The Executive Branch

The Presidency

The Executive Branch• Its main duty is to enforce the laws • The most important officer is the

President • Only President and Vice President are

elected nationally • Assume office on January 20th following

their election

Requirements❶Must be at least 35 years old ❷Must be a native born citizen (That is, must be a citizen from birth) ❸Must live within the United States for

at least 14 years ❹President and Vice President cannot

be from the same state

• The President is limited to 2 terms by the 22nd Amendment

• President - $400,000 PLUS an expense account

• Vice President - $237,700 plus expenses • If the President dies or resigns, the Vice

President becomes the President • President appoints a new VP when there’s a

vacancy (25th Amendment)

• Must be approved by both houses of Congress

Presidential Succession

• Vice President (Mike Pence) • Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) • President pro tempore (Chuck

Grassley) • Cabinet, starting with Secretary of

State (Mike Pompeo)

Foreign Affairs• President makes treaties with foreign

nations • Appoints ambassadors • Is responsible for setting foreign policy • Is assisted by the Secretary of State

Domestic & Military Policy

• Sets domestic policy • Prepares the national budget • Budget must be approved by Congress • Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces • Can take command of the state militia,

the National Guard

Legislation• President may call both house of Congress

into special session • May recommend bills to Congress • May veto bills passed by Congress • Each year the President must report to the

Congress on the “State of the Union” • Can be a written or an oral report

• President is the leader of his/her political party

Judicial FunctionsThe President has 3 important judicial

powers The President may grant: ❶ Pardons (cancel) ❷ Reprieves (delay) ❸ Commutations (reduce) !NO LIMITS --The President’s decision is

final, it can not be overridden

AppointmentPresident appoints a great number of government officers ■ judges ■ cabinet members ■ ambassadors ■ assorted advisors ■ agency heads (FBI) (CIA) (FAA) (FRB)

Must be approved by the Senate (majority vote)

Electoral College✓Electoral vote is determined by adding

the number of a states’ representatives and its senators

✓The total is the electoral vote of that state

✓The 23rd Amendment gave Washington, D.C. the same electoral vote as the smallest state

Electoral College❑There are 435 Representatives ❑There are 100 Senators ❑Electoral Votes = 535 ❑Washington, D.C. gets 3 electoral votes

❑Total Electoral Vote = 538 ❑Necessary for election = 270