The Presidency Guided Reading Activity Section 1

From the President, to the Vice President, to the Cabinet, learn more than almost the Executive Branch of the government of the United States.

The ability of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who as well acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written past Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Chiffonier. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, fix to assume the Presidency should the need arise.

The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the 24-hour interval-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense force and the Ecology Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Including members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs more than 4 million Americans.

The President | The Vice President
Executive Office of the President | The Cabinet

The President

The President is both the head of land and head of government of the The states, and Commander-in-Master of the military.

Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created past Congress. Fifteen executive departments — each led by an appointed fellow member of the President's Cabinet — acquit out the solar day-to-day assistants of the federal regime. They are joined in this by other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency, the heads of which are not part of the Cabinet, but who are under the full authority of the President. The President also appoints the heads of more than fifty independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission, also as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff to the President, forth with entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The President has the power either to sign legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations, and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which also must be ratified past two-thirds of the Senate. The President can event executive orders, which straight executive officers or analyze and further existing laws. The President also has unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment.

With these powers come several responsibilities, amidst them a ramble requirement to "from fourth dimension to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures every bit he shall judge necessary and expedient." Although the President may fulfill this requirement in any manner he or she chooses, Presidents have traditionally given a State of the Union address to a articulation session of Congress each January (except in inaugural years) outlining their agenda for the coming year.

The Constitution lists but three qualifications for the Presidency — the President must be 35 years of age, be a natural built-in citizen, and must take lived in the Us for at least 14 years. And though millions of Americans vote in a presidential election every iv years, the President is not, in fact, directly elected by the people. Instead, on the first Tuesday in November of every 4th year, the people elect the members of the Electoral College. Apportioned by population to the 50 states — ane for each member of their congressional delegation (with the Commune of Columbia receiving 3 votes) — these Electors and then cast the votes for President. At that place are currently 538 electors in the Balloter College.

President Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States. He is, however, only the 43rd person ever to serve as President; President Grover Cleveland served 2 nonconsecutive terms, and thus is recognized as both the 22nd and the 24th President. Today, the President is limited to ii four-year terms, but until the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951, a President could serve an unlimited number of terms. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President four times, serving from 1932 until his death in 1945; he is the only President always to have served more than two terms.

By tradition, the President and the Outset Family unit live in the White House in Washington, D.C., also the location of the President'due south Oval Role and the offices of the his senior staff. When the President travels by aeroplane, his shipping is designated Air Force 1; he may also apply a Marine Corps helicopter, known equally Marine One while the President is on board. For basis travel, the President uses an armored Presidential limousine.

The Vice President

The primary responsibility of the Vice President of the U.s.a. is to exist ready at a moment'due south notice to presume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his duties. This tin can exist because of the President's expiry, resignation, or temporary incapacitation, or if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet approximate that the President is no longer able to belch the duties of the presidency.

The Vice President is elected forth with the President by the Electoral College — each elector casts one vote for President and another for Vice President. Earlier the ratification of the twelfth Amendment in 1804, electors just voted for President, and the person who received the 2nd greatest number of votes became Vice President.

The Vice President also serves as the President of the Usa Senate, where he or she casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie. Except in the instance of tiebreaking votes, the Vice President rarely really presides over the Senate. Instead, the Senate selects one of their own members, unremarkably inferior members of the majority political party, to preside over the Senate each day.

Joseph R. Biden is the 47th Vice President of the The states. Of the 45 previous Vice Presidents, nine have succeeded to the Presidency, and four have been elected to the Presidency in their ain right. The duties of the Vice President, outside of those enumerated in the Constitution, are at the discretion of the electric current President. Each Vice President approaches the part differently — some take on a specific policy portfolio, others serve simply as a acme adviser to the President.

The Vice President has an part in the Westward Fly of the White House, besides as in the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Similar the President, he also maintains an official residence, at the U.s.a. Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington, D.C. This peaceful mansion, has been the official home of the Vice President since 1974 — previously, Vice Presidents had lived in their own individual residences. The Vice President too has his own limousine, operated by the Us Cloak-and-dagger Service, and flies on the aforementioned aircraft the President uses — but when the Vice President is aboard, the craft are referred to equally Air Force 2 and Marine Ii.

Executive Office of the President

Every twenty-four hour period, the President of the United states of america is faced with scores of decisions, each with important consequences for America'southward future. To provide the President with the support that he or she needs to govern effectively, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President's message to the American people to promoting our merchandise interests abroad.

The EOP, overseen by the White Firm Chief of Staff, has traditionally been dwelling house to many of the President's closest directorate. While Senate confirmation is required for some advisers, such as the Director of the Part of Management and Budget, almost are appointed with full Presidential discretion. The individual offices that these advisors oversee accept grown in size and number since the EOP was created. Some were formed past Congress, others as the President has needed them — they are constantly shifting as each President identifies his needs and priorities, with the current EOP employing over i,800 people.

