CHAPTER 7

The Executive Branch

The executive branch is made up of the president, vice president, and the president’s cabinet (advisors).

The Constitutional requirements for the president and vice president: Must be 35 or older Must be a native born citizen Must have lived in the US for at least 14 years

Most of presidents have been Caucasian and protestant. The exceptions to this are Barack Obama who is African American and John F. Kennedy who was Catholic.

Presidents are elected every 4 years.

Electing a President

The Constitution does not provide the direct election of the president.

Instead it set up an indirect method called the Electoral College.

Each state appoints electors who are charged with voting for the candidate who gets the majority of the popular vote in that state.

To be elected president a candidate must get 270 of the 538 electoral votes.

Electoral College Map

Term of Office

Presidents serve 4 year terms. The Twenty-Second Amendment (passed after

FDR’s death) limits a president to two elected terms in office or a maximum of ten years.

Salary =$400,000, plus expenses and travel Lives in the White House Has access to camp David (a retreat and place to host

foreign leaders Air Force One

Vice President

The presidential candidate with choose a running mate to run on his ticket. If elected this person becomes the vice president.

The Constitution gives little power to the VPArticle I states he shall preside over the

Senate, but this rarely happens.The VP is next in line if something should

happen to the president.Nine VP’s have become president through

either the death or resignation.

Presidential Succession

If the president dies, becomes ill, or is removed from office, the VP becomes president.

From there it goes in this order: Speaker of the House President Pro Tempore (leader of the Senate) Secretary of State Other cabinet members

The Twenty-Fifth Amendment claries presidential succession.

President’s Constitutional Powers

Veto bills passed in CongressCall Congress into special sessionCommander and chief of the armed forcesReceive leaders of foreign countriesMake treaties with other countries (with

Senate approval)Appoint heads of executive agencies, federal

court judges, ambassadors, etc. (also with Senate approval)

Pardon or reduce the penalties of convicted criminals

In other words…

The Powers and Duties of the President include: Commander in Chief Party Leader Legislative Leader Economic Leader Head of State Chief Executive Chief Diplomat