1. The President, White House and Federal Government
The Executive Branch
The President, White House and Federal Government

2. The President and Vice President

3. Key terms for this section
Electoral college
Elector
Presidential Succession

4. Constitutional Requirements
In order to be President, you must:
Be at least 35 years old
A Native-born American citizen
A resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years
Vice Presidents MUST meet the same requirements
So far every President has:
Been a white male until now
All but one have been Protestant Christians
Most have won other elections
Most have a college education
Many have been lawyers
Most have come from states with large populations

5. Constitutional Requirements
Terms of Office:
A term lasts for 4 years
You may be elected to a maximum of 2 CONSECUTIVE (back to back) terms
The 22nd Amendment limited the number of terms to 2, with a max of 10 years

6. Electing a President
The Constitution does not provide for the direct popular election of the President
The Constitution set up an indirect method of election called the Electoral College (a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president)
Those appointed to vote for each state is called an elector (a person appointed to vote in presidential elections for the major candidates)

7. Electing a President
Each state has as many electoral votes as the total of its U.S. senators and representatives.
The Electoral College includes 538 electors (Washington, D.C. has 3 electoral votes)
In order to be elected, a candidate must win at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes

8. Electing a President
Why have the electoral college and not a direct popular election?
The founding fathers were concerned that the public did not have a good enough knowledge of the politics to make an informed decision
The electoral college was designed to offer representation by state
When do they vote?
The electors meet ONE MONTH BEFORE the INAUGURATION (takes place in January) in their state capital to cast their ballots

9. Salary & Benefits
The President is paid $400,000 per year, plus $$$ for expenses and travel
Lives in the White House
Contains a private movie theater, bowling ally, and a heated pool
Has the use of Camp David
Have privilege of using Air Force One

10. Presidential Succession
The 25th Amendment says that if a president dies or leaves office, the vice president becomes president—this is known as Presidential Succession
The new Pres.appoints a new VP, with Congress’s approval

11. Presidential Succession
Example: Nixon’s Term
1973: Spiro T. Agnew resigns as VP
Nixon appoints Gerald Ford as VP
1974: Nixon resigns
Ford becomes Pres. And appoints Nelson Rockefeller as VP
ALL VP must be approved by Senate
Agnew
Ford
Rockefeller

12. The Powers of the President Roles of the President
The President’s Job
The Powers of the President
Roles of the President

13. Key Terms in this Section
Treaty
Ambassador
Executive Order
Pardon
Reprieve
Amnesty
Chief Executive
Party Leader
Legislative Leader
Commander in Chief
Foreign policy
Veto Power
Pocket Veto
Commutation
Cabinet
State of the Union Address
Chief Diplomat
Head of State
Economic Leader
Diplomatic Notes

14. The President’s Job
The President is the most powerful public official in the U.S.
The U.S. Constitution is the basis of the President’s power
Article II says the president’s main job is to execute, or carry out, the laws passed by Congress
“Executive power shall be invested in a President…”

15. The President’s Job Five Powers of the President Legislative
Veto/approval of bills
Call Congress into session
Military: Commander in Chief of Armed Forces
Diplomatic
Receive leaders of foreign governments
Write/propose treaties (a formal agreement between the governments of 2 or more countries)

16. The President’s Job Five Powers of the President cont. Executive
Financial powers-propose budget
Power of appointment: cabinet/judges/ambassadors
Judicial Power: Enforce laws/exceptions to court judgments

17. Roles of the President Chief Executive Judicial “Chief” of Powers
Legislative Leader
Chief Diplomat
Commander in Chief
Head of State
Economic Leader
Party Leader

19. Chief Executive CEO—Chief Executive Officer of the U.S.
The Pres. Is in charge of 15 cabinet (advisors to the President) departments and approximately 3 million civilians who work for the federal government
One of the Pres.’s most important tools for carrying out the laws is the power to issue executive orders (a rule or command that has the force of law)
Falls under Pres.’s constitutional duty to “take care that the laws are faithfully executed.”

20. Judicial “Chief” Powers
The President has the power to check the Judicial branch through appointments of judges to the Supreme Court and other federal courts

21. Judicial “Chief” Powers
The Constitution gives the President 4 major Judicial powers:
Pardon-full forgiveness for a crime and freedom from punishment
Reprieve-an order to delay a person’s punishment until a higher court can hear the case
Amnesty-forgiveness of a crime towards a GROUP of people
Commutation-lessen the sentence of a crime

22. Chief Diplomat
The President is in charge of establishing our nation’s foreign policy (relationships of the U.S. with other countries)
Diplomatic notes-
Treaties-agreements between nations

23. Diplomatic Corporations
The Diplomatic corporation is made up of ALL the members of the State Department
The President appoints the following w/Senate approval
Ambassadors-representatives appointed by the President to represent our country in other nations
Leaders of foreign embassies
Ministers-Representatives of our nation in tiny countries
Consuls-economic ambassadors to major nations/promote trade
Leaders of foreign consulates

24. Commander in Chief Head of all branches of the U.S. military
Army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard
Makes decisions from the political perspective
War Powers Act of 1973-the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into battle; these troops must be brought home after 60 days unless Congress gives its approval and declares war

