Unit 5 Executive Branch Flashcards
List the President Requirements
1) natural born citizen
2) 35+ years of age
3) 14 years of residency in the US
How many presidents have there been?
44
What precedent/tradition did George Washington estabilish?
a 2 year term
How many years equals a term?
4 years
22 Amendment
determined that a President can only be in office for a total of 2 terms or 10 years
20 Amendment
established that the inaugaration day would be on Janurary 20 at noon
what is the date and time of the inauguration of a President?
Januraru 20 at noon
What established the succession beyond the president?
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
Who are the next three people in line for presidency after the vice-president?
1) Speaker of the House
2) President Pro Tempore
3) Secretary in order of creation
25 Amendment
established that the VP was next in line; established how the VP can temporarily assume the President’s powers (if a president has surgery, is shot, goes crazy…)
What are the formal roles of the Vice President?
- president of the Senate
- evaluation of the president’s ability to perform their duty
What are the informal roles of the Vice President?
- rally for the President
- National Security Council
- represents the President at funerals etc.
National Security Council
a group of people that advise the President
impeachment
a formal accusation of a (political) crime only (no one is actually removed from office because it is only an accusation)
what presidents have ever been impeached?
Bill Clinton and Andrew Jackson
List the steps of the removal process
1) the House Judiciary Committee draws up articles of impeachment for treason, bribery, high crimes, and/or misdemeanor
2) House votes for the articles
3) Senate holds a trial (Senators = jury, House Judiciary = prosecutors, & Chief Justice = has no vote or say, just runs the trial)
4) Senate votes to remove the President (need a 2/3 vote)
Chief of State
- acts as symbol of the US
- represents America at special occasions and ceremonies
Chief Executive
- acts as boss of the federal government workers in 15 executive deparments
- carry out, enforce, and execute the law
Chief Diplomat
- foreign policy leader
- appoints ambassadors to negotiate/mediate
- negotiates treaties and makes executive agreements
- recognizes foreign countries
treaty
an agreement between 2 or more countries
treaty approval process
1) the president presents the treaty to the Senate
2) 2/3 of the Senate must ratify the treaty
executive agreement
a “diet” treaty between two heads of state (that doesn’t need 2/3 approval like a treaty does)
Commander-in-Chief
- in charge of the US Armed Forces
- decides where and when to deploy/recall troops at his/her descretion
- Limited by the War Powers Act
War Powers Act
limits the president from dispatching troops for up to 60 days with out congressional approval
Chief Legislator
- President can sign bills into a law or veto them
- President lobbies Congress
- presents agenda to Congress in the State of the Union address
- can call special session of Congress
Chief of Party
- Presidents help members of their party get elected or appointed to office
- head of the fundraising for the party
Chief Guardian of the Economy
- monitors umemployment, inflation, taxation, business, and general welfare of the nation
- President does NOT control the economy, but he gets credit if it does well
reprieve
a delay in sentencing
pardon
a person is forgiven for the charges that they have been convicted of
amnesty
a group pardon
executive order
a law that does not need congressional passes
How do we determine the number of electors that come from each state?
based on the number of representatives and senators from the state
12 Amendment
determined that the President/VP would run as a ticket and get one vote together
What groups makes up the electoral votes
Senate, House, and the District of Columbia
How many votes does the Senate receive?
100
How many votes does the House receive?
435
How many votes does the Discrict of Columbia receive?
3
How many electoral votes are there total?
