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Second Branch the Executive

Overview of the U.S. executive branch from its origins to the constitutional role of the president. Covers Article II, presidential qualifications, term limits, the balance of power to prevent corruption or tyranny.

Daniel Miller
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Second Branch: The ExecutiveWhat happens when you have a group project and no one takes the lead? Not much, right? Its the samewith a government. If no one makes decisions, takes action, or enforces the laws, nothing gets done. TheUnited States found this out the hard way. Under its first government, theArticles of Confederation,thecountry tried to exist without anexecutive branch,or the part of government that carries out the laws. Itwas a mess. States argued with each other, treaties went unsigned, and laws were ignored. Then an armedrebellion broke out in Massachusetts. That convinced thecountry's leaders that having a new government with anexecutive branch wasn't a bad idea after all.But what would the executive branch look like? TheFramers of the Constitution agreed that the branchneeded achief executive, orleader, of the government,but they couldn't agree on how much power the roleshould have1. Many feared that a powerful leader wouldThe executive Power shall be vested in aPresident of the United States...— Article II. Section1turn into a king. Others insisted that having a powerful chief executive was the only way a leader could getthings done. The Framers compromised. They created an executive branchinArticle II of the Constitution,but they made the legislature the first and most powerful branch. I n Article II, the Framers establishedthat the executive branch would be led by a chief executive called apresident.Then they outlined thepresident's job description, which included a careful balance of great powers with strict limitations.Nice Job, If You Can Get ItWhat's the easiest way to have limits on the president? Make strictrules about who can have the job. The first section of Article II liststhree qualifications to be president: a person must be at least 35A person's religion cannever disqualify them frombeing president accordingto Article VI, Section 3.years old. they must be born a U.S. citizen, and they must havelived in the country for 14 years. Why? Because loyalty matters. TheFramers worried that foreign countries would influence the president. Birth and residencyrequirements helped ensure that the president's allegiance would be to the U.S. The agelimit promised a person with fully developed political views and some life experience. Itwas another way of saying: only loyal, mature candidates need apply.To ensure that a new king didn't emerge, the Framerslimited the president's (and the vice president's) termin office to four years. They never mentioned if thepresident could run for re-election or how many termsthey could have, but they didn't need to. The voterswould decide t h a t And the Framers outlined a detailed process for howa presidential election would take place. But what if the president diedin office? To avoid people trying to grab power, the Framers decidedthat the vice president (who was also elected) would take over the job.Death wasn't the only threat to the presidency. Corruption—a commonfactor among powerful rulers—was also a concern. The Framers didn'twant America's president bribed by money. They recognized that beingpresident was a job. so they decided the work should come with ayearlysalary,or income—no need to accept anyone's dishonest bribe.Congress had the power to decide how much money the presidentreceived. Article II also made it clear that the president couldn't takemoney from other sources. They can't receive a raise while in officeeither. The restrictions may sound harsh, but the guidelinesprotect the president. They ensure that Congress won'tpunish (or reward) the president for actions they may take.Did y o u know thatthe president is elected by acollege? No, it's not a school.TheElectoral Collegeis agroup ofelectors(peoplechosen by each state) whocast their state's official votefor a presidential candidate.The electors' votes reflectwho w o n the most votes intheir state. Originally, thecandidate with the mostelectoral votes becamepresident, and the runner upbecame vice president.ElectingExecutivesIiviesC- 2023 ICMcs, Inc.

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Political Science

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