Civics Test 4: Executive Branch

Test Date: TBA

president term of office

4 years

president term limit

• 2 terms (10 year max)

• enforced by 22nd Amendment

president age requirement

35

president citizenship requirements

must be a “natural-born” citizen:

• 1 parent is a U.S. citizen OR

• candidate was born on U.S. soil

roles of POTUS

1. chief executive

2. commander in chief

3. chief diplomat

4. legislative leader

5. judicial leader

6. chief economist

7. party leader

8. chief symbol

chief executive

• boss to millions of people in executive branch

• role is to enforce and execute the law

• under advice + consent, POTUS can nominate leaders of the executive departments

• issues executive orders

how many executive departments are there?

15

what are the millions of people in the executive branch called?

the bureaucracy

executive order

• informal power

• temporary law lasting length of presidency

• remains constitutional as long as it…

1. helps direct the executive branch OR

2. helps executive a law already made by Congress

commander in chief

• leader of the military + its 6 branches

• Congress declares war, POTUS decides how it’s fought

what are the 6 military branches?

1. air force

2. army

3. navy

4. marines

5. coastguard

6. space force

conflicts b/t Congress/POTUS

• defining war

• POTUS has 60-90 days to send troops in, after that they need to de-escalate

chief diplomat

• creator of foreign policy = plan for guiding relationships w/ countries

• responsible for drafting treaties

• selects ambassadors

• executive agreements

ambassadors

• official reps to other countries

• work in embassy

• usually picked for being a loyalist to POTUS

executive agreements

• temporary, lasting length of presidency

• international agreement not needing a treaty

legislative leader

• power to persuade

• state of the union address

• veto power

• signing statement

state of the union address

a speech POTUS makes to their party about all the policies they plan on implementing in their presidency

signing statement

• the disclaimer a president makes when signing a bill

• undermines spirit of bill

• ex: Bush post 9/11 signs bill banning torture, but says he gets to define what torture is

judicial leader

• pardon: president excuses someone of a crime

• appoints federal judges (like SCOTUS)

executive privilege

info the president gets to keep private

informal powers of POTUS

• executive orders

• executive privilege

• executive agreements

• signing statements

powers of POTUS requiring advice + consent

• nominating the 15 executive department leaders

• nominating ambassadors

• making treaties

• appointing federal judges

chief economist

leader of the economy

party leader

informal head of party

chief symbol

president = one of the main symbols of the U.S.

impeachment is mirrored after…

a criminal trial

criminal trial steps

1. Grand Jury (determines if there’s enough evidence to bring the case to trial)

2. Jury Trial (guilty or not guilty?)

impeachment trial steps

1. HOR impeaches (simple majority needed)

2. Senate holds impeachment trial (guilty or not guilty?, 2/3 majority required)

impeach

to accuse

constitutionally, one can be impeached for…

• treason

• bribery

• high crimes

• misdemeanors