Vice President, Executive Vice President, Executive Cabinet and Federal BureaucracyCabinet and Federal Bureaucracy
Powers of Modern PresidentsPowers of Modern Presidents
Negotiate executive agreements with foreign powers without Congressional approval
Break treaties without CongressChief State: carries out ceremonial
responsibilities such as dedicating national monuments and government buildings
Chief Ambassador
Presidential ClausesPresidential Clauses
Executive Power Clause: president has the power to develop, create and legislate new laws
Take Care Clause: empowers president with responsibility to see that laws are enforced.
Nixon’s ResignationOne month later President Gerald Ford
pardoned him Watergate shook faith of Americans in
the presidency and test for the U. S. Constitution
Illustrated that no one is above the law, not even the president
Testing of Legislative-Executive Checks and Balances
Vice PresidentVice President
John Adams called it “the most John Adams called it “the most insignificant” office createdinsignificant” office created
9 Vice Presidents have taken over the 9 Vice Presidents have taken over the office of president, first was John Tyler office of president, first was John Tyler in 1841 when President William Henry in 1841 when President William Henry Harrison diedHarrison died
Same qualifications as presidentSame qualifications as president$171, 500 salary plus official expenses$171, 500 salary plus official expenses
Vice PresidentVice President
Before 1804, the vice presidency went to the Before 1804, the vice presidency went to the candidate that was second, no matter the party.candidate that was second, no matter the party.
After 1796 election two rivals John Adams and After 1796 election two rivals John Adams and Thomas Jefferson ended in office together and it Thomas Jefferson ended in office together and it led to very little being accomplishedled to very little being accomplished
1212thth Amendment ratified in 1804, revised the Amendment ratified in 1804, revised the election process so that candidate clearly run for election process so that candidate clearly run for either president or vice presidenteither president or vice president
Evolving Vice PresidentEvolving Vice President
1841: John Tyler first Vice President to become President due to the death of a president
President William Henry Harrison died one month after taking office
Tyler did not have a vice president
Vice PresidentVice President
Between 1789-1921, no vice president attended a meeting of the president’s cabinet
Theodore Roosevelt first to win a full term election of his own
Became president in 1901 when President McKinley was assassinated
Won election of 1904
Increased RoleIncreased Role
Since 1933 vice president has attended cabinet meetings
Since 1947 Congress has included the vice president as one of the four statutory (legal) members of the National Security Council, which advises president on military matters and foreign affairs
2525thth Amendment Amendment
25th Amendment in 1967 provides that a president fill a vacancy in the vice presidency by nominating a candidate who is confirmed by the majority of both houses of Congress
Vice President takes over if the president resigns from office or is incapacitated
Spiro AgnewSpiro Agnew
First use of 25th Amendment
Vice President under President Nixon
Resigned in 1973 over tax evasion, extortion and bribery
Fined $10,000 President Nixon
appointed Gerald Ford as vice president
Gerald FordGerald Ford He was appointed Vice
President when Spiro Agnew resigned
He became President less than one year later when President Nixon resigned
According the 25th Amendment, he appointed John Rockefeller as his Vice President
Only time President and Vice President not elected
ResidencyResidency
1975 obtained a residency for Vice President at the Naval Observatory
Sometimes called the Admiral’s House because it was the former home of the Chief of Naval Operations
Current Issues of Concern
Iraq War/AfghanistanEconomic CrisisEconomic PoliciesHealth CareTaxesEnergy/global warmingAbortionEducation
Executive Office and the Federal Bureaucracy
Executive Office Established 1939 Advise president on current issues Council of Economic Advisers furnish the president with facts
and figures about nation’s economy and recommends programs to promote economic growth
Office of Management and Budget assists in the preparation of the federal budget
National Security Council (NSC) is the president’s top ranking group of advisers on all matters concerning the nation’s defense and security
Office of National Drug Control Policy coordinates federal, state and local activities designed to stop the use of illegal drugs
Council on Environmental Quality monitors the environment and makes recommendations to the president
White House Office includes closest personal and political advisers to the president
Executive Departments
37 “czars” right now15 executive departmentsCongress has the power to establish
executive departments, reorganize and combine different departments or eliminate them
President influences changes
Executive Agencies Executive Branch has established a large number of
agencies that carry out some of the executive functions of the government
There are 15 departments of the executive branch. There are 140 agencies Departments are authorized by Congress, their
chiefs sit in the Cabinet and deal with large policy issues
Agencies are designed to carry out specific tasks A few agencies such as the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) are independent Executive Branch employs 98% of all national
government personnel—over 4,000
Cabinet Department of State, includes
ambassadors Department of Treasury,
including IRS Department of Defense,
Armed Forces under this department since 1947. Under this is Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force and Department of the Army. Highest military ranking officers of Army, Navy and Air Force are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This department takes care of the Academies at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs and New London
Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Labor Department of Health and
Human Services Department of Housing and
Urban Development Department of Transportation Department of Energy Department of Education Department of Veterans
Affairs Department of Justice Department of the Interior
The Cabinet
1793 George Washington had the help of three departments: Departments of State (Thomas Jefferson), Treasury (Alexander Hamilton) and War (Henry Knox)
Attorney General Edmund Randolph
The Cabinet
Today there are 15Appointed by the President,
approved by the SenateHeads of departments are
Secretaries, except Department of Justice, Attorney General
Executive Branch Tendencies
United States has a tradition of limited government
U. S. citizens resist taxesLocal and state governments provide
day to day services for citizensExecutive branch different from others
in the world with its separation from the legislative and judicial branches.
Federal Bureaucracy Headed by the President Many department and agencies in the executive
branch form the federal bureaucracy 3 million people work in the bureaucracy: about 2%
of U.S. workforce 7,500 appointed by the President, remainder are civil
service Over 2/3 of federal workers work for two agencies:
the Defense Department and the Postal Service Many rules and regulations “red tape” Subject to in history to the Spoils System President’s power over bureaucracy is limited by
checks and balances in that Congress controls appropriations and size limits influence as well
Interest groups, federal agencies and related congressional committees form the “iron triangle” that influences policies
Current Concerns
War in Iraq and Afghanistan Iran North Korea Health Care Energy Economy/Stimulus Money Housing Nuclear Weapons Relations between Congress and President
are often strained due to political party affiliation