Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
Name:_____________________________
“To be President of the United States is to be lonely, very lonely, at times of great
decisions.” - Harry S. Truman
Article II, the Constitution’s Executive Article, begins this way: “The executive
power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
I. The President’s Roles
a. Chief of ______ - The President is chief of state. This means he is the
ceremonial head of the government of the United States, the symbol of
all the people of the nation.
b. Chief ______________
i. The President can issue an executive order or rule that has the
force of law.
ii. Can grant a ___________, a postponement of legal punishment.
iii. Can grant a ___________, a release from legal punishment.
iv. Can grant ____________, a group pardon to people for an offense
against the government.
c. _______________ in Chief - The Constitution makes the President the
commander in chief, giving him or her complete control of the nation’s
_____________ forces.
d. Chief ______________ - The President is the chief legislator, the main
architect of the nation’s public policies.
e. Chief of ___________ - The President acts as the chief of party, the
acknowledged leader of the political party that controls the executive
branch.
f. Chief ___________ - The President is expected to be “the representative
of all the people.”
g. Chief _____________ - The President is the chief administrator, or
director, of the United States government.
h. Chief _____________
i. The President is the main architect of American foreign policy and
chief spokesperson to the rest of the world.
Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
Name:_____________________________
ii. Has the power to negotiate and sign ____________ – formal
agreement between the government and two or more countries.
iii. Power to make __________ _____________ – pacts between the
president and the head of a foreign government.
II. The President’s Qualifications
a. ___________ born citizen
b. Be at least ______ years old
c. Have lived in the United States for at least ______ years
III.
The President’s Term
a. Initially, there was no formal limit to the number of terms a President
could serve
b. Traditionally it only just _______ terms until __________________ won
four terms
c. The ________ Amendment placed limits on presidential terms.
i. Each President can serve a maximum of ____ _____ ________,
which is 8 years in office.
ii. No president can serve more than ____ YEARS IN OFFICE
IV.
The President’s Pay and Benefits
a. Salary - $_________
b. Expense account - $____________
c. Travel allowance - $____________
d. Entertainment - $___________
e. Retirement - $___________
f. Non-monetary:
i. _____________ and offices
ii. _____________ - The Presidential plane
iii. _____________ - The Presidential helicopter
iv. _____________ - The Presidential car
Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
Name:_____________________________
V. Powers of the President
a. As chief executive, the President executes (____________,
____________, ____________) the provisions of federal law.
b. The other provision is the Constitution’s command that “he shall take
care that the laws be ____________ executed.”
Quickwrite: What is/was one federal law that the Presidents Bush or Obama did
not or are not faithfully executing? Why not enforce it?
VI.
Why Presidential Power Has Grown
a. The nation’s increasingly complex ____________ and ____________
life has also influenced the ____________ of presidential power.
b. By ____________ and ____________ the role of the Federal
Government, Congress has ____________ presidential power as well.
c. Every President since Franklin D. Roosevelt has used ____________ (ex.
Fireside chats, ____________, etc.) to gather and hold public attention.
VII. Appointment Power and Removal Power
a. With Senate consent, the President names most of the top-ranking
officers of the Federal Government, including:
i. ____________ and other diplomats;
ii. ____________ members and their top aides;
iii. Heads of such ____________ agencies as the EPA and NASA;
iv. All ____________ judges, attorneys, and U.S. marshals;
v. All ____________ in the armed forces.
Quickwrite: At the present, there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court and President
Obama has nominated Judge Merrick Garland. Why do you think the Senate has
not approved the President’s nominee?
b. The view that the President may ____________ the officials he appoints
____________ Senate consent has prevailed over time.
c. In general, the President may remove any appointees except
____________ judges.
Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
Name:_____________________________
VIII. The Power of Recognition
a. Power exercised when the President ____________ the legal existence of
another ____________ state.
b. The President may show American ____________ with the conduct of
another country by asking for the ____________ of that nation’s
____________ or other ____________ representatives in this country.
c. The official is declared to be ____________, or an unwelcome person.
Quickwrite: What is a coutry with whom the U.S. President might express
“displeasure” and why might the President choose to kick out their ambassador?
