their political party. He/she is the Head of political party.

The President uses his/her influence to pass laws and to create new laws. He/she is the Legislative leader. The President is the ceremonial head of our national and a symbol of the United States. He/she is the Head of State. The President makes sure that the United States’ economy is healthy and prosperous. He/she is the Economic Guardian.

THE PRESIDENT’S CABINET The President appoints people to head up each cabinet department. Who has to approve those people? Department of StateDepartment of Labor Department of the TreasuryDepartment of Health & Human Services Department of DefenseDepartment of Housing & Urban Development Department of JusticeDepartment of Transportation Department of the InteriorDepartment of Energy Department of AgricultureDepartment of Education Department of CommerceDepartment of Veteran’s Affairs Department of Homeland Security

EXECUTIVE AGENCIES FBI— Federal Bureau of Investigations DEA— Drug Enforcement Agency ATF— Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms CIA— Central Intelligence Agency NTSB— National Transportation Safety Board USCIS- US Citizenship & Immigration Services

FEMA— Federal Emergency Management Administration Medicare/Medicaid— Social Security/Healthcare CDC— Center for Disease Control Census Bureau— collect and provide data IRS— Internal Revenue Service

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ( Article 2, Section 2, Clause 2) Each state has a certain number electors, people who cast a vote for the president. Each state has as many electors and electoral votes as it has Representatives and Senators combined. There are a total of 538 electors in the Electoral College. (Washington, D.C. has 3 electors.) When a presidential candidate gets the most votes in a state, the electors vote for that candidate giving him/her their electoral votes. When a candidate wins a state, they get all the electoral votes from that state. This is called a winner-takes-all system A candidate must get a majority of the electoral votes ( 270) to be elected president. If no candidate receives 270 votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president. What states will candidates for president concentrate on winning?