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Executive Branch

Executive Branch . Biggest of three branches. Who Make’s Up This Branch?. President Vice President Federal Bureaucracy: comprised of executive departments, agencies, and offices filled with over 3 million full-time civil service employees. Vice President Cheney. Executive Departments.

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Executive Branch

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  1. Executive Branch • Biggest of three branches

  2. Who Make’s Up This Branch? • President • Vice President • Federal Bureaucracy: comprised of executive departments, agencies, and offices filled with over 3 million full-time civil service employees Vice President Cheney

  3. Executive Departments • Helps perform one or more of President’s duties • All executive departments are headed by a Secretary…except Justice Department (Attorney General) • Department secretaries and Attorney General comprise group known as Cabinet

  4. State: carries out foreign policy, supervises ambassadors and other diplomats Treasury: collects taxes through Internal Revenue Service, makes money, stamps, and operates Secret Service Defense: maintains all branches of military, researches weapons, maintains military bases Interior: manages national parks, natural resources Justice: Prosecutes federal cases, operates federal prisons, operates Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Executive Departments

  5. Agriculture: Provides assistance to farmers, runs food stamps and school lunch programs, works to control plant and animal diseases Commerce: Conducts census, issues patents Labor: Enforces minimum wage, enforces working conditions, unemployment programs Health and Human Services: Operates Social Security, Medicare, Food and Drug Administration Housing and Urban Development: Helps provide low-income housing Transportation: highway maintenance, transportation safety enforcement Major Executive Departments

  6. Energy: conduct research on energy sources, promote conservation Education: provide assistance to school programs, stats on education, promotes equal access to educational opportunities Veteran’s Affairs: gives medical, financial, and educational help to veterans and families Homeland Security: prevent terrorist attacks, minimize damage from potential attacks and natural disasters

  7. Federal Agencies • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Gathers information on other nations • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Operates space program • Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): Regulates Stock Market • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC): Protects bank accounts • United States Postal Service: Provides mail service

  8. Creating the Office of the President • Requirements: 35 years old, natural-born citizen, lived in USA 14 years • Salary of $400,000 • Elected for 4 year terms • 22nd Amendment limits person to two terms: can be as little as 6 years or as much as 10 years • Limited Power: Checks on power usually by legislative branch

  9. President Wears Many Hats • Chief Executive • Commander in Chief • Chief Diplomat • Chief Legislator • Party Leader • Chief of State • Manager of Prosperity

  10. Chief Executive Hat • Appoints several thousand officials • Supervises administration of executive department • Takes care that laws are faithfully executed • Issues Executive Orders; similar to making his own laws without Congress’ approval

  11. Executive Orders: Positive

  12. Executive Order: Negative

  13. Commander in Chief Joint Chief Richard Myers • In charge of US Armed Forces. • President decides where armed forces are to be stationed, weapons to be used. • Secretary of Defense under President. • Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the top military commander under President.

  14. A Look At Some Commanders-in-Chief

  15. Chief Diplomat • Conducts foreign policy by directing the actions of American ambassadors. • Signs treaties and trade agreements with leaders of other nations. President Clinton, Yasser Arafat, and Yitzhak Rabin sign ’94 Treaty (right)

  16. Chief Legislator • Congress has the power to make laws. • President can propose bills and typically signs bills into law. • He often calls members of Congress to lobby for his agenda. • Presents his agenda to Congress in the annual State of the Union address.

  17. Bill Signing President F. Roosevelt Signs Social Security Bill President Coolidge Signs Income Tax Bill

  18. State of Union Address

  19. Party Leader • Presidents help members of their party get elected or appointed to office. • They make campaign speeches needed for re-election. • Head of fund-raising for the party.

  20. Campaigning For Republicans President Bush campaigns for Georgia hopeful (now Senator) Saxby Chambliss

  21. Chief of State • Acts as example for and symbol of the United States (people I.D. the U.S. by the President I.e. in Iraq “Down with Bush, or “Thank you Bush”) • Represents America at special occasions and ceremonies. • Kings and Queens are heads of state. • Awarding medals and speechmaking are examples of this role.

  22. Ceremonial Roles • Presidents are visible at sporting events throwing out first pitch (left: Warren Harding and right: George Bush) • Presidents make speeches that symbolize American commitment (below: John F. Kennedy at Berlin)

  23. Manager of Prosperity • Monitors: unemployment, inflation, taxation, business, and general welfare of the nation. • He does not control the economy, but he gets credit if it goes well, and blame if it does poorly.

  24. Electoral College • The Electoral College was a compromise created by the Framers to ensure that the president was chosen intelligently and with the input of each of the states. • The number of electors is determined by the federal representation for each state. • For example, California has 53 members of the House of Representatives and 2 Senators – 55 electoral votes. • Each State gets minimum of 3 electors • There are a total of 538 electoral votes(535 members of Congress and 3 for the District of Columbia) • A majority of 270 wins the presidency.

  25. Elected Through ElectoralCollege • States get more based on population • General rule of thumb: winner of state’s popular vote gets all the electoral votes • Can win 11 largest states and become President • Leaves open the possibility of person becoming president despite having fewer popular votes • John Q. Adams in 1824 Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and George W. Bush in 2000 • Faithless Electors: Vote unpredictably

  26. Al Gore (D) 50,996,116 votes 48% 21 States Won 266 Electoral Votes George Bush (R) 50,456,169 votes 48% 30 States Won 271 Electoral Votes Presidential Election 2000 Does your vote matter?

  27. Eliminate Electoral College: Straight Popular Vote Percentage Based: Divide electoral votes according to percent of popular vote Congressional District: Electoral votes awarded according to winning congressional districts; popular winner of state gets extra 2 electoral votes Pro: Majority Rule Con: Small states not as important Pro: Reflects closeness Con: 3rd Parties given greater influence Pro: Used in Nebraska and Maine Con: Gerrymandering would increase Ideas for Electoral College Reform

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