IX.
Legislative Power
a. Recommending Legislation
i. The Constitution provides that the President shall report to
Congress on the ____________________________________ and
____________ necessary legislation.
ii. This power is often called the _______________________.
b. Veto
i. All legislation passed by Congress is sent to the President for
____________.
ii. If the President disapproves of a bill, he/she can ____________ (or
reject) it. A veto can only be ____________ by a ____________
vote of ____________ houses of Congress.
Quickwrite: Do you think it is easy or difficult to override a President’s veto?
Explain.
X. Judicial Power
a. The Constitution gives the ____________ the power to “...grant reprieves
and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of
impeachment.” —Article II, Section 2, Clause 1
b. A ____________ is the postponement of the execution of a sentence
c. A ____________ is legal forgiveness for a crime.
d. These powers of ____________ (mercy or leniency) may be used only in
cases of federal crimes.
e. ____________ of punishment (reducing the punishment).
Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
XI.
Name:_____________________________
Vice President and Succession
a. The ______________ only gives the Vice President two duties besides
becoming President if the President is removed from office:
i. Preside over the ______________, and
ii. Help decide the question of presidential ______________.
b. If the office of Vice President becomes vacant, the President nominates a
new Vice President subject to the approval of ______________.
c. Today, the Vice President often performs ______________ and
______________ chores for the President.
XII. Constitution and Presidential Succession
a. Presidential ______________ is the plan by which a presidential vacancy
is filled.
b. The ______________, ratified in 1967, made it clear that the Vice
President will become President if the President is removed from office.
c. The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 set the order of succession
following the Vice President. The order of succession is:
i. ______________
ii. ______________
iii. ______________
iv. ______________
d. Presidential Disability
i. Sections 3 and 4 of the 25th Amendment provide procedures to
follow when the President is ______________.
ii. The Vice President is to become acting President if the:
1. President informs Congress, in ______________, “that he is
unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”; or,
2. Vice President and a majority of the members of the
______________inform Congress, in writing, that the
President is thus ______________.
XIII. The Electoral College
a. The Electoral College is the group of ______________ chosen from each
State and the District of Columbia that ______________ selects the
President and Vice President.
b. The ______________ was added to the Constitution in 1804.
c. Each elector would distinctly cast ______ electoral vote for President and
_____ for Vice President.
d. When the electorate (the ________) vote for a President, they are really
voting for electors _____________ to support a particular candidate.
Government Notes
Unit 4 – Executive Branch
Name:_____________________________
e. Monday after the second Wednesday in December – electors meet at their
_______________ to officially cast their votes
f. In 48 states, the candidate with the most votes from the __________ vote
wins ______ the state’s electoral votes.
g. __________ counts the electoral votes and declares a winner.
h. If no candidate receives a __________ of the votes (270 of the 538), the
__________ of __________________ elects the President.
i. Flaws in the Electoral College System:
i. The winner of the _______________ is not guaranteed the
presidency. This has happened five times in U.S. history (1824,
1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016).
ii. Electors are _____ required to vote in accord with the
_________________.
iii. Any election might have to be decided in the _________________.
XIV. The Inauguration
a. The new President takes office at noon on ______________ in the year
following the presidential election.
b. _______________ requires the President to take a simple oath.
c. The oath of office is administered by the ___________________ of the
Supreme Court and it instructs the president to carry out the laws of the
land.
d. President gives an Inaugural Address.
XV. Mandate and the Cabinet
a. Mandate – ____________ will of the people of this country
b. A president who enters the office with a _____________ of the popular
vote has a strong mandate.
c. The ________________: chosen by the President for their experience in
selected areas
i. Secretary of __________: advises the president on foreign policy
ii. Secretary of __________: supervises the military activities of the
United States government
iii. ________________________: advises president on legal matters
iv. Secretary of __________: conducts census and registers
trademarks
v. Secretary of __________: maintains public lands, national parks,
etc.
vi. Secretary of __________: administers federal aid to public schools
vii. ____________________: advises the President on all domestic,
foreign, and military matters that relate to the nation’s security.