Executive Branch

The executive branches makes sure the laws passed by Congress are executed and enforces the laws. 

The branch is made up of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, executive departments and the federal agencies. 

The President

The President is the head of state in the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the military. 

Under Article II of the Constitution the President is charged with “executing” and enforcing the laws, as passed by Congress. The President signs legislation into law or “vetos” bills, although Congress can override a veto with a 2/3 vote of both houses. 

The President also appoints the heads of federal agencies judges, and ambassadors, as well as justices of the US Supreme Court. 

The Executive branch is also charged with conducting diplomacy with other countries, including negotiating and signing treaties (which are then ratified by Congress). 

The President also has the ability to issue executive orders, which direct officers of the executive branch or clarify existing laws. Executive orders can be repealed by future presidents. 

For more details about the Presidency, see Article II.

Books

Here is a sample of the materials related to the Presidency in our catalog. For more, search our library. 

Friends and Foes by Rebecca K. C. Hersman

Global President by Stephen J. Farnsworth; S. Robert Lichter; Roland Schatz

Presidential Powers by Noah Berlatsky (Editor)

Presidential swing states : why only ten matter by David A Schultz 

A Question of Balance by Thomas E. Mann Call Number: 353.0089

To Serve the President by Bradley H. Patterson; Bradley H. Patterson

U.S. Presidential Inaugural Addresses from Washington to Obama. 

Woman President: Confronting Postfeminist Political Culture by Kristina Horn Sheeler; Karrin Vasby Anderson 

Web Resources

The Vice President

The Vice President becomes President if the elected President is unable to perform his duties following death, resignation or temporary incapacitation. Today the Vice President is elected with the President, but prior to the 12th Amendment the Electoral College voted only for President, and the candidate with the second highest number of votes became Vice President. 

The Vice President also has the ability to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie in the United States Senate. 

For more details about the Vice President, see the White House website.

Books

Here is a sample of the materials related to the Vice Presidency in our catalog. For more, search our library. 

Angler by Barton Gellman Call Number: 973.931092 G319a

Burr by Gore Vidal Call Number: 818 V648bu

The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney by Shirley Anne Warshaw

The Vice Presidency in foreign policy : from Mondale to Cheney by Jack Lechelt

Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993 by United States Congressional Call Number: GovDocs PaperY1.1/3:104-26

Web Resources

The Electoral College

While not a part of the Executive Branch, the Electoral College is important in understanding how our Presidential elections work. 

From Archives.gov: “The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.”

There are 538 electors, a majority (270) of which is required to elect the president. Your state is allocated electors equal to the number of members of Congress your state has (Senators and House of Representative members). The District of Columbia has three electors. When you vote in the election, you’re actually voting for your candidates electors. 

For more about the Electoral  College, see this page.

Books

Here is a sample of the materials related to the Electoral College in our catalog. For more, search our library. 

Web Resources

Selection of Electors

Qualifications of Electors

Restrictions on Electors

Fast Facts

Electoral College & Indecisive Election 

The Cabinet

The Cabinet is an advisory council made up of the heads of 15 Executive Departments: 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

From WhiteHouse.gov: “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 food safety, protecting natural resources, fostering rural communities, and ending hunger in America and abroad.” 

Department of Commerce

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of Commerce is the government agency tasked with improving living standards for all Americans by promoting economic development and technological innovation.

The department supports U.S. business and industry through a number of services, including gathering economic and demographic data, issuing patents and trademarks, improving understanding of the environment and oceanic life, and ensuring the effective use of scientific and technical resources. The agency also formulates telecommunications and technology policy, and promotes U.S. exports by assisting and enforcing international trade agreements.”

Department of Defense

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the military 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 Force, as well as many agencies, offices, and commands, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The DOD occupies the vast majority of the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA.”

Department of Education

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The mission of the Department of Education is to promote student achievement and preparation for competition in a global economy by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to educational opportunity.”

Department of Energy

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The DOE promotes America’s energy security by encouraging the development of reliable, clean, and affordable energy.” 

Department of Health & Human Services

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Agencies of HHS conduct health and social science research, work to prevent disease outbreaks, assure food and drug safety, and provide health insurance.

In addition to administering Medicare and Medicaid, which together provide health insurance to one in four Americans, HHS also oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control.”

Department of Homeland Security

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The missions of the Department of Homeland Security are to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks; protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key resources; and respond to and recover from incidents that do occur. The third largest Cabinet department, DHS was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, largely in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The new department consolidated 22 executive branch agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency… The agency also promotes preparedness and emergency prevention among citizens.”

Department of Housing & Urban Development

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency 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. Offices within HUD include the Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage and loan insurance; the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which ensures all Americans equal access to the housing of their choice; and the Community Development Block Grant Program, which helps communities with economic development, job opportunities, and housing rehabilitation. HUD also administers public housing and homeless assistance.”

Department of the Interior

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Its mission is to protect America’s natural resources, offer recreation opportunities, conduct scientific research, conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and honor our trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and our responsibilities to island communities.”

Department of Justice

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The mission of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.”

Department of Labor

From WhiteHouse.gov: “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 find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.”

Department of State

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of State plays the lead role in developing and implementing the President’s foreign policy. Major responsibilities include United States representation abroad, foreign assistance, foreign military training programs, countering international crime, and a wide assortment of services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals seeking entrance to the U.S.”

Department of Transportation

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system 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 Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration.”

Department of the Treasury 

From WhiteHouse.gov: “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.” 

Department of Veteran’s Affairs

From WhiteHouse.gov: “The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits. Veterans Affairs became a cabinet-level department in 1989.”

Other Executive Offices

Executive Office of the President

Created in 1939 by Franklin Roosevelt, the Executive Office of the President contains important advisors to the President. Senate confirmation is required some staff, but not all. Among others, the EOP houses the White House Communications Office and the Press Secretary, the National Security Council, and the Office of Management and Budget. 

For more, see this page.

Web Resources

Other Major Federal Agencies

Databases

You may also wish to check out our Newspapers page.

Disclaimer

This guide is intended to give a general overview of the Constitution and our system of government, as well as some historical information. It may not contain the most up to date legal information and should not be considered legal advice. For help with up to date legal research email us at refdesk@clarkson.edu. For legal advice, please consult an attorney.