Executive Branch (Unit 6, Lesson 2) Flashcards
What does the executive branch do?
Carries out laws
What can an agency do to enforce laws?
Educate the public about new laws
Monitor the public to make sure laws are being followed
Catch individuals or organizations not following the law
Take the offenders to court
Follow any other enforcement procedures the agency may have
What are regulations?
The rules the Executive Branch makes about how the law will be carried out are called regulations. Regulations have power similar to laws. Some regulations make activity illegal, and others give instructions for how something must be done.
Article of the Constitution that establishes the executive branch
2
Powers of the President
to carry out the laws, live by the Constitution, pardon people of crimes, make treaties with other countries, choose Supreme Court justices, and veto or approve Congressional bills.
Length of President’s term
4 years
Qualifications to be President
The President must be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen and have lived in the U.S. at least 14 years.
Maximum terms a President can serve
Two 4 year terms
Describe the Chief of State role
The President is a living symbol of the nation and an inspiring example.
Describe the Chief Executive role
The President executes, or carries out, the laws passed by Congress, and is the “boss” of millions of government workers.
Describe the Chief Diplomat role
The President decides what American diplomats and ambassadors shall say to foreign governments. With the help of advisers, the President makes the foreign policy of the U.S.
Describe the Commander-in-Chief role
The President is in charge of the U.S. armed forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The President decides where troops will be stationed, where ships will be sent and how weapons will be used. All military generals and admirals take their orders from the President.
Describe the Legislative Leader role
The Constitution gives the President power to influence Congress in its lawmaking. Presidents may urge Congress to pass new laws or veto bills.
Describe the Party Leader role
The President helps members of his or her political party get elected or appointed to office.
Describe the Economic Leader role
The President is concerned with things such as unemployment, taxes, and prosperity of the country. The President does not control the economy, but is expected to help it run well.
What is an executive order?
The President’s power to issue executive orders comes from Congress and the Constitution. Executive orders do not require congressional approval, so the President can use them to set policy while avoiding public debate and opposition.
State of the Union address
One thing the Constitution requires is that the President gives a speech called a State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress (both the House and the Senate together). In this speech, given once a year, the President does two things: tells everyone how things are going and lays out goals for the coming year.
Responsibilities of the Vice President
The main responsibility of the Vice President of the U.S. is to be ready to take on the Presidency if the President cannot perform his or her duties.
The Vice President also serves as the President of the Senate, where he or she can break a tie vote if needed.
How Vice President is elected
With the President
Current Vice President
Joseph R. Biden
The Executive Office of the President
The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created by President Roosevelt in 1939 and takes care of tasks such as communicating the President’s message. The EOP is overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, and is made up of many different offices, some created by Congress and others by the President. The current EOP employs over 1,800 people.
Describe the departments of the executive branch
There are 15 departments, and each one focuses on a specific type of activity such as education or transportation. Each department has smaller agencies that do specific jobs.
The President appoints a secretary to lead each department.
Cabinet
These department heads make up the President’s Cabinet, which acts as a group of advisors to the president.
Independent agencies
government organizations that also focus on specific issues, but they are independent of the President’s control. They are controlled by a board or commission.
Dept of Homeland Security goals
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for protecting the United States against all kinds of threats. It includes agencies that deal with terrorism, natural disasters, and border protection. It even includes the Secret Service, whose agents protect the President!
Dept of Defense goals
The Department of Defense (DoD) is the biggest department. It includes all the military departments such as the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as many other agencies. Together, all the parts of the Department of Defense work together to make sure our armed forces are prepared to protect our nation’s security.
