The Executive Branch

The executive branch, headed by the president, is to ensure that the laws passed by Congress are properly administered and obeyed.

The Constitution assigns some particular powers to the president: he is the commander-in -chief of the American military, and has the authority to make treaties with other nations, subject to ratification by the Senate. He also is allowed appoint ambassadors to other nations, judges, justices of the Supreme Court, and other government officials, again subject to the Senate's approval. The president can grant pardons to citizens convicted of crimes. He is allowed to recommend laws to Congress. If Congress passes a bill with which the president disagrees strongly, he can veto it by refusing to sign it.

The president also has particular duties, including delivering information to Congress on the State of the Union. Although the Constitution does not specifically require the president to deliver an address to Congress on the State of the Union, this address has now become an annual ritual. More generally, the presidential Oath of Office, contained in the Constitution, requires an incoming president to swear to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Today the executive branch is the largest part of the federal government. It is organized into three main areas: the Executive Office of the President (EOP), federal departments, and independent agencies.

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) includes the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and the United States Trade Representative. The EOP includes all of the staffers who work for the president.