•Executive Branch- Enforce the Law.

•Presidents have enormous power and responsibility.

•Presidents make sure the national laws are fully executed

•Twenty-second (22nd) Amendment limits the President to

two terms.

Salary-$400,000 with many benefits in retirement.

 Presidential Qualifications.

❖Must be a natural born citizen

❖At least 35 years old

❖A resident of the United States for 14 years.

❖Experience in government is an unwritten

but important qualification.

❖Need to raise large amounts of money.

❖Being President underscores personal

strengths and weaknesses.
 Presidential Succession-
Twenty-Fifth (25th) Amendment establishes order of
succession to the presidency-
•Vice President
•Speaker of the House
•President Pro Tem
•Secretary of the State
•Other Cabinet members.

The role of the Vice President depends on what jobs ,

if any, the president assigns.
 The Electoral College

•Still used to choose the President and

Vice President.
•Winner take all(ME, NE)
•Vote is cast in December.
 Electoral College

oMakes it possible for a candidate to

lose the popular vote but still win
electoral vote.
2016 Election Results:

Clinton- 65,853,516 ( 48.2%) 232

Trump- 62,984,825 ( 46.1%) 306

Clinton wins popular vote by nearly 2.9

million votes.
Trump won 30-50 states.
Electoral Map 2016
➢ The Cabinet- heads of the executive departments.
➢ President selects- Senate must approve members.
➢ Not always involved with decision making.
➢ Cabinet members – are called secretaries- defense,
treasury and the attorney general form the “inner circle”
and do influence the president’s decision on areas of
interest.
Executive Office of the President: EOP
❑ Presidents want experts to advise on complex
issues.
❑ Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-largest
agency in EOP-prepares the national budget.
❑ National Security Council-advises military and
foreign policy
White House Office- staff perform whatever duties
the president assigns them:
✓ Gather information and provide advice
✓ Decides who and what information gets through
the president.
Article II of the Constitution outlines the
powers of the president. The checks and
balances of the other branches limit them.
✓ President has Executive, legislative,
Diplomatic, Economic, Party, Military
and Judicial powers.
President is the Chief of State:
▪ Symbol of the United States.
▪ Head of the Government
▪ Represents the nation at ceremonial
functions.
 Executive Powers:
o Enforce laws, treaties and court decisions.
o Issues Executive Orders-given by the
President based on the constitution or laws
passed by the legislature.
o Heads the 2 million person executive branch.
o Presides over the Cabinet
Chief Legislator:
❖ Proposes legislation
❖ May use political favors to gain
congressional support.
❖ Has threat of the veto
❖ Gives the State of the Union-required by the
Constitution-recommends policy, proposes
laws.
❖ Must prepare a federal budget every year.
 Chief Diplomat.
• Directs foreign policy/affairs.
• Power to make treaties.(Senate approves)
• Makes executive agreements- a pact made
by the President with a head of a foreign
state; a binding agreement with the force of
law ( Senate does not have to approve)
• Appoints ambassadors and other diplomats.
• Receives foreign dignitaries.
 Economic Planner

❑ Promote high employment, production

and purchasing power.
❑ Required to prepare a federal budget.
 Party Leader:
➢ Is the recognized leader of the party.
➢ Chooses Vice President nominee.
➢ Helps party members get elected.
➢ Raises party funds and plan campaign
strategies.
➢ Appoints party members to government
positions- patronage.
 Military Powers:
➢ Serves as Commander-in-chief of the armed
forces.
➢ Has final decision making authority in
matters of national and foreign defense.
➢ Uses armed forces to end disorders/give aid
in natural disasters.
➢ Provides for domestic order.
 Judicial Powers
➢ Appoints members of the federal judiciary
➢ Grants pardons- release from punishment
or legal consequences.
➢ Grants reprieves- an official postponement
of a sentence.
➢ Amnesty- a blanket pardon offered to a
group of law violators.
 Leadership Qualities and Skills:
oMust be able to communicate effectively and explain
their policies clearly in order to inspire public
support.
oPresidents must know and understand the people.
oMust know when the time is right to introduce new
policies or make key decisions.
oPresident can serve no more than 10 years in office.
o22nd Amendment limits the President to only 2 full
terms.
 Successful Presidents must:
▪Be flexible and open to new ideas
▪Be able to compromise
▪Have political courage and be willing to go against
public opinion in matters they believe are vital to the
nation's interests.
 Presidential Isolation:
❖Special treatment given to modern presidents risks
isolating them from information and advice they
should have to carry out their duties.
❖Access to the President often forces staffers and
advisers to flatter the President and provide only
good news and favorable opinions.
❖Dealing with White House Staff requires much of
the Presidents time and makes it more difficult to
keep in touch with the Public.
 The Use of Executive Privilege:
➢To keep White House discussions and advice
secret, presidents invoke executive privilege to
avoid giving such information to Congress and the
courts.
➢Modern presidents claim executive privilege
protects their communications with other
members of the executive branch.
➢Supreme Court has ruled executive privilege is
constitutionally based.
 Cabinet Departments.
State, treasury, Interior, Agriculture, Justice,
Commerce, Labor, Defense,
Health and Human Resources, Homeland Security,
Housing and Urban Development,
Transportation, Energy, Education, Veteran Affairs.
 Independent Agencies

✓Not a part of the Cabinet.

✓President appoints the heads of these
agencies.
✓Over 100 agencies
Independent Agencies

•NASA
•CIA
•FDIC
•USPS
 Regulatory Commissions:
❖Are independent of all three branches of
government.
❖Make rules for businesses and industries that
affect public interest
❖Under intense pressure from the groups they
regulate and their lobbyists.
❖One of the biggest commissions- FCC Federal
Communication Commission-decide who gets a
license to run a radio or television station.
 Presidential Oath of Office
• Before he enter on the execution of his office, he
shall take the following oath or affirmation: "I do
solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully
execute the office of President of the United
States, and will to the best of my ability,
preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of
the United States."
• Administered by the Chief Justice of the United
States Supreme Court. January 20.