Executive Branch

1
Executive Branch

• The Bureaucracy

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White House Staff

• Chief of Staff
• Director of Communications
• Press Secretary
• White House Counsel
• Staff Secretary

3
Executive Office of the President

• Office of the Vice President
• National Security Council
• Council of Economic Advisors
• Council of Environmental Quality
• Office of Administration

• Office of Management and Budget
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Office of Policy Development
• Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Office of US Trade Representative
• Presidents Foreign Intelligence Advisory board

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Independent Agencies

• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Farm Credit Administration
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
• Federal Labor Relations Authority
• Institute of Museum and Library Services

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Endowment for the Arts
• Peace Corps
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.
• Selective Service System
• Social Security administration
• US Postal Service

5
Executive Departments

• Agriculture inspect food and help farmers
• Commerce promote trade and technology
• Defense provide military forces for national
  defense
• Education fund and develop public education
• Energy advise on energy policy and development

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Executive Departments

• Health and Human Services promote national
  health programs and services
• Homeland Security monitor and provide security
  within US borders
• Housing and Urban Development enforce housing
  laws and manage public housing
• Interior manage natural resources and public
  lands
• Justice enforce federal law and handle federal
  court cases

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Executive Departments

• Labor enforce labor laws and promote worker
  welfare
• State advice on foreign policy and foreign
  affairs
• Transportation develop and regulate highway and
  transit systems
• Treasury formulate tax and financial policy
• Veterans affairs provide benefits and services
  to military veterans

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Economic Policy
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Economic Stabilization

• Tools
• Fiscal Policy
• Uses budget to develop a policy using taxing and
  spending plans.
• Monetary Policy Controlled by the Federal Reserve
  System (Fed). A Central bank that controls the
  amount of money in circulation.

10
Sales Tax

• Def A tax on the sale of goods that is paid by
  the customer at the time of purchase. Today, 45
  states and many cities have a general sale tax.

• Pro- Relatively easy to collect.
• Con- Regressive tax. Affects rich and poor
  equally.

11
Property Tax

• Def A tax levied on the value of real property,
  such as land, homes, and buildings. Serves as the
  chief source of income for local governments.

• Pro Real property tax cannot be easily hidden
  from the tax collector.
• Con The tax levied on real property may not
  reflect the owners ability to pay.

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Individual Income Tax

• Def A tax on the incomes of state residents.
  Today, 43 states and a number of cities collect
  income taxes.

• Pro Progressive tax. Rates vary from less that 1
  percent on lower incomes to nearly 10 percent on
  higher incomes.
• Con High rates may drive wealthy people to
  states with no or low income taxes.

13
Excise Tax

• Def A tax levied on the sale of certain goods or
  services. Also called sin taxes because they
  are often levied on tobacco, alcohol, and
  gambling.

• Pro Taxing sin is easy for politicians.
• Con If raised too high, may encourage illegal
  traffic in taxed goods.

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How Tax Dollars are Spent
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The Federal Budget

• Budget and Accounting Act of 1921
• Bureau of the Budget
• Power to raise or lower agencies spending
  requests
• 1939 - Bureau of the Budget moved from the
  Treasury Dept to the Executive Office
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 1971

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The Federal Budget

• Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
• Process by which congress examines the
  Presidents budget proposal.
• Controls Presidents spending and sets budget
  limits.

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Deficit Spending

• Budget Deficit
• Political Disagreements
• Uncontrollable Spending
• Spending based on the governments prior legal
  commitments
• Payments on the national debt
• Current payments under contract
• Entitlements (Social Security)

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Foreign Policy
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Foreign-Policy Goals

• Maintaining National Security
• Supporting Democracy
• Promoting World Peace
• Providing Aid to People in Need
• Establishing Free and Open Trade

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Principals of Foreign Policy

• How active should U.S. in world affairs?
• Isolationism
• Nation should deal with domestic affairs rather
  than international
• Realism
• Taking an active role in international affairs

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Principals of Foreign Policy

• How active should U.S. in world affairs?
• Neoisolationism
• Keeping U.S. involvement to a minimum, what is
  good for the U.S. and other countries
• Idealism
• Involvement should take into account peoples
  rights and interests

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Making Foreign Policy

• Presidential Influence
• General Acceptance Not Law
• Presidential Doctrines
• Summit Conferences
• Commander in Chief
• Military Action
• Executive Agreements
• Formal understandings with foreign governments

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Making Foreign Policy

• Department of Defense
• Maintains military activities of the U.S.
• Pentagon
• 700,000 civilians, 1.4 million military
• Joint Chiefs of Staff
• 5 military people chosen by the President of the
  U.S.