1. The President 25 Electoral College The Vice-President
Source:
Electoral College
Source:
The Vice-President
Source:
The duty of the Vice-President is to be ready to assume the President’s job.
The President f the US is seen as the world’s most powerful official
The electoral college system determines who becomes President. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes and whoever wins that state gets all those electoral votes. A candidate must get a majority of the electoral votes to win---otherwise the House of Representatives chooses the President.
The job of President can have many drawbacks, including Congress, other political parties, and the news media.
The President is often seen as a symbolic leader of the nation.

2. Chief Executive 26 Commander-in-Chief Party Leader
Source:
Commander-in-Chief
Source:
Party Leader
President Bush with Senate Candidate Elizabeth Dole
Source:
The President is also the leader of his party and tries to help fellow party members.
The President’s job is one of many duties and responsibilities.
The President also serves as Chief Executive.
One of the President’s duties is to be the Commander-in-Chief
The role of Chief Diplomat is a role that carries world-wide implications.
The appointment of major judicial positions is a major role of the President.
The ability to influence Congress as a legislative leader is important.
Some jobs of the President are less political and more of a symbolic nature.

3. National Security Council
White House Staff 27
President Bush, VP Dick Cheney and Chief of Staff Andrew Card
Source:
Executive Office
Source:
National Security Council
National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice
Source:
The most important person in the White House besides the President and VP is the Chief of Staff.
The Press Secretary is responsible for dealing with the media on a daily basis.
The people who work closest to the President are usually known as the Administration.
The OMB helps the President to design a vision for the nation’s budget.
The National Security Council advises the President on national security issues.
Although the OMB and President design a budget, Congress will pass the final version which may differ greatly.
The role of the executive office of the President is to help the President with his duties.
The decisions made by the President come from advise from many sources.

4. State Department 28 Treasury Department Justice Department
Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary General Kofi AAnnan
Source:
Treasury Department
Source:
Justice Department
Source:
The role of the state department is to deal with foreign nations and their leaders.
One function of the Treasury Department is the printing of our nation’s money.
The Cabinet is made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments.
The FBI is responsible for investigated violations of national law.
The Interior Department manages our nation’s resources.
The role of the Justice Department is to enforce the laws of the United States.
The leaders of the individual military branches are called the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Secretary of States serves as the nation’s primary ambassador to other nations.

5. Department of Transportation
USDA 29
Source:
Department of Transportation
Source:
Labor Department
Source:
The Veteran’s Administration provides needed services to those who served in the military.
The role of the CDC is to track and research communicable disease.
This Customs Official searches the luggage of a traveler.
OSHA exists to protect the safety of people on the job.
Many consumers see the letters representing the US Dept. of Agriculture on food products.
The role of the labor department is to protect and provide information about the workplace.
INS is a part of Homeland Security and is in control of immigration to the nation.
The DOT manages all aspects of the transportation system.

6. Central Intelligence Agency
Social Security 30
Source:
Central Intelligence Agency
Source:
FCC
Source:
The Social Security Administration used to be part of Health and Human Services but was changed into an executive agency.
The CIA is a special group whose focus is gathering intelligence on foreign nations.
The SEC duties are to regulate the activities of corporations.
The many independent agencies make up just a part of the federal bureaucracy.
The Social Security Administration is one of the largest parts of the federal government.
The CIA is responsible for gathering information about foreign nations.
The role of the EPA is to regulate the pollution produced my major industries.
The FCC is responsible for regulating the TV, radio, and phone industries.

7. Bureaucracy 31 Red Tape Merit System
Source:
Red Tape
Source:
Merit System
Source:
The term bureaucracy refers to all the people who work for the government.
William “Boss” Tweed of NY is infamous for his use of the spoils system to enrich his friends and himself.
One criticism of the bureaucracy is that many jobs are redundant.
The merit system created a testing system to determine who is best qualified.
Our Civil Service system has thousands of jobs that are based on exams taken by applicants.
The assassination of President Garfield by a disappointed office seeker pushed the need for reform.
There are actually bureaucracies at the federal, state, and local levels.
Sometimes the many levels of the bureaucracy causes Red Tape.