Executive branch

•President must be:

•Natural born citizen

•35 years old

•A resident of the
country for 14 years

•Article II, Section 1,
Clause 4

•The President executes,
enforces, and interprets
all federal laws

•Ordinance Power - power
to issue executive orders
to carry out
constitutional duties.
Executive orders have the
force of law.

•Appointment Power –
appoints cabinet
members,
Ambassadors,
diplomats, cabinet
members, heads of
agencies, federal
judges, military officers

•Senate confirms or
rejects nominations

•Makes Treaties with foreign
nations. Subject to Senate
Approval (2/3 needed)

•Executive Agreements- Pact
between President and a foreign
head of state. Doesn’t require
Senate Approval.

•Recognition- President
recognizes foreign nations.
Grants them legitimacy.

• Commander in Chief of the armed forces

• Almost unlimited power to use troops

without a declaration of war. (Korea,
Vietnam)

• War Powers Resolution Act of 1973:

• President reports to Congress within 48

hours if forces committed to combat

• Combat must be completed within 60

days if no Congressional Declaration has
been made

• 30 Days to pull out and return troops

home

• Recommends Legislation through State of the Union

Address, Budget Message, & Economic Report

• Checks on Legislative Branch:

• Signs Bills into law

• Veto- rejects a law, but may be over-ridden by 2/3

vote in both houses

• Do Nothing- Becomes a law after 10 days w/out

presidential signature

• Pocket Veto- Bill dies if Congress ends its session

w/in 10 days, w/out presidential signature

• Call Special Sessions of Congress

•Pardon- Legal Forgiveness
of a crime (ie: President
Ford pardoned Nixon re:
Watergate)

•Amnesty- Blanket pardon
to a group of violators- (ie:
In 1977, President Carter
granted amnesty to
Vietnam draft dodgers

•Selecting Judges -
especially Supreme Court
Justices

•2 term limit (22nd
Amendment)

•Congressional
investigations

•Impeachment
Power (House of
Reps)

•Impeachment
Trial (held in the
Senate)

•The Media as a
watchdog