Perhaps the most visible parts of the EOP are the White House Communications Office and Press Secretarial assistant'due south Office. The Press Secretary provides daily briefings for the media on the President's activities and agenda. Less visible to most Americans is the National Security Council, which advises the President on strange policy, intelligence, and national security.

In that location are too a number of offices responsible for the practicalities of maintaining the White Business firm and providing logistical support for the President. These include the White House Military Office, which is responsible for services ranging from Air Strength One to the dining facilities, and the Role of Presidential Accelerate, which prepares sites remote from the White House for the President's arrival.

Many senior advisors in the EOP work near the President in the Westward Fly of the White Firm. Nevertheless, the majority of the staff is housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, simply a few steps away and part of the White Business firm chemical compound.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet is an advisory body made upwardly of the heads of the 15 executive departments. Appointed past the President and confirmed by the Senate, the members of the Cabinet are often the President's closest confidants. In addition to running major federal agencies, they play an of import office in the Presidential line of succession — after the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Senate President pro tempore, the line of succession continues with the Cabinet offices in the order in which the departments were created. All the members of the Cabinet accept the title Secretary, excepting the head of the Justice Department, who is styled Attorney General.

Department of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops and executes policy on farming, agriculture, and food. Its aims include meeting the needs of farmers and ranchers, promoting agricultural trade and production, assuring nutrient condom, protecting natural resources, fostering rural communities, and ending hunger in America and abroad.

The USDA employs more than 100,000 employees and has an almanac budget of approximately $95 billion. Information technology consists of 17 agencies, including the Animal and Plant Wellness Inspection Service, the Food and Nutrition Service, and the Woods Service. The bulk of the department's budget goes towards mandatory programs that provide services required by law, such as programs designed to provide nutrition assist, promote agricultural exports, and conserve our environs. The USDA also plays an important role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries.

The United States Secretary of Agriculture administers the USDA.

Department of Commerce

The Department of Commerce is the authorities agency tasked with improving living standards for all Americans by promoting economic evolution and technological innovation.

The department supports U.S. business and manufacture through a number of services, including gathering economic and demographic information, issuing patents and trademarks, improving agreement of the environment and oceanic life, and ensuring the constructive utilise of scientific and technical resource. The agency likewise formulates telecommunication and engineering science policy, and promotes U.S. exports past assisting and enforcing international trade agreements.

The Secretary of Commerce oversees a $half-dozen.5 billion upkeep and approximately 38,000 employees.

Department of Defense

The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the armed services forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department's headquarters is at the Pentagon.

The DOD consists of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Forcefulness, equally well as many agencies, offices, and commands, including the Articulation Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon Strength Protection Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The DOD occupies the vast bulk of the Pentagon edifice in Arlington, VA.

The Section of Defense is the largest authorities agency, with more than 1.3 one thousand thousand men and women on active duty, nigh 700,000 noncombatant personnel, and ane.1 million citizens who serve in the National Guard and Reserve forces. Together, the military and noncombatant arms of DOD protect national interests through war-fighting, providing humanitarian aid, and performing peacekeeping and disaster relief services.

Department of Pedagogy

The mission of the Department of Education is to promote pupil achievement and preparation for contest in a global economic system by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to educational opportunity.

The Department administers federal fiscal assistance for education, collects data on America's schools to guide improvements in education quality, and works to complement the efforts of state and local governments, parents, and students.

The U.S. Secretarial assistant of Education oversees the Department's four,200 employees and $68.six billion budget.

Department of Energy

The mission of the Department of Free energy (DOE) is to advance the national, economic, and free energy security of the United States.

The DOE promotes America's energy security by encouraging the development of reliable, make clean, and affordable free energy. It administers federal funding for scientific research to further the goal of discovery and innovation — ensuring American economic competitiveness and improving the quality of life for Americans.

The DOE is too tasked with ensuring America'southward nuclear security, and with protecting the surround by providing a responsible resolution to the legacy of nuclear weapons production.

The U.s.a. Secretary of Energy oversees a budget of approximately $23 billion and more than than 100,000 federal and contract employees.

Department of Health and Homo Services

The Department of Health and Man Services (HHS) is the U.s. government's primary agency for protecting the wellness of all Americans and providing essential human services, particularly for those who are least able to assist themselves. Agencies of HHS conduct health and social science inquiry, work to forbid disease outbreaks, assure nutrient and drug safety, and provide wellness insurance.

In addition to administering Medicare and Medicaid, which together provide health insurance to one in 4 Americans, HHS likewise oversees the National Institutes of Wellness, the Nutrient and Drug Assistants, and the Centers for Disease Control.

The Secretarial assistant of Health and Human being Services oversees a budget of approximately $700 billion and approximately 65,000 employees. The Department'southward programs are administered by 11 operating divisions, including eight agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and 3 man services agencies.

Department of Homeland Security

The missions of the Department of Homeland Security are to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks; protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and fundamental resources; and reply to and recover from incidents that do occur. The 3rd largest Chiffonier department, DHS was established by the Homeland Security Human activity of 2002, largely in response to the terrorist attacks on September eleven, 2001. The new department consolidated 22 executive branch agencies, including the U.S. Community Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.South. Cloak-and-dagger Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Direction Bureau.

