Executive Branch Study Guide

What are the formal requirements for a person to be eligible to be the President of the United States?

• Must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident within the United States for 14 years

• Must have a law degree

• Must have previous political experience

• Must be a resident within the United States for 20 years

Answer explanation

The formal requirements for a person to be eligible to be the President of the United States are to be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident within the United States for 14 years.

Which of the following is an informal qualification for a person wishing to become the President?

• Must be a natural-born citizen of the United States

• Must have resided in the U.S. for at least 14 years

• Must be at least 35 years of age

• Must have a strong public image and political support, moderate political beliefs, be able to raise money

Answer explanation

The president must have: a strong public image (need a positive public image to receive public support), political support (allies to support their candidacy), moderate political beliefs (appeal to the largest population of voters),

3. be able to raise money (it is expensive to run for President).

What is the responsibility of the Chief Executive regarding the law?

• To interpret the law

• To enforce the law

• To make the law

• To judge legal cases

Answer explanation

The responsibility of the Chief Executive is to enforce the law, ensuring that laws are followed, implemented, and enforced through the executive agencies.

What are executive orders and how are they different from a law?

• Executive orders give a new interpretation of existing laws to the executive agencies to enforce.

• Executive orders are suggestions made by the President without any legal standing.

• Executive orders and laws are the same.

• Executive orders are bills before they are passed by Congress.

Answer explanation

Executive orders give a new interpretation of existing laws to the executive agencies to enforce. Executive orders are legally binding directives from the President backed with the full force of law. Unlike laws passed by Congress, they are NOT new laws and do not require Congressional approval.

What is a Presidential pardon and how is this different from amnesty?

• A Presidential pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction, whereas amnesty is a broader forgiveness for past offenses, often granted to a group of individuals.

• A Presidential pardon and amnesty are the same.

• Amnesty is a decision made by the president to forgive only political offenses, while a Presidential pardon can be for any type of crime at any level.

• A Presidential pardon is only granted by the United Nations, whereas amnesty can be granted by any country's government.

Answer explanation

Presidential Pardon: Allows relief from legal consequences of the criminal conviction. Granted on an individual basis and nearly always after a criminal conviction has been reached. Presidential Pardon applies ONLY to federal offenses.

Amnesty: A general pardon for offenses, especially political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction. It is an act of forgiveness for past offenses, especially to a class or GROUP of persons as a whole. Often granted to immigrants and seen in the context of Civil Wars.

What does the President act as when in the role of Commander in Chief?

• Chief Diplomat

• Head of State

• Leader of the US Armed Services

• Chief Legislator

Answer explanation

The President acts as the leader of the Us Armed Forces when in that role, overseeing all branches of the military and serving as the highest ranking member.

What is the War Powers Act and how has it been used by Presidents?

• A law that grants Congress the ability to limit the President's power to deploy military forces without Congress's consent. A President cannot commit troops to combat for more than 60 days.

• A law that allows Presidents to declare war without Congress's approval. Troops are deployed for as long as the Presidents wish.

• A financial act that controls the defense budget. Limits troop deployment to 90 days.

• An act that has never been used by Presidents

Answer explanation

The War Powers Act is a law that grants Congress the ability to limit the President's power to deploy military forces without Congress's consent.

The War Powers Act still allows the President to send in troops quickly, to engage foreign policy needs. However, troops cannot be committed by the President for more than 60 days. Congressional approval of extension is required.

What is the President’s role as the Chief Diplomat?

• To serve as the head of the military

• To represent the country in foreign affairs

• To preside over the Senate

• To appoint federal judges

Answer explanation

The President's role as the Chief Diplomat is to represent the country in foreign affairs by speaking and meeting with foreign nation representatives to negotiate, discuss plans and make agreements.

What is the purpose of the Electoral College in Presidential elections?

• A committee established by the framers to directly counts the popular votes to elect the President.

• It is a system created by the framers to elect the President, where electors vote based on the popular vote of their state.

• It is used to educate the public about the candidates.

• It serves as a debating society created by framers for discussing the merits of the candidates.

Answer explanation

The Electoral College is a system created by the framers to elect the President, where electors vote based on the popular vote of their state.

The framers created this system to make sure the Presidents were chosen by a more educated group of people chosen for their judgement abilities.

A major criticism is that the popular vote doesn't gurantee a candidate's win.

What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?

• A group that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation

• A federal agency responsible for enforcing the laws governing campaign finance

• A non-profit organization that focuses on voter education and registration

• A political party's executive committee

Answer explanation

A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a group that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, making it the correct choice.