The Executive Branch
I. The Office of the President
A. Head of the executive branch –responsible
for carrying out the law
1. Sets goals for the nation
2. Develops policies
B. Creating the office
1. Term
 Elected to a 4-year term
 May be reelected once
2. Limited power
 Cannot make laws
 Congress must approve many decisions
 May be removed from office
C. Qualifications and salary
 At least 35 years old
 Natural born citizen of the US
 Must have lived in the US for at least 14 years
 Salary is set by Congress
II. Roles of the President
A. Chief Executive
1. Ensure laws are carried out
2. Gives executive orders – rules and regulations
government must follow
3. Appoints about 4,000 executive branch officials
 Must be approved by Congress
B. Commander in Chief
1. Leader of the armed forces
2. Sets military goals + approves military tactics
3. May deploy troops even if Congress hasn’t
declared war
 War Powers Resolution – troops may not
remain for more than 60 days w/out
Congress approval
C. Chief Diplomat
1. Makes foreign policy plans for our relationships w/other
countries
2. May make treaties w/other countries
 Must be approved by Senate
3. Appoints ambassadors – representatives to foreign
governments
 Must be approved by Senate
4. Makes executive agreements – agreements w/other
countries that don’t need Senate approval
D. Legislative Leader
1. Recommends policy in State of the Union Address
2. Helps set domestic policy –plans for dealing with national
problems
3. Can veto Congressional legislation
4. Makes the budget
5. Can call a special session of Congress if Congress is not
meeting
E. Roles created by tradition
1. Party Leader – supports party members
running for office
2. Chief of State – performs ceremonial duties
II.
Organization of the Executive Branch
A. Is a bureaucracy – an organization of
government departments, agencies and
offices
B. President appoints an administration to
lead the 3 main parts of the executive
branch
C. Executive Office of the President: Advises
president on important matters
1. White House staff
 Chief of staff, advisers, press secretaries,
legal experts, speechwriters, etc
 Hired by President w/out Senate approval
2. Vice President
 Has no duties aside from presiding over Senate
 President decides how active the VP’s role should
be
3. Special Advisory Groups
 Groups that help the president make domestic and
foreign policy decisions
 Include Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
and National Security Council (NSC)
D. The Executive Departments
1. Are currently 15 different departments
2. Do work connected w/carrying out nation’s
laws and running government programs
3. President appoints head of each executive
department
a. Must be approved by the Senate
b. Department secretaries (leaders) and Attorney
General form the core Cabinet – important group
of policy advisors to the president
E. Independent Agencies
1. Executive Agencies
 Under direct control of the president – can
choose or remove directors
 Includes NASA and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
2. Regulatory Commissions
 Each makes and carries out rules for certain
business/economic activity
 FCC, Consumer Public Safety Commission
(CPSC)
 Have long terms to be free from political
bias
3. Government Corporations
 Provide public services but try to make a
profit
 USPS, Amtrak
F. Civil Service System
1. Employees chosen on the basis of merit
2. Rocket engineers at NASA, mail carriers