Coach: Hang Nguyen

As the nation’s founders set up the government, they wanted to be sure that the United States would never be
ruled by a king. The Articles of Confederation had no executive leader. The Constitution, however, created an
executive branch headed by a president.
The executive branch includes the President and Vice President. This branch also includes many offices,
departments, and workers. The main responsibility of the executive branch is to make sure that laws passed by
Congress are carried out.
The president is the leader of the executive branch. The president serves a term of four years and can only serve
two terms. Presidents are chosen in presidential elections by the votes of Americans in all 50 states.
The President’s Roles
The president is the chief of state and represents all Americans. The president meets with foreign leaders and
travels around the world representing the United States. The president is also the nation’s chief diplomat. In this
role, the president directs the nation’s foreign policy by choosing ambassadors and making treaties with other
countries.
The president is also the commander in chief of the United States military. In this role, the president can give
orders to the military and direct operations. Congress has the authority to monitor and sometimes change the
president’s actions.
Helping the President
Fifteen departments help the president run the executive branch. Each department manages a different area of
government. For example, the Department of the Treasury runs the nation’s finances. The Department of State
carries out foreign policy. The department leaders all serve as members of the president’s Cabinet. The Cabinet
helps the president make decisions and develop policies.
The president both lives and works from the White House, in Washington, D.C
Remember:

The president’s constitutional duties were limited.

- They mostly related to enforcing laws.
- They included nominating justices to the U.S. Supreme Court
- overseeing executive agencies
- approving or vetoing bills passed by Congress.
- the power to negotiate treaties.
- involved with the making of foreign policy.
- In Article II of the Constitution, the Commander in Chief clause gives the president power over the U.S. Army
and Navy.

George Washington was the first president. He set several important precedents, or ways of doing things.
Washington discouraged U.S. involvement in foreign affairs. He set up the first Cabinet. He also limited himself to
two terms.
Other presidents grew the office. Thomas Jefferson used his authority to negotiate treaties to make the Louisiana
Purchase.
Abraham Lincoln used an executive order to abolish slavery in rebellious states during the Civil War.
As the presidency got stronger, relations between the executive branch and other branches were
sometimes tense. During the 1930s, Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt spearheaded a broad
series of federal programs known as the New Deal. Congress was also controlled by Democrats at this
time. It passed Roosevelt’s programs and supported his ideas. The U.S. Supreme Court, however,
worried that some programs overstepped the constitutional powers of the federal government. They
overturned some of Roosevelt’s signature programs. Roosevelt then attempted to dramatically reshape
the Supreme Court. His plan would have allowed presidents more power to pick judges likely to
support their own ideas. This court-packing plan proved unpopular. It was rejected. The Supreme
Court kept its check on presidential power.

Key Terms:
Precedents: ways of doing things
Cabinet: group of presidential advisers
Diplomat: person who negotiates with another country
court-packing plan: unpopular effort by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to change the Supreme
Court
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-
civics/us-gov-interactions-among-branches/us-gov-roles-and-powers-
of-the-president/v/formal-and-informal-powers-of-the-us-
president?modal=1
Term Definition

executive An international agreement between the president and another country, which does
agreement not require the consent of the Senate.
A presidential order to the executive branch that carries the force of law. The Supreme
executive order
Court can rule executive orders unconstitutional.
An indirect veto, which the president can use by neither signing or vetoing a bill
pocket veto
passed by Congress fewer than 10 days before it adjourns.
signing A presidential statement upon signing a bill into law, which explains how a president’s
statement administration intends to interpret the law.
The president’s annual message to a joint session of Congress, which includes
State of the
recommended legislation and evaluations of the nation’s top priorities and economic
Union address
health.
The president’s constitutional right to reject a law passed by Congress. Congress may
veto
override the president’s veto with a two-thirds vote.
 Formal powers of the president
Category Powers
Executive Take care that the laws be faithfully executed
Nominate officials (with Senate confirmation)
Request written opinions from administrative officials
Fill administrative vacancies during congressional recesses
Foreign policy Act as Commander in Chief of the armed forces
Make treaties (with Senate ratification)
Nominate ambassadors (with Senate confirmation)
Receive ambassadors
Confer diplomatic recognition on other governments
Judicial Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses (except impeachment)
Nominate federal judges (with Senate confirmation)
Legislative Recommend legislation to Congress
Present information on the State of the Union to Congress
Convene Congress on extraordinary occasions
Adjourn Congress if House and Senate cannot agree
Veto legislation (Congress may overrule with supermajority)
 Informal powers of the president

Power Definition

Setting priorities for Congress and attempting to get majorities to

Bargaining and persuasion
put through the president’s legislative agenda

Issuing executive orders Regulations to run the government and direct the bureaucracy

Giving the president's intended interpretation of bills passed by

Issuing signing statements
Congress

Negotiating executive Agreements with heads of foreign governments that are not ratified
agreements by the Senate
 Andrew Jackson was president between 1829 and 1837. He believed in
acting decisively as president. For example, Jackson forced South
Carolinians to agree to a tax that they disliked. He also challenged the
checks and balances written into the Constitution. He refused to abide by
a U.S. Supreme Court decision about Native American lands. His strong
opinions made him unpopular with some Americans. However, historians
generally agree that Jackson transformed the presidency. He made the
office into one of stronger leadership and influence than it had been
before his time.

