Simone Lawson
The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The executive branch is headed by the President, who is both the head of state and government, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for executing and enforcing laws created by Congress, and conducting diplomacy with other nations. The executive branch also includes the Vice President, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Head | President |
| Commander-in-Chief | Of the US Armed Forces |
| Powers | Negotiating and signing treaties, issuing executive orders, granting pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, enforcing laws, drafting legislation, formulating foreign policy, conducting diplomacy, and leading their political party |
| Appointments | Federal judges, ambassadors, members of the Cabinet, and other federal officials |
| Election | Elected indirectly by the people through the Electoral College system |
| Term | Four-year term, limited to two terms |
| Eligibility | Natural-born citizen of the US, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the country for at least 14 years |
| Residence | The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. |
| Vice President | Supports the President and succeeds them if they are unable to serve; has an office in the West Wing of the White House and an official residence at the US Naval Observatory |
| Departments | 15 executive departments, each led by a member of the President's Cabinet, including the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency |
| Agencies | Central Intelligence Agency, National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, etc. |
| Commissions | Federal Reserve Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, etc. |
| Checks and Balances | The President can veto legislation created by Congress, and Congress can remove the President from office in exceptional circumstances |
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What You'll Learn
The President's role
The President of the United States is the head of state, leader of the federal government, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of laws created by Congress. The President has the power to either sign legislation into law or veto bills passed by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The President also has the power to issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and help implement existing laws.
The President is responsible for appointing the heads of the 15 executive departments, including the Cabinet, and more than 50 independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The President also appoints federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal officials, with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. The President can convene both Houses of Congress and has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment.
The President is elected by United States citizens, 18 years of age and older, who vote in the presidential elections in their states. The President holds office for a term of four years and must be a natural-born citizen and at least 35 years old at the time of taking office. Before assuming office, the President must take an oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
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The Vice President's role
The US Constitution divides the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of the government.
The Vice President of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest-ranking office in the executive branch of the US federal government, after the President. The Vice President is also an officer in the legislative branch, as the President of the Senate. The Constitution names the Vice President as the President of the Senate, with the power to preside over the Senate and cast a vote in the case of a tie. The Vice President is indirectly elected at the same time as the President to a four-year term of office by the people of the United States through the Electoral College.
The modern view of the Vice President as an officer of the executive branch is due to the assignment of executive authority to the Vice President by either the President or Congress. The Vice President's role has changed significantly since the office was created during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, where it was considered an insignificant position. The role began to grow in importance in the 1930s, with the creation of the Office of the Vice President in 1939. The Vice President's main role is to support the President and advise them. If the President is unable to serve, the Vice President becomes President.
In practice, most Vice Presidential candidates have served in Congress, and some have been high-ranking military officers or state governors. Vice Presidential candidates run together with Presidential candidates on a "joint ticket" as a "running mate". The Presidential candidate effectively chooses their own running mate.
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The President's powers
The US Constitution divides the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch. The President enforces the laws that the Legislative Branch (Congress) makes.
Article II of the US Constitution outlines the President's powers. The President has the power to approve or veto bills and resolutions passed by Congress. They can also issue a signing statement with their opinion on the constitutionality of a bill's provisions, and even declare them unenforceable. However, Congress may override vetoes with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the US military, and militia when called to service. They can grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. The President can also issue temporary suspensions of prosecution or punishment in the form of respites, commonly used to delay federal sentences of execution. They can issue blanket amnesty to forgive entire groups, as seen when President Jimmy Carter granted amnesty to Vietnam draft dodgers who fled to Canada.
The President has the power to make treaties, with the advice and consent of Congress. They can nominate and appoint ambassadors and other officials, with the advice and consent of the Senate. They can fill vacancies that occur when the Senate is in recess, which expire at the end of the Senate's next session. The President can also convene one or both houses of Congress during extraordinary occasions and adjourn them when necessary.
The President is responsible for relations with foreign nations and can receive foreign ambassadors and ministers. They can also initiate the process for going to war, but Congress controls military spending and regulation, providing a check to presidential military power.
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The President's responsibilities
The US Constitution divides the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of the government. The President enforces the laws that the Legislative Branch (Congress) makes and has the power to veto legislation created by Congress.
Additionally, the President is responsible for receiving ambassadors and other public ministers, which includes the right to refuse to receive them, request their recall, and determine their eligibility under US laws. The President also has the power to adjourn both Houses of Congress, though this power has never been exercised. The President is elected by US citizens aged 18 and older, who vote in presidential elections in their states. These votes are tallied by states and form the Electoral College system.
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The Executive Branch's composition
The Executive Branch of the United States government is composed of the President, the Vice President, and the Cabinet. The President is the head of state, the leader of the federal government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and has the power to either sign legislation into law or veto bills enacted by Congress. The President also conducts diplomacy with other nations and can negotiate and sign treaties, which must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate.
The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch and is ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise. The Cabinet is composed of the heads of the fifteen executive departments, including the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as independent federal agencies. The Cabinet and these agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws.
The Executive Branch also includes other executive departments, independent agencies, and boards, commissions, and committees. The President appoints the heads of these federal agencies, including the Cabinet, and can issue executive orders to direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws. The President has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.
The Constitution outlines the requirements for the Office of the President, stating that no person shall be eligible for the office unless they are a natural-born citizen of the United States and at least thirty-five years of age, and have been a resident of the United States for fourteen years. The President and Vice President are elected by United States citizens, 18 years of age and older, who vote in the presidential elections in their states.
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Frequently asked questions
The executive branch is one of the three branches of the US government, alongside the legislative and judicial branches. It is headed by the president, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces, and includes the vice president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.
The executive branch carries out and enforces laws created by the legislative branch. The president has the power to issue executive orders, negotiate and sign treaties, and appoint federal judges, ambassadors, and cabinet officials. The executive branch also includes government corporations and independent executive agencies such as the CIA, NASA, and the EPA.
According to Article II of the Constitution, only a natural-born citizen of the United States, who is at least 35 years old, and has been a resident of the country for at least 14 years, is eligible to become the president. The president is elected by US citizens, 18 years of age and older, through the Electoral College system to a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms.
