The President

• Pages: 81-81

81

EXECUTIVE BRANCH: THE

PRESIDENT

THE PRESIDENT

The President of the United States BARACK OBAMA

Article II, section 1, of the Constitution

provides that “[t]he executive Power

shall be vested in a President of the

United States of America. He shall hold

his Off‌i ce during the Term of four Years,

. . . together with the Vice President,

chosen for the same Term . . . .” In

addition to the powers set forth in the

Constitution, the statutes have conferred

upon the President specif‌i c authority and

responsibility covering a wide range of

matters (United States Code Index).

The President is the administrative

head of the executive branch of the

Government, which includes numerous

agencies, both temporary and permanent,

as well as the 15 executive departments.

The Cabinet The Cabinet, a creation

of custom and tradition dating back to

George Washington’s administration,

functions at the pleasure of the President.

Its purpose is to advise the President

upon any subject, relating to the duties

of the respective off‌i ces, on which he

requests information (pursuant to Article

II, section 2, of the Constitution).

The Cabinet is composed of the

Vice President and the heads of the 15

executive departments—the Secretaries

of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,

Education, Energy, Health and Human

Services, Homeland Security, Housing

and Urban Development, Interior,

Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury,

and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney

General. Additionally, in the Obama

administration, Cabinet-level rank has

been accorded to the Chief of Staff

to the President; the Administrator,

Environmental Protection Agency; the

Chair, Council of Economic Advisers;

the Director, Off‌i ce of Management

and Budget; the U.S. Permanent

Representative to the United Nations; and

the U.S. Trade Representative.

THE VICE PRESIDENT

The Vice President JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.

Article II, section 1, of the Constitution

provides that the President “shall hold his

Off‌i ce during the Term of four Years, . .

. together with the Vice President . . . .’’

In addition to his role as President of the

Senate, the Vice President is empowered

to succeed to the Presidency, pursuant

to Article II and the 20th and 25th

amendments to the Constitution.

The executive functions of the Vice

President include participation in Cabinet

meetings and, by statute, membership

on the National Security Council and

the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian

Institution.