Executive Branch of Government

1. Part II Executive Branch of Government

2. What are the President’s Duties? Diplomatic • The president is the chief diplomat of the United States. • He can make decisions about the relations of the U.S. with other nations in the world. • He appoints ambassadors to represent the U.S. in other countries. • He often travels around the world to speak to leaders of other countries. • The goal of these trips is to build friendship and security for the U.S. and the world.

3. What are the President’s Duties? Legislative • The president is the chief legislator. • All bills passed by Congress must be sent to the president to be signed or vetoed. • Once a year, the president addresses Congress with a State of the Union speech, which tells them and the nation about the condition of the country. • He also prepares a budget for the nation each year. • Congress studies the budget carefully and, if it is approved, the president uses it to run the government.

4. Vocabulary Checkpoint • Diplomat: a person whose work is to manage relations between nations • Legislator: a person who makes or passes laws • Budget: a plan for how money will be taken in and spent.

5. What is the President’s role? Political Party • The president is the leader of his or her political party • When a candidate runs for president, he or she has already chosen a plan to run the government, which has been made up by the candidate’s political party. • When elected, the president is expected to follow the party’s plan and try to get Congress to put the plan into action. • The president appoints people from the political party to do certain jobs.

6. Why is the U.S. President a World Leader? Smaller nations of the world look to the leaders of powerful nations for help and guidance. The president of the U.S. is a world leader. People of other countries and their leaders follow and study the president’s actions. The president works to promote peace.

7. Powers of the President Military • The president is commander of the armed forces. • The president can send military forces anywhere in the world if there is danger to the United States . • The president and Congress share national defense responsibilities • The Constitution states that only Congress can declare war, which has been done 5 times.

8. Congress restrictions on President’s military power • The president sent troops to Vietnam from 1962-1973, even though Congress hadn’t declared war. • After Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 to limit the military actions that the president can take. • The president had vetoed this act. • Now the president must inform Congress in writing within 48 hours of sending troops to a foreign country. • Furthermore, the troops can only stay for 60 days • Also, if Congress does not approve, the troops must return

9. Duties of the Vice President • The Constitution gave little power to the vice president. • VP’s perform duties at the request of the President • VP’s often speak for the president at public functions • Many VP’s later run for president

10. What happens if the office of President/VP is vacant? Amendment Twenty-Five • The twenty-fifth Amendment provides for filling a vacancy in the office of president or vice president. • The office of president may become vacant for various reasons such as dying in office, resigning, or being assassinated. • If the president dies or resigns, the vice president becomes president. • If the office of vice president is vacant, the president nominates a vice president who must be approved by a majority of Congress

11. Chain of Command • Because of the chain of command, we had a president once that never even ran for office!! • In 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned as Richard Nixon’s VP • Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as the new VP • In 1974, Nixon resigned • Ford then became president according to the 2th amendment.

12. Vocabulary Checkpoint • Commander: a person who has full control of a group • Vacant: not filled, empty • Assassinate: to kill a politically important person

13. People who Advise the President The President’s Cabinet • The President’s Cabinet is made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. • The cabinet members advise the president. • Each cabinet member is appointed by the president and must be approved by the Senate. • The cabinet usually meets with the president once a week to report what is happening in their departments.

14. What is the Executive Office? The Executive office is made of advisers and aides to the president. Its agencies help the president carry out the duties of office. Agencies include: The White House Office National Security Council The Office of Management and Budget Council of Economic Advisers Council of Environmental Quality

15. What do these agencies do? Agencies of the Executive Office • White House office: The White House counsel gives the president legal advice about policy decisions • National Security Council: Advises the president about security, or safety, of the country. • Office of Management and Budget: in charge of preparing the federal budget • Council of Economic Advisers: gives the president information about the nation’s economy • Council on Environmental Quality: helps control the careful use of natural resources.

16. Vocabulary Checkpoint • Cabinet: a group of advisers to a head of state • Economy: the system of handling money and business in a country • Environment: having to do with the climate, soil, and preservation of natural resources • Natural resources: raw materials from nature, such as water and soil • Labor: human activity that provides goods or services