The Executive Branch

1. The Executive Branch Aging Presidents

2. Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Presidents • Male—100% • Caucasian—97% • Protestant—97% • British ancestry—82% • College education—77% • Politicians—69% • Lawyers—62% • Top 3% wealth and social class—at least 50% • Elected from large states—69%

3. The Presidency through a President’s Eyes

4. The Presidency through a President’s Eyes

5. Executive Branch At a Glance

6. Essential QuestionWhat makes a good President? Would you ever want to be President?

7. the “Hats of the President” At any given time, only one person is the President of the United States (POTUS). Whoever that person may be, he - maybe someday she – must fill several roles, and all of them at the same time.

8. Presidential Roles • Chief of State • Ceremonial head of government • Symbol of U.S. people • Chief Executive • Vested with the executive power of enforcing laws • “the most powerful office in the world” • Chief Administrator • Director of the federal government • Directs an administration that employs over 2.7 million and spends $2.5 trillion/year

9. Presidential Roles • Chief Diplomat • Main architect of American foreign policy • Chief spokesperson to the rest of the world • Commander in Chief • In charge of the armed forces • Controls military and has ultimate responsibility for military decisions Chief Legislator • Main architect of domestic policy (public policy) • Initiates, suggests, requests, insists and demands that Congress enact legislation

10. Presidential Roles • Chief of Party • Leader of the political party that controls the executive branch • Chief Citizen • “The representative of all the people”

11. Executive Branch at a Glance • Formal Qualifications • Must be at least 35 years of age • Must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years prior to election • Must be born a citizen—native born • Terms • 4 year terms • 2 term limit • 22nd Amendment • President can serve a maximum of 2 full terms – and no more than 10 years with mid-term succession

12. Which President served for more than 8 years? FDR, but it was prior to the ratification of the amendment.

13. Executive Branch at a Glance • Salary and Benefits • $400,000 salary (tax free) • $50,000/year expense account • $100,000/year travel expenses • A nice house (White House) • Secret Service protection (up to 10 years after leaving office) • Country home (Camp David) • Personal airplane (Air Force One) • Staff of 400-500 full-time employees

15. Executive Branch At a Glance • Line of Succession • The order successors to the presidency if the president is unable to serve as specified in the Constitution • Vice President • Speaker of the House • President pro tempore of the Senate • Secretary of State • Line continues by each of the 14 heads of the Cabinet departments, in the order in which their offices were created by Congress

16. L.B.J. takes the oath of office on Air Force One following the assassination of President Kennedy

17. The Vice Presidency at a Glance • Duties • Presides over the Senate • Votes in deadlock (50-50) • Role in 25th Amendment • Helps decide the question of Presidential disability

18. Big Idea • Many presidential powers are not mentioned in the Constitution. Instead, they have developed over time, reflecting the changing national needs and the personalities of the presidents. • The office may have been defined by the Constitution narrowly, but many factors have shaped it into its modern form.

19. Presidential PowersArticle II, U.S. Constitution

20. “The Executive Power shall be vested in a President for the United States of America”

21. Presidential Appointment

22. Informal Sources of Power

23. Presidential Checks

24. Summary:Roles, Powers, & Checks

25. Checks and Balances

26. Informal Checks on Presidential Power

27. Public Opinion

28. The Media

29. PartisanPolitics Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R) battles President Bill Clinton (D) over the national budget resulting in the shutdown of the federal government in 1995 Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and vigorous critic of the Bush administration, May, 2005

30. Congressional Investigations Former FEMA director Michael Brown testifies before the House Select Committee on Hurricane Katrina, Sept., 2002 Oliver North testifies before Congress at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan administration (1987)

31. Interest Groups The National Right to Life Committee and other pro-life interest groups spoke out against President Clinton’s veto of the ban on partial birth abortion, 1996 The National Organization of Women, Cindy Sheehan, and others protest the war in Iraq, April, 2006

32. Federal Bureaucracy

33. Federal Bureaucracy • Bureaucracy • Large, complex administrative structure that handles the everyday business of the federal government • Federal government is the largest organization in the country • Consists of four main groups: • The White House staff • The Executive Office of the President • Executive departments • Independent agencies

34. Federal Bureaucracy

35. Can you… Describe the bureaucratic structure of Marple Newtown School District

36. Federal Bureaucracy • White House Staff • Consists of about 400 people • Chief of Staff • President’s most loyal aid • “Gate-keeper”—controls who talks to president and who does not • Provide guidance and advice on issues

37. Federal Bureaucracy • Executive Office of the President (EOP) • About 1,800 employees • Perform a variety of specialized tasks for President • Examples: • Office of Management and Budget—aids president in developing budget proposal to Congress • National Security Council (NSC)—advises president on foreign and defense policy

38. Federal Bureaucracy • Executive Departments • Carry out work of government in broad areas of public policy • President’s “cabinet” • 15 total

39. Federal Bureaucracy • Independent Agencies • Implement federal policy • Examples: • NASA • CIA • FCC • Peace Corps