Executive Branch

Federal Bureaucracy 

Means by which govt manes and administers public policy

  • Millions of employees

  • Mostly w/in executive branch

3 broad groups within the federal bureaucracy

  • Executive office of the president

  • Cabinet

  • Independent agencies

Bureaucracy: A large, complex, administrative structure that handles the everyday business of an organization.


Executive Office of the President

President’s closest advisors & assistants, speechwriters, policy, experts, economists

  • All the people that help the president do his job

A mini-bureaucracy within the White house (~450 people)


The Cabinet

Advisory group to POTUS; heads of all major exec depts

  • Helps president execute laws & assists in decision-making

  • Appointed by President, but approved by senate


Independent Agencies

Provide unique services, don’t fit within other dept; don’t get “cabinet” status

3 different types of agencies

  • Executive agencies

  • Regulatory commissions

  • Government corporations


Exec Agencies

  • Food and drug administration (FDA)

  • NASA

  • Environmental protection agency (EPA)

  • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)


Regulatory Commissions

Serve as watchdogs (have to be independent for this role) - monitor aspects of the economy & governance

  • Federal Trade Commissions

  • Federal Communications Commission

  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

  • Federal Election Commission

  • Securities & Exchange Commission

Government Corporations

Business created and funded by congress, Designed to carry out business services provided by Fed govt

  • Ex. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Amtrak, Postal Service

Informal Roles:

  • Political party leader

  • Crisis manager

  • Moral persuader


Power of the presidency

It has expanded because the size of the executive branch has grown over time. Ex. New Deal

  • Bigger safety nets & regulation need bigger govt

  • Increasingly complex economy, society, & military threats (need for immediate action during times of crisis)


Informal Powers:

Executive Orders:

Orders issued by president that carry force of law, used to solve the problem faster than going through Congress.

  • Truman’s executive order 9981 abolishing racial segregation in military


Executive Agreements:

Initial agreements, usually related to trade, made by a president that has force of a treaty; DOES NOT need senate approval

  • Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement

  • Jefferson’s purchase of Louisiana in 1803


Executive Privilege:

Claim by a president that he can decide that national interest will be better served if certain info is withheld from the public, including Courts & Congress. This doesn't always work though, sometimes the courts can rule some privileges unconstitutional.

  • United States v. Nixon (1973) Presidents do NOT have unqualified executive privilege.


Framers decided → 4 years=long enough to gain experience, show abilities, & establish stable policies.


No constitutional term limit (until 1951)

  • Washington set a precedent by stepping down after 2 terms → became tradition

  • FDR broke tradition (elected 4 times!)


After F. Roosevelt, 22nd amendment added: POTUS capped at 2 terms or 10 years

  • Opponents think limit is undemocratic

  • Supporters think this is best & reasonable guarantee against dictator-like president

Presidential Disability

Framers → no plan if pres became disabled/can’t fulfill duties!

In 1967, the 25th Amendment → VP becomes acting president if either 

  1. President informs congress that he can’t fulfill duties or

  2. If the VP and a majority of the cabinet informs Congress that President is incapacitated


Formal Checks on POTUS 

  • Congress makes laws

  • Override vetoes

  • Power of purse

  • Power to declare war

  • Impeachment power & trial

  • Senate advice & consent

  • POTUS indirectly elected by people

  • Judicial review

  • Chief Justice presides over impeachment trial.

Informal Checks on POTUS

  • Public opinion

  • MEdia

  • Partisan Politics

  • Congressional Investigations

  • Interest groups & NGOs

Domestic Affairs: events IN one’s home country

Foreign Affairs: a nation's relations WITH OTHER nations

Foreign Policy: everything a nation does and says in world affairs 


How is foreign policy made>

  • POTUS w/advice of SecState (& key cabinet officials), ambassadors

  • Consists of US stand on issues (trade, human rights, initial conflicts, environment, cooperation)


Major foreign policy goals:

Protecting America

  • Manages diplomatic relations

  • Manages travel & trade policies

  • Promotes global stability


Advancing democracy

  • Supports new democracies

  • Promotes fair voting practices (and legal systems)

  • Monitors human rights


Promoting American Values

  • Support media sharing American values

  • Cultural exchange programs


Superpower during Cold War (focus on opposing communism) & after

  • National security not just a matter of territorial security

  • Terrorism & foreign conflicts & cyber attacks can threaten national security

  • US economy tied to global economy; access to resources & trade are major concern


Isolationism until 1940s (WWII) then US gains major role in world affairs


US cooperation with other nations (Collective Security)

  • Provides econ & military aid to foreign nations

  • Belongs to # regional security alliances (mutual defense)

  • A leader member of United NAtions


Foreign Aid: economic and military aid given to other countries

Early Aid: Marshall plan (econ aid went to Europe)

Today, both military & econ aid


North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - formed to protect Western Europe from Soviet Union

  • Grown in size

  • No longer focused exclusively on Soviet Union/Russia

  • Focused on crisis management & peacekeeping


NATO member states are supposed to spend 2% of GDP on defense 

  • Collective security

  • Disputes over countries not meeting their defense spending obligations


United Nations

  • US provides major funding to UN

  • Maintain world peace and security

  • Develop friendly relations, solve disputes

  • Promote justice


Each UN member has 1 vote in General Assembly

  • Debate Issues; make nonbinding recommendations

  • Elects non-permanent members to UN councils & courts

  • Admit, suspend, expel members

  • Propose amendments to charter


Security Council 

  • Responsible for maintaining international peace

  • 15 members, 5 perm: US, China, Britain, France, Russia

  • 10 serve on rotating basis


With support of 9 members, council can call for sanctions, peace-keeping operations, military action

Permanent member can veto any SC resolution