Hello again! Justin here. As young people, your potential is limitless. So long as you work hard
and do your research, you have a vast horizon of opportunities that could come your way.
Maybe you want to be an astronaut, or a deep sea diver. Many people want to become
professional athletes or rock stars. One of the most common big shot dream youngsters have
is to become president of the United States. Sure, this may seem far-fetched, but seriously.
Someone has to be elected president, and who's to say it couldn't be you one day?
Well, there are some rules for becoming president, and a lot that goes into how the executive branch
is organized. We're going to be discussing all of that in today's lesson. By the end of this lesson,
you will be able to analyze the structure of the federal executive branch in terms of
the requirements to hold office, length of terms, and organization. Let's get to work!
The office of the president. A position only 46 men have occupied so far
in history. What's involved in the duties of the president, and how was the executive
branch broken up into separate jobs? In this series, we will break all of that down.
Some of the president's duties include being both the chief executive
and head of state. The president's central role is to enforce federal law and uphold the
Constitution. Big responsibilities, huh? Still want to become president? Well, let's go over
the requirements for becoming the president, and see if you actually can be president.
The requirements to become president of the U.S.A. include all of these. You have to be
a natural-born citizen of the United States, which means you are a person born on U.S. soil,
or to a parent with American citizenship. Believe it or not,
this is the only government office to hold such a requirement. It's not just about birth,
however. Another requirement is that you have to have lived in the United States for at least 14
years to run for president. On top of all that, you have to be at least 35 years old.
Time for a bit of trivia. Who was the youngest president ever to be elected?
Time's up! Fun little fact. Most people think John F. Kennedy, Jr. was the youngest president,
but they're wrong. The youngest president to take office was Theodore Roosevelt at age 43.
Roosevelt was vice president, and took over after President McKinley was assassinated.
With that, let's pause here for a classy show what you know. In your notebook,
please answer the following questions. How old do you have to be to serve as president?
What requirement is unique to the office of the president?
How many years must you have lived in the United States to become president? Quick brain buster!
Do you agree with the requirements the framers put on the position?
So how long can a president be president, you might ask? The term length for president is four
years in office. Surprisingly, there used to be no limit to the number of terms. However, the 22nd
amendment did away with that. The 22nd amendment limits the president to two terms in office.
A president can serve a split term, meaning less than two years, if having to take the office from
another president, and then can serve two additional terms. Pretty specific, right? Okay,
okay. That was a quick one, but we still need to see if you got it with a show what you know.
In your notebook, please answer the following questions. How long is a presidential term?
How many terms could a president serve before the 22nd amendment?
Brain buster! In your opinion, how might term limits check presidential power?
Hey, this is similar to the question you answered in the last series. Remember how big of a job
you're signing up for? Can't do it alone. So let's look at how the executive branch is organized.
Now, the president isn't alone in their office. In Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution,
it states that the president may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer
in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties
of their respective offices. This clause creates something called a cabinet.
The cabinet is made up of the heads of the 15 major executive departments. There are
departments for all sorts of things, and each one of these departments is responsible to report back
to the president on whichever area they have been charged with. The president gets to pick
each department head, normally called secretary, who leads each department. Hmm,
secretary. Drop the A, R, and Y, and you have the word secret. When Congress created
the first departments in 1789, it understood the sensitive nature of the president's work, and so
it gave these first department heads the title of secretary. Now, the president cannot just assign
anyone. Checks and balances exist here too. The Senate must confirm the president's appointments,
and this checks the president's power. But wait. All parts of the executive branch are created and
empowered by Congress, which is also an important check on presidential power. Fascinating,
I know. Another part of the executive branch we'll discuss has limited access to the president and
operates outside the control of the president. This part is known as independent agencies.
Now, these agencies, unofficially known as the fourth branch, and by some are undemocratic as
they are less accountable to elected officials and the people, are typically controlled by
Congress through the use of subpoenas or acts of law. But other than that,
they run on their own track, and although these agencies are technically part of the
executive branch, they're created by Congress. Sometimes against the wishes of the president.
Some examples of independent agencies include the Central Intelligence Agency, or the CIA,
the Federal Elections Commission, and the U.S. Postal Service.
So as American society changes, the size and scope of the executive branch
also continues to change. Today, the executive branch is composed of not only the cabinet,
but also the White House Office, joint chiefs of staff, countless agencies, and commissions. You
can check out the PDF for a great T-chart breaking it all down. Let's wrap this up with a show what
you know to see if you got it down. In your notebook, please answer the following questions.
What is the president's cabinet? What are independent agencies?
Why are they referred to as the fourth branch? Next, create a tree map, and title it executive
structure. After that, create three subtitles. One subtitle should be titled, requirements
for office. The next should be titled, terms and term limits, and the last should have the title,
organization. Feel free to rewind the video to fill out information for each subtitle.
Time to recap! Today, we learned that the president is charged with enforcing federal law
and upholding the Constitution. Today, the president is limited to two four-year terms,
but can serve a total of 10 years if succeeding a president. Finally, through a system of checks
and balances and separated powers, the executive branch is created, typically by request of the
president, through the use of legislation, and at times, confirmation by the Senate.
And that's all for us today, friends. We hope you've learned a lot about the executive branch
today. Have a great rest of your day, and remember to vote, debate, and participate!