538
Describe the electoral process
1) in November there is a general election which determines whose state electors vote
2) in December electors will meet in their state capitals to vote
3) on Janurary 6, the votes will be tallied in the US Congress
4) the president is tthe official winner with 270 electoral votes
5) if no electoral winner, congress decides the winner
number of votes it takes to get a majority electoral votes
270
Examples of the duties of Chief of State
- taking picture with the best selling girl scout
- throwing the first pitch at a baseball game
- doing the coin toss
- perform ceremonial duties
examples of the duties of Pary Leader
-supports candidates of the party
examples of the duties of Chief Executive
- sees that laws are carried out
- grants reprieves, pardons, and amnesty
- issues executive orders
- appoints federal judges and officials with Senate approval
- reemoves federal officials
examples of the duties of Chief Diplomat
- negotiates treaties
- decides whether the US will recognize other governments
- makes executive agreements with other countries
- directs the nations foreign policy
examples of the duties fo Economic Planner
- submits an annual economic report
- prepares the federal budget
- promotes high employment, production, and purchasing power
examples of the duties of Chief Legislator
- vetoes legislation
- presents a legislative program to Congress
- works for congressional support
examples of the duties of Commander-in-Chief
- responds to military emergencies
- commissions all military officers
- may use the military at home as needed
- is responsible for key military decisions
reasons the framers of the Constiution wanted a strong Consitution
- understood that the lack of an executive, like the Articles of Confederation, resulted in the inability to carry out acts of Congress and difficulty for gov’t to respond quickly to problems and enforce laws
- distrusted direct participation by the people in decision-making. They wanted a strong executive to protect liberty, private property, and business and would hold the legislative branch in check
powers given to the president in Article 2, Sections 2 and 3
- as commander-in-chief of armed forces, prez is mainly responsible for nation’s security
- as head of executive branch, the prez appoints (with Senate consent) heads of executive departments
- his judicial powers include appointing federal court judges, to pardon people convicted of federal crimes except in cases of impeachment or to reduce a person’s jail sentence or fine
- conducts foreign policy, makes treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate and appoints ambassadors
What work with the legislative branch is required?
- the prez ensure that the laws Congress passes are “faithfully executed”
- the prez delievers an annual State of the Union address to Congress
- the prez proposes legislation
- the prez can call special sessions of Congress when necessary
What has enabled the prez to informally increase his powers?
- Personal Exercize of Power: over the years several presidents have added to the power of presidency by the way they handle their job. They define the office in unique ways and several presidents have enlarged their powers by their view/exercise of powers
- Immediate Needs of Nation: during times of immense needs such as the civil War, the Great Depression, and 9/11, the prez sometimes gains additional powers
- Mandates of the People: medias including television, radio, and newspaper/magazines allow the prez to convey ideas, communicate messages to the people and gain support
How can presidential powers be limited by Congress?
- Congress has the power to pass legislation over a president’s veto (congressional override)
- Senate’s confirmation power
- power of the purse
- power to impeach a president
- (1973) Congress overrode President Nixon’s veto of the War Powers Act
congressional override
congress passes a legislation over a presidents veto
limitations on the president by the Courts
The Supreme Court has the right to review legislative actions by declaring some legislation unconstitutional
How can the bureaucracy limit the prez?
can obstruct the president’s programs unintentionally by failing to provide needed information, by misinterpretating instructions, and by neglecting to complete a task properly. They have the discretion to interpret as they best see fit. At times, their interpretaions may not reflect the president’s priotities either intentionally or unintentinoally.
executive privelege
the right of the president and other high ranking executive officers, with the president’s consent, to refuse to provide information to Congress or Court
fraction needed to vote a president out of office
2/3
majority
vote needed to approve presidential appointments
number of electoral votes available
538
number of electoral votes needed to become president
270
number of official members of cabinet
15
scenario where the president vetoes a piece of legislation
chief legislator
scenario where the president appoints Hillary Clinton 1st head of state
chief executive
scenario where the president helps fundraise for his party
party leader
scenario where the president throws the first pitch at a baseball game
chief of state
date we know who the president is
Janurary 6
ambassador
person who represents the president abroad during negotiation
scenario where the president gives a report to Congress about the economy
Economic Planner, Chief Economic Guardian
cabinet
- 15 members
- secretaries of the executive departments, the VP, and other top officials that help the president make decisions and policy
characteristics of presidential leadership
- understand the public (need to have general feel for hopes, fear, and moods of nation)
- ability to communicate (explain policies clearly and present ideas in a way that ensure public support)
- sense of timing (know when to introduce a new policy, make a key desicion, or to delay something)
- openness to new ideas (capacity to be flexible)
- ability to compromise (recognize that they may have to settle for legislation that provides only some instead of all of what they want)
