Unit 2: Executive Branch Study Guide

Federal Executive Authority: The President enforces federal legislation and proposes international treaties.
State Executive Authority: Governors enforce state laws and propose state operational budgets.
Local Executive Authority: Mayors and city councils enforce municipal ordinances and manage local public infrastructure and community services.

Gubernatorial Role: The governor coordinates state emergency responses during public health crises and natural disasters.
Emergency Instruments: Includes issuing declarations of emergency, enacting executive orders, and mobilizing the National Guard to protect public safety and distribute aid.

Mechanism: Citizens vote for slates of electors allocated according to each state's total congressional representation (Senators plus Representatives).
Campaign Strategy: Winner-take-all rules in most states lead candidates to focus heavily on competitive swing states.
Institutional Trade-offs: Preserves political influence for smaller states and encourages geographic coalition building, but can result in divergences between the national popular vote and the electoral outcome.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Safeguards public health by regulating the safety, purity, and labeling of food, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Protects consumers by preventing deceptive trade practices, anticompetitive behavior, and false advertising.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Establishes and enforces environmental regulations to ensure clean air and water standards.

Third-Party Obstacles: Plurality winner-take-all voting creates significant institutional barriers that favor a two-party system.
Primary Elections: Intra-party contests used to select nominees for the general election; open primaries permit participation by all registered voters, while closed primaries restrict participation to registered party members.
Party Ideologies:
- Taxation: Democrats favor progressive taxation to fund social programs; Republicans advocate lower taxes to promote private capital investment.
- Education: Democrats support increased funding for public schools; Republicans advocate school choice and voucher programs.
- Energy and Climate: Democrats prioritize renewable energy and carbon reduction; Republicans focus on domestic fossil-fuel development and deregulation.

Foreign Policy Goals and Instruments: Primary aims include safeguarding national security and promoting global peace, utilizing diplomacy, multilateral alliances, United Nations peace efforts, and economic sanctions.
United States v. Nixon (1974): The Supreme Court ruled that executive privilege is limited and cannot withhold evidence from criminal proceedings, reinforcing the fundamental principle that no president is above the rule of law.