25. Legislative Leader
Considered to be the most important legislator for 3 reasons:
Suggests more bills than any American
Veto power-power to reject proposed bills
Line item veto- reject one part of a proposed bill
Gives the State of the Union Address-an annual event in which the President reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the US Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). The address is also used to outline the President's legislative proposals for the upcoming year

26. Head of State The president is the living symbol of the nation
In this role, the president aid diplomacy by greeting and visiting kings and queens, prime ministers, and other foreign leaders
Also carries out ceremonial duties for Americans such as lighting the national Christmas tree

27. Economic Leader
Every president tries to help the country’s economy to prosper
Voters expect the president to deal with such problems as unemployment, rising prices, or high taxes
Main economic task is to plan the federal government’s budget

28. Party Leader
The president is generally regarded as the leader of their political party

29. Making Foreign Policy

30. Key Terms in this Section
Foreign Policy
National Security
Executive Agreement
Ambassador
Trade Sanction
Embargo

31. The President and Foreign Policy
A nation’s overall plan for dealing with other nations is called its foreign policy
The basic goal of foreign policy is national security (the ability to keep the country safe from attack or harm)

32. Goals of American Policy
National security
International trade-trade with other nations is vital to economic prosperity
Promoting world peace
Promote democracy around the world

33. Tools of Foreign Policy
Creating treaties and Executive agreements
Appointing Ambassadors
Foreign Aid
International Trade
Military Force

34. Creating Treaties and Executive Agreements
Treaties-formal agreements between the governments of 2 or more countries
The Senate must approve a treaty by a 2/3 vote
Executive agreement-agreement between the president and the leader of another country

35. Appointing Ambassadors
Ambassadors-an official representative of country’s government
The president appoints about 150 ambassadors, who must be approved by the Senate

36. Foreign Aid
Money, food, military assistance, or other supplies given to help other countries

37. International Trade
The president has the power to make agreements with other countries about what products may be traded and the rules for such trading
Trade sanctions-efforts to punish another nation by imposing trade barriers
Embargo-agreement among a group of nations that prohibits them all from trading with a target nation

38. Military Force
As commander in chief, presidents may use the military to carry out some foreign policy decisions
This is a powerful tool of foreign policy, but one that must be used with great care

39. Cabinets of the Executive Branch

40. Key Terms in this Section
Federal bureaucracy
Independent agency
Government corporation
Political appointee
Civil service worker
Civil service system
Spoils system
Merit system

42. EOP: Executive Office of the President
White House Office: Consists of 500 people who work directly for the president
The most powerful of these people in the White House Office is the chief of staff
Screens the flow of information and people trying to reach the president

43. OMB and NSC OMB: Office of Management and Budget
Prepares the federal budget and monitors the spending in hundreds of government agencies
NSC: National Security Council
Helps the president coordinate U.S. military and foreign policy
Also supervises the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

44. Office of Administration & CEA
Office of Administration: provides administrative services to all of the executive offices of the president
CEA: Council of Economic Advisors
Primary duty involves giving the president advice about complex economic matters such as employment, tax policy, inflation and foreign trade

45. Department of Homeland Security
On Nov. 25, 2002 Pres. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act
The act created a federal dept. to consolidate the nation’s defenses against terrorist attack

46. Cabinets of the President: 15 Departments—see page 226 in textbooks
Dept. of State
Dept. of Treasury
Dept. Justice
Dept. of Interior
Dept. of Agriculture
Dept. of Commerce
Dept. of Labor
Dept. of Defense
Dept. of Health and Human Services
Dept. of H.U.D.
Dept. of Transportation
Dept. of Energy
Dept. of Veterans
Dept. of Homeland Security

47. The First Lady Many first ladies have served the country
First Ladies have an office in the White House as well as a staff that includes a chief of staff and a press spokesperson

48. The Federal Bureaucracy
Below the cabinet departments are hundreds of agencies that deal with everything
Federal Bureaucracy-all of the agencies and employees of the executive branch
The people who work for these organizations are called bureaucrats, or civil servants

49. What does the Federal Bureaucracy do?
3 main jobs:
Turn new laws into action by deciding how to apply these laws to daily life
Departments and agencies administer the day-to-day operations of the federal government
Regulate various activities

50. Agencies
Independent agency-federal agencies that are not part of any cabinet departments
Executive Agencies deal with specialized areas within the government (NASA)
Government corporations-a business owned and operated by the federal government

51. Government Workers
Political appointees-people whom the president has chosen because they have proven executive ability or were important supporters of the president’s election campaign
Civil service workers-person hired into federal position
Civil service system-practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive exams and merit

52. Government Workers
Before 1838 a great many federal jobs fell under the spoils system
Spoils system-government jobs went to people as a reward for their political support
Ended in 1883 with Civil Service Reform Act
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directs the civil service system today

53. Government Workers The civil service system is a merit system
Merit system-hiring people into government jobs based on their qualifications

54. Agencies
Regulatory Boards and Commissions are supposed to protect the public
They make and enforce rules for certain industries or groups
Example: FCC (Federal Communications Commission)-makes broadcasting rules for the nation’s tv and radio