1. Chapter 5: The Executive Branch

2. Objectives Section 1 Describe the President’s many roles.
Understand the formal qualifications necessary to become President.
Explain how the President’s term of office has changed over time.

3. Introduction
What are the roles and qualifications of the office of the President?
The President’s roles include:
Chief of State
Chief Executive
Chief Administrator
Chief Diplomat
Chief Legislator
Commander in Chief
Chief Economist
Chief of Party
Chief Citizen

4. Obj 1: Presidential Roles
The President acts as chief of state, the ceremonial head of the U.S. government and the symbol of the American people.
The President is the chief executive, holding the nation’s executive power in domestic and foreign affairs.
The President is the chief administrator, directing the more than 2.7 million civilian employees of the executive branch.

5. Presidential Roles, cont.
The President is the nation’s chief diplomat, the main architect of American foreign policy and the nation’s chief spokesman to the rest of the world.

6. Presidential Roles, cont.
The President is the commander in chief of the 1.4 million men and women of the nation’s armed forces.
Chief Economist to look after and deal with the economy

7. Presidential Roles, cont.
The President is the chief legislator, proposing laws that set the congressional legislative agenda.
The President is the unofficial head of the political party that controls the executive branch.
The President is the unofficial chief citizen, expected to champion the public interest and be the representative of all the people.

8. Formal Qualifications
Checkpoint: What are the three requirements a potential President must meet to be eligible for office?
The President must be a natural born citizen of the United States.
The President must be at least 35 years of age.
The President must have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.
Checkpoint Answer: The President must be a natural born US citizen, a US resident for at least 14 years, and be at least 35 years of age. 8

9. Terms in Office
The Constitution sets no term limits for the presidency.
George Washington set the custom of serving two terms.
Franklin Roosevelt broke this custom by being elected to four terms from 1932 to 1944.

10. Terms in Office, cont.
The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1944, limits Presidents to no more than two full elected terms in office.
If a President succeeds to the office after the middle of a term, he or she can still seek two full terms.
No President can serve more than 10 years in office.

11. Views on Term Limits
Many people, including some Presidents, have argued that the two-term rule unfairly limits the right of the people to choose their President.
Some say it also weakens a President’s influence at the end of the second term in office.
Supporters say the amendment protects against abuse of executive power.
Some have argued for a single six-year term, which would free the President from worrying about reelection.

12. Presidential Succession
The Vice President succeeded the President nine times in U.S. history, beginning with John Tyler replacing William Harrison in 1841.
At first, the Vice President technically assumed only the powers and duties of the presidency.

13. Presidential Succession, cont.
However, the custom was that the Vice President took the presidential office as well.
Under the 25th Amendment, adopted in 1967, the Vice President now
formally assumes
the office of
President.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: The above photo shows Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn into office, after President Kennedy’s assassination.

14. Order of Succession
The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the order of succession after the Vice President.
The presiding officers of Congress are followed by the heads of the cabinet departments in the order that they were created.

15. Presidential Disability
For many years, there were no provisions for deciding if a President was too disabled to continue in office.
Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919 and was too ill to meet with his cabinet for seven months.
President Eisenhower had three serious but temporary illnesses while in office.
In 1981, President Reagan was badly wounded in an assassination attempt. 15

16. Presidential Disability, cont.
The 25th Amendment addressed the disability issue. The Vice President becomes Acting President if:
The President informs Congress, in writing, that he or she cannot carry out the powers and duties of the office, OR
The Vice President and a majority of the members of the Cabinet inform Congress, in writing, that the President is incapacitated.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: This clause has been enacted briefly on three times during medical procedures: once by Reagan in 1985, and twice by George W. Bush, first in 2002 and then 2007. 16

17. Objectives Section 2
Describe the roles of the Vice President and how they have changed over time.
Role of first ladies

18. The Vice Presidency
Checkpoint: What are the formal duties of the Vice President?
The Constitution gives the Vice President two formal duties: to preside over the Senate, and to help decide if the President is disabled (under the 25th Amendment).
Otherwise, the Vice President must be ready to assume the duties of the presidency if necessary.
Checkpoint Answer: The Vice President’s only formal duties are to preside over the Senate, to help determine if the President is disabled, and to be ready to assume the duties of the presidency if needed. 18

19. The Vice Presidency, cont.
Historically, the office of Vice President has had low status.
Often the vice-presidential candidate is chosen because he or she can balance the ticket, helping the president get elected due to personal characteristics such as ideology, geographic background, race, ethnicity, or gender.
This puts little emphasis on the presidential qualities possessed by a vice presidential candidate.