DHS employs 216,000 people in its mission to patrol borders, protect travelers and our transportation infrastructure, enforce clearing laws, and respond to disasters and emergencies. The bureau also promotes preparedness and emergency prevention among citizens. Policy is coordinated by the Homeland Security Council at the White House, in cooperation with other defence and intelligence agencies, and led by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.

Section of Housing and Urban Evolution

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal bureau responsible for national policies and programs that address America's housing needs, that improve and develop the nation's communities, and that enforce fair housing laws. The Department plays a major role in supporting homeownership for lower- and moderate-income families through its mortgage insurance and rent subsidy programs.

Offices within HUD include the Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage and loan insurance; the Part of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which ensures all Americans equal access to the housing of their choice; and the Community Development Block Grant Plan, which helps communities with economical development, task opportunities, and housing rehabilitation. HUD likewise administers public housing and homeless assistance.

The Secretarial assistant of Housing and Urban Development oversees approximately 9,000 employees on a budget of approximately $40 billion.

Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation's principal conservation agency. Its mission is to protect America'due south natural resource, offering recreation opportunities, conduct scientific inquiry, conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and honor our trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and our responsibilities to isle communities.

DOI manages 500 million acres of surface state, or about one-fifth of the country in the The states, and manages hundreds of dams and reservoirs. Agencies within the DOI include the Bureau of Indian Diplomacy, the Minerals Management Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The DOI manages the national parks and is tasked with protecting endangered species.

The Secretary of the Interior oversees about seventy,000 employees and 200,000 volunteers on a upkeep of approximately $xvi billion. Every year information technology raises billions in revenue from energy, mineral, grazing, and timber leases, besides as recreational permits and state sales.

Department of Justice

The mission of the Section of Justice (DOJ) is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the Us according to the law; to ensure public prophylactic against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling offense; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

The DOJ is comprised of 40 component organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Agency of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Attorney Full general is the head of the DOJ and main constabulary enforcement officer of the federal authorities. The Attorney General represents the U.s.a. in legal matters, advises the President and the heads of the executive departments of the government, and occasionally appears in person before the Supreme Courtroom.

With a upkeep of approximately $25 billion, the DOJ is the world's largest law office and the key agency for the enforcement of federal laws.

Department of Labor

The Department of Labor oversees federal programs for ensuring a strong American workforce. These programs address job preparation, safety working conditions, minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, employment discrimination, and unemployment insurance.

The Department of Labor's mission is to foster and promote the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers notice workers, strengthening costless collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.

Offices inside the Department of Labor include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal government'south principal statistics agency for labor economics, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, which promotes the safety and wellness of America's working men and women.

The Secretary of Labor oversees 15,000 employees on a budget of approximately $l billion.

Department of State

The Department of Land plays the lead function in developing and implementing the President's foreign policy. Major responsibilities include Usa representation abroad, foreign assist, foreign military training programs, countering international crime, and a wide assortment of services to U.S. citizens and strange nationals seeking entrance to the U.S.

The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 180 countries — each posted by civilian U.South. Foreign Service employees — besides as with international organizations. At dwelling house, more than than 5,000 civil employees behave out the mission of the Department.

The Secretary of Country serves as the President's peak strange policy adviser, and oversees thirty,000 employees and a budget of approximately $35 billion.

Section of Transportation

The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure a fast, rubber, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation arrangement that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people.

Organizations within the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Assistants, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation oversees approximately 55,000 employees and a budget of approximately $70 billion.

Department of the Treasury

The Section of the Treasury is responsible for promoting economical prosperity and ensuring the soundness and security of the U.S. and international financial systems.

The Department operates and maintains systems that are critical to the nation's financial infrastructure, such as the production of coin and currency, the disbursement of payments to the American public, the collection of taxes, and the borrowing of funds necessary to run the federal government. The Section works with other federal agencies, strange governments, and international financial institutions to encourage global economic growth, raise standards of living, and, to the extent possible, predict and forestall economic and financial crises. The Treasury Department also performs a critical and far-reaching part in enhancing national security by improving the safeguards of our fiscal systems, implementing economical sanctions against foreign threats to the U.South., and identifying and targeting the financial support networks of national security threats.

The Secretary of the Treasury oversees a budget of approximately $13 billion and a staff of more than 100,000 employees.

Department of Veterans Diplomacy

The Department of Veterans Diplomacy is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability bounty, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor back up, medical care, and burial benefits. Veterans Diplomacy became a cabinet-level section in 1989.

Of the 25 meg veterans currently alive, most iii of every four served during a state of war or an official period of hostility. Well-nigh a quarter of the nation's population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for V.A. benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans.

The Secretarial assistant of Veterans Affairs oversees a upkeep of approximately $ninety billion and a staff of approximately 235,000 employees.

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Source: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/1600/executive-branch

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