The artist uses symbols of monarchy to suggest that Jackson is acting

like a king rather than a president. Notice the crown, scepter, and
embellished robe.

This cartoon was created shortly after Jackson vetoed a bill that renewed the
charter for the Bank of the United States. Jackson then ordered that all federal
deposits be removed from the Bank. Some Americans thought Jackson’s
decision to remove the deposits went beyond his constitutional powers.

Jackson’s actions as president pushed the limits of constitutional authority.

Here he is shown stepping on the constitution.
Q. Why was Andrew Jackson’s refusal to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision about Native American lands
unconstitutional?
A.The president lacks any sort of check over the actions of the Supreme Court.
B.The president does not have the constitutional right to pick Supreme Court justices.
C.The president does not have the constitutional right to ignore the Supreme Court.
D.The president lacks the authority to manage federal lands designated by the Supreme Court.
Guided Practice: Reading Editorial Cartoons
Editorial cartoons are drawings with words about events and subjects in the news. Serious messages are expressed in
humorous or sarcastic ways. Cartoonists show their opinions about people, events, and ideas by simplifying and
exaggerating characters and situations. To understand editorial cartoons, readers often need to be familiar with news
events and know the meanings of symbols or outside references. The government is a popular topic for many editorial
cartoons.
Here are some things to look for in editorial cartoons:
•Search for the cartoon’s topic in its title, headline, labels, or dialogue. You may have to interpret the drawing and its
words to find the topic.
•Look at the characters in the cartoon. Do they have symbolic meaning? Do they represent famous people?
•Look at the situation. Where are the characters, and what is happening? Do you recognize people, places, organizations,
or ideas? Do you recognize symbols?
•Relate what you see to the news topic.
•Decide on the cartoonist’s message. What is the cartoonist’s opinion about the topic? How well does that message get
across?
Look at this editorial cartoon. Think about what each thing or person is representing. Then answer the questions.

1.Harry S. Truman was U.S. President from 1945 to 1953. In

1951, he requested more powers
2.for shoe salesmen.
3.from Congress.
4.for the elderly.
5.for going to war.
2.The cartoonist’s opinion of President Harry S Truman was
probably that he
1.was greedy for power.
2.had big feet.
3.was a man of the people.
4.was a very small man.
3.Which statement reflects the message of the cartoon?
1.It takes a big man to fill Truman’s shoes.
2.Congress should serve the needs of the president.
3.Truman already has more power than he needs.
4.Truman should have unlimited power.
In 1974 the Supreme Court decided the case United States v. Nixon. The case involved audio recordings that President
Richard Nixon had made in his White House office. Congress was investigating Nixon’s role in illegal activities that members
of his administration had committed. Investigators believed the tapes would provide important evidence. Nixon refused to
hand over the tapes to Congress. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Congress and forced Nixon to release the tapes.

4. After reading the passage and looking at the editorial

cartoon, what does the cartoon suggest about the
relationship between Nixon's executive branch and the
legislative branch?
A.The branches are both strong.
B.They are at conflict with one another.
C.The executive branch has more power.
D.The legislative branch has more power.

5. By showing one branch of government challenging

another, this cartoon illustrates :
a. executive authority
b. separation of powers.
 Review:
1. What did the founding father want their government to be when they set up it?
2. What is the difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
3. Who work in the executive branch?
4. Who is the leader of executive branch? How long does each term of the leader take?
5. How can the leader of the executive branch be selected?
6. What is the role of the president?
7. Who helps the president?
8. What do all the department leaders serve as?
9. What is the Cabinet?
10. Where does the president live and work?
11. What are some constitutional duties of the president?
12. Who is the first president of the U.S? What did he do to help the government?
13. Who used his authority to negotiate treaties to make Louisiana Purchase?
14. Who abolished slavery in the Civil War?
15. What is executive agreement?
16. What is executive order?
17. What is a pocket veto?
18. What is signing statement?
19. What is the right of veto?
20. What are some formal powers of the president?
21. What are some informal powers of the president?