The Executive Branch
The Executive branch of the United States government is vested in a President who is both head of state and head of government. The President is elected every four years using the electoral college system. The electoral college is system was created to ensure that smaller states could not be ignored by presidential candidates. The system allows for 538 electoral votes with a first past the post system. Electoral votes are apportioned to each state by combining the number of Senators each state has with the number of Congress members each state has, giving each state at least three electoral votes. The electoral votes are won by a candidate receiving a majority of the popular vote in that respective state. All states are a winner take all system except for Maine and Nebraska.
Powers of the President The President has constitutionally limited powers and belongs to just one of three branches of government. The President has the authority of commander-in-chief of the United States military, though he does not have the power to declare war. He also has the authority to negotiate treaties, though they must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. The President has the authority to make many appointments to powerful government offices such as the Supreme Court and the Cabinet with the approval of the Senate. He also has the authority to grant pardons for crimes except for cases of impeachment. In addition to powers, the President also has constitutional responsibilities such as delivering the State of the Union address. he also has the responsibility to receive ambassadors and to see that all laws are properly enforced. Additionally, the President plays a role in the legislative process. Once Congress passes a bill, it goes to the President for signature to become a law. The President may sign the bill or veto it. If the President vetoes a bill, two-thirds of each house of Congress are required to override his veto. The Cabinet The Cabinet is a group of advisors to the President and each Cabinet member heads his or her respective department. Cabinet members are appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate.The Cabinet's role is to lead the various bureaucracies of the Federal government in order to enforce laws passed by Congress. For example, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is responsible for leading her department in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Role of the Military The United States Constitution provides for civilian control of the military in order to prevent a military takeover of the government. The military is lead by the Secretary of Defense, a Cabinet member, who is civilian and repots directly to the President. The military usually does not play a role in policy making, though members of Congress may take the military's recommendations into consideration when debating a particular issue. |