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Learn how the president fulfills the roles of Head of State and Chief Executive, including hosting foreign leaders, managing cabinet departments, appointing judges, and wielding powers like pardon and amnesty. Discover historical examples and implications.
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Chapter 9 : Lesson 2 Head of State and Chief Executive
Essential Question • How does the president fulfill the role of Head of State and Chief Executive?
Roles of the President • Head of State • Chief Executive • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Chief Legislator • Economic Leader • Party Leader
Head of State • The president is the living symbol of the U.S. • As head of state, the president is responsible for hosting visiting foreign leaders and carrying out ceremonial functions.
Role is symbolic – President represents all Americans - Gives a human face to American govt. - Can be demonstrated in many ways Greeting heroes
- Throwing first pitches at baseball games - Inviting musicians to perform at White House
Attending funeral of another country’s leader. Speeches and Ceremonies
Chief Executive • As Chief Executive, the president is in charge of 15 cabinet departments and more than 3 million government workers. • The president appoints the heads of cabinet departments and large agencies (Senate must approve) • Ex. Dept. of Defense, State Dept., Dept. of Treasury
Executive Order: a rule issued by the president that has the force of law
The president does not have any legislative powers (can not make laws), but he can issue executive orders—rules or commands that have the force of law. • Can be good for the nation—Ex. Order 9981 (1948) desegregates military • Can be detrimental to the country—Ex. Order 9066 (1942) Japanese American Internment camps
Trump 50 – 9 months Obama 277 – 8 years GW Bush 291 – 8 years Clinton 364 – 8 years GHW Bush 166 – 4 years Reagan 381 – 8 years FDR 3721 – 12 years
Power of Appointment • The president can appoint federal judges, including Supreme Court justices. • This is important because the way the Supreme Court interprets laws greatly affects life in the U.S. • Most presidents will appoint justices who share views similar to their own • Influence will be felt long after they leave the White House
Pardon: a presidential order that releases a person from legal punishment
Reprieve: a presidential order that postpones legal punishment
Amnesty: a presidential order that pardons a group of people who have committed an offense against the government.
Examples of Presidential Amnesties • In 1795 President George Washington issued an amnesty to all participants in the Whiskey Rebellion, which involved a protest by farmers in Pennsylvania against paying federal taxes • The power of amnesty was also used by Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter for more than 10,000 individuals who had resisted the draft during the Vietnam War.
Bill Clinton’s Pardons “Pardongate” • Carlos A. Vignali had his sentence for cocaine trafficking commuted, after serving 6 of 15 years in federal prison. • Roger Clinton, the president's half-brother, on drug charges after having served the entire sentence more than a decade before. Roger Clinton would be charged with drunk driving and disorderly conduct in an unrelated incident within a year of the pardon. • 138 more pardons in the last months of office. • Bush did the same thing – 189 total plus 11 commutes.
Review Question: Chapter 9: Lesson 2 Read pages 266-270 and answer Review Questions on page 270. Hand in Google Class Room.