unit 5- the executive branch: the president and the bureaucracy

the president is elected for

a 4-year term and can only serve up to 2 terms or 10 years

the electoral college

the president is elected via the electoral college

whichever candidate receives the most votes in a state wins all the states’ electors

the number of electors is determined by the states population

whichever candidate receives a majority of the nations electors wins the presidency (270/535)

if the president is unable to fulfill is duties

then his vice president, speaker of the house, the senate pro temper, and the cabinet are next in line. president can be removed if unfit (25th amendment)

the president has multiple official leadership roles

chief executive -the responsibility to enact policy and laws

chief administrator -the power to oversee the bureaucracy in its implementation of law

chief agenda setter -the power to bring issues to congress’s attention at the state of the union address

as chief diplomat

the president negotiates treaties and makes agreements with other countries, treaties must be approved by the senate

as commander in chief

the president has the power to order the military; however he does not have the power to declare war

the president has multiple informal, representational roles including :

chief of state -represntation of the US as a whole

chief of party -leader of his political party

chief citizen -representation of good citizenship and moral character

presidential power has grown over time, major examples include:

Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase

Andrew Jackson’s expansion of the veto

Abraham Lincoln’s wartime actions during the civil war

Teddy Rosevelt’s bully pulpit

the expansion of the bureaucracy under Franklin D. Rosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson

the president has the power to

nominate key gov. officials like judges and ambassadors. nomiations must be approved by the senate

executive orders are designed

to clarify vague legislation for the bureaucracy to enforce

executive privileges is the

ability for the president to have private discussions without informing the other branches of the gov (us vs. Nixon)

the war powers act forces the president to

report any unauthorized military action to congress in 48 hours. congress can vote whether to allow the military action to continue after 60 days

the president can pardon people

convicted or accused of federal crimes from having to serve their sentances

the president can check the other 2 branches through the following:

check congress - veto and through his enforcement of their laws

check judicuary - through his nomination of judges and through his enforcemnt of their mandates

the president (if popular enough)

commands a great deal of influence and can draw the public’s attention to issues of his choice to gain public support for his views

the bureaucracy is the departments and agencies with

expertise in a certain ares which enforces the nation’s laws on a day-to-day basis

the 15 executive departments are

state, defense, treasury, interior, agriculture, justice, commerce, labor, health and human services, housing and urban development, transportation, energy, education, veterans affairs, and homeland security

bureaucratic agencies are created by

congressional law and are maintained by budget appropriations provided by congress. congress can shrink or grow an agency by shrinking or growing its budget

key ideas concerning employees within the bureaucracy:

previously, under the spoils system gov employees received jobs for loyalty to the president.

later, under the civil service system, potential gov employees were required to show expertise in their desired fields

recently, the Supreme Court has increased the power of the president to remove gov employees without cause an replace them with political supporters

the cabinet (called secretaries)

serve as advisors to the president in key areas and also serve as the heads of the different bureaucratic departments which enforce policies in those areas

ways the president can impact the bureaucracy

issue executive orders to the bureau

fire people

ways congress can impact the bureaucracy

congressional oversight (hearings and investigation)

power of the purse

the federal bureaucracy has consistently

grown as the nation has grown in size and population and as the needs of society have changed. Major growth occurred during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s new deal, Lyndon B. Johnson’s great society, and most recently during George W. Bush’s war on terror

prior to WWII, the us mostly kept a policy of

isolationism with countries in the Eastern Hemisphere after Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation and the Monroe Doctrine

Bureaucratic agencies mostly decide on

their own how to enforce laws and policies unless directed by laws of congress, executive orders from the president, or enforcement by congressional oversight

after WWII, the US became heavily involved in foreign affairs in multiple ways including:

making alliances such as NATO;

creating and Joining the United Nations;

providing economic services and leverage such as ald and sanctions:

directly involving the US military in foreign affairs such as in Iraq and Vietnam.

key foreign policy institutions include:

State Department - oversees ambassadors and embassies:

Defense Department - oversees military;

National Security Council and Central Intelligence Agency - oversees foreign intelligence and national security.