20. The Vice Presidency Today
Recent Vice Presidents have had more political experience and influence.
Dick Cheney is widely viewed as the most influential vice president in history.
Joe Biden, right, brought years of foreign policy experience to his office.
NOTE TO TEACHERS: The above image shows Vice President Joe Biden addressing the press.

21. The Vice Presidency Today, cont.
No Vice President has been given as much power as the President, in part because the President cannot remove the Vice President.
What does this cartoon imply about the growth of the power of the Vice President?
Political Cartoon Question Answer: This cartoon implies that the Vice President has gained too much power, because the boy’s question assumes that the nation will be endangered if something happens to the Vice President while the President is still around.

22. Vice-Presidential Vacancy
The vice presidency has been left vacant nine times by succession, seven times by death, and twice by resignation.
Under the 25th Amendment, the President can fill a vice presidential vacancy by nominating a Vice President, who must be confirmed by both houses of Congress.
In 1973, Gerald Ford became the first Vice President appointed in this fashion.

23. Role of the First Ladies
Presidential Spouses
Hostess
Do not have a direct role in administration
Champion many causes
Role continues to evolve as spouses take on more political causes
Will we have a first gentleman someday

24. Objective Section 3 Understand growth of presidency
Describe Constitutional powers of president
Explain checks and balances
Understand privilege and clemency
Explain presidential legislative powers

25. Presidential Domestic Powers
Powers have expanded through time
Whig theory – restrained approach to leading, just enforce laws of nation
Stewardship theory – T.R. said president should not just carry out laws, but should work to improve lives of people
Each president who expanded power led to more presidents doing the same
Executive branch expanded

26. Limits to Power Constitution limits the power through
Checks and balances
Veto's from Congress
Court rulings
Congressional oversight
House and Senate hearings
Power to Execute Laws
President executes the laws as they interpret them

27. Executive Orders Executive Privilege
Only in effect for the length of presidential term
To deal with large array of national issues
Power of law to effect executive branch
Executive Privilege
Not a real thing, but unless Congress disputes, president keeps things secret
US v. Nixon 1974

28. Appointment & Removal powers
President appoints
Cabinet members, federal judges, ambassadors, heads of agencies, officers in armed forces (Senate must approve)
Recess appoints only occur if Senate not in session
Removal
Freedom to dismiss all except judges at will
Judges must go through impeachment process

29. Clemency Means mercy of leniency Reprieve – postponement of sentence
Pardon – legal forgiveness of a crime
Must be for a federal crime
Can’t be for impeachment
Ford pardoned Nixon
Commutation –reducing a sentence
Amnesty – blanket pardon
Carter gave amnesty to people who evaded Vietnam war

30. Chief Legislator Propose legislation Veto legislation
Ask Congress to put forth bills
Power of message
State of the Union
Budget message
Economic report
Call special session
Veto legislation
Every bill must pass through the President
Sign it = law
Veto – return to Leg.
Ignore it = law
Ignore it but Leg. adjourns = dead

31. Signing statements say what president thinks about the law
Point out constitutional issues
George Bush issued 700, deciding which parts of the law he would enforce which according to critics, violates the Constitution

32. Objectives Section 4 Explain treaty procedure
Explain executive agreements
Understand power of recognition
Describe Commander in Chief powers

33. President’s Foreign Powers
Diplomatic powers
Make treaties
Must be approved by the Senate
Executive Agreements
Don’t need to be approved
Run out at end of presidential terms unless next president keeps it
Power of Recognition
Recognize new governments in nations
US has recognized president of Venezuelan Congress as legitimate interim president of nation

34. Commander in Chief Control military operations in war
If Congress declares war
If Congress authorizes military action
War Powers Resolution 1973
If nation is attacked president can use troops
Must report to Congress in 48 hours of use
Can use for 60 days only unless Congress extends
Congress can pull troops back at any time