Structure of Executive Branch
by Lindsey Barnes and Isabel Allen
Vice President
What are the major responsibilities of the VP?
- To be ready to be president if the current president ever dies, also serves a chief of state
How has his influence and prominence changed over time?
- Out of all the 45 VP, only 9 stepped up to the plate and impressed the people of the US. No one is worried or cares about the Vice President until if and when the President dies or resigns.
Presidents Cabinet
Members of the President's Cabinet: Made up of 15 executive departments where the president appoints the people and then the senate approves them
What leaders make up the President's Cabinet?
Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and Attorney General.
What is the purpose and duty of the Cabinet?
basically to advise the President
15 Executive Departments
Department of Agriculture: supervise agriculture and to make sure the prices are fair
Department of Commerce:helps promote technology, economic growth and trade
Department of Defense: oversees anything to do with military security
Department of Education: create programs like federal aid, immigrant programs, etc.
Department of Energy: researches the development of energy technology
Department of Health and Human Services: funds medicaid and medicare, administers social security
Department of Homeland Security: protect entire nation from homeland threats
Department of Housing and Urban Development: promotes community development
Department of the Interior: protects natural environment
Department of Justice: supervises US attorney and us marshals
Department of Labor: protects the right of workers
Department of State: advises the president on foreign exchange
Department of Transportation: set nation's transportation policy
Department of the Treasury: reports to congress and president on financial state.
Department of Veterans Affairs: provides benefits and services to veterans
National Security Council
What is the purpose of the National Security Council and who is in it?
advises the president on foreign issues, exchanges, national security actions, concerns. Secretary of state, defense, treasury, vice president
Office of Management and Budget
- What does the Office of Management and Budget Do?
- Help the President with spending government federal budget.White House Staff
100 men and women to be advisors, personal aids, and staff. President chief of staff, press secretary.
Press Secretary
Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, and White house members
What are the duties of the Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, and White House Staff members?
advisors and personal aid. Chief of staff= closest to president. chief of all staff agenda. press secretary= person who talks to media and people. white house staff members= friends and confidants
Agencies within the Cabinet Departments and Independent Agencies
- Interior
- Defense
- Treasury
Independent Agencies: doesn’t belong to any of the departments
Examples of agencies and Independent agencies in the Cabinet Departments
Give examples of Agencies within the Cabinet Departments and summarize what they do (8)
FBI: higher level cop. protect the people
IRS: Work with taxes and money
coast guard: army by the water:
national park services: police for the forest and make sure no one is hurting the trees or animals.
DEA : lead agency for federal drug laws
Navy: the people who fight on boats
US marshals: protection of us courts, police officers, handles prisoners
Give examples of Independent Agencies and summarize what they do (6)
NASA: Space and the planets
environmental protection: make sure no one is abusing the environment
Postal services: delivering mail
Freedom Corps: help with volunteer opportunities throughout the US
Peace corps: promote world peace and friendship
- USGS: study the land of US and natural resources and what can be dangerous to those
Federal Bureaucracy
What is the Federal Bureaucracy?
filled with 500 departments that have responsibilities assigned to them through congressional legislation
Regulatory Commissions and examples
Regulatory Commissions : enforce public safety
Give examples of Regulatory Commissions and summarize what they do (4)
create and enforce regulations to insure the public safety
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA): make sure the food is healthy for the people
Environmental Protection Agency-establishes and enforces pollution standards
Federal Reserve System -regulates banking; manages the money supply
Nuclear Regulatory Commission- licenses and regulates non-military nuclear facilities