12 Insightful Facts About Executive Branch

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The Top Brass of Governance

Power, people, governance, vested interest, allegations and controversies.
All of the above terms are synonymous with the “Executive Branch” of a nation. It comprises people with the “Top Job”, and arguably the most difficult one, which is enforcing laws.

Here an apt example could be the “Executive Order M855” issued in the U.S. taking into account 2016 election cycle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) has proposed this executive branch rule related to ammunition, which may work as a driving force during the poll.

Such efforts of law enforcement can both infuriate and satisfy many people. However, the sole purpose of the Executive Branch consisting of the head of state and other top officials is to have the law and order situation under control.

Facts About Executive Branch:

1. The Executive Branch of a country include the President, the Vice President, Executive Office of the President, the Cabinet, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury and Department of Veteran Affairs.

2. The Executive Branch in the U.S. originated towards the end of 18th century after obtaining freedom from the Great Britain. Initially, the existing government tried to get into an agreement with the states, which is called “Articles of Confederation”. However, it did not work well as the states were creating and following their own rules. In order to keep things in order, the United States Constitution issued a new agreement, through which the states would select a leader to keep things coordinated. That leader is the President.

3. In the U.S., the President heads the government and also leads the armed forces. He/she can play a key role in approving a law or denying it with veto power. In addition, the President appoints the cabinet members and the heads of federal commissions.

4. According to the Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the executive branch has the authority to enforce laws. Even though several government agencies such as the FBI, CIA and FDA are part of the executive branch, the President is primarily responsible for enforcing laws in the nation.

5. The President can also have the ultimate say in terms of extending pardons and clemencies for federal crimes except for impeachment. Even though the President does not have the power to pass laws, he/she can pass and “Executive Order”, which is as forceful as laws.
6. In the U.S., the constitution requirement is that each President should least be of 35 years at the time of assuming responsibilities, a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the country for a minimum of 14 years.

7. In the U.S. Executive Branch history, there have so far been 43 Presidents, who came from various professions such as law, politics and even the movie industry.

8. The Constitution also provides Congress the power to follow the order of succession after the vice president. According to the existing law, if the positions of both the president and vice president become vacant, the speaker of the House of Representatives should take over the presidency.

9. The Cabinet and the stand-alone federal agencies are responsible for carrying out the enforcement of federal laws. These departments and agencies have their own set objectives towards the national security.

10. The Executive Branch in the U.S employs more than four million people, including members of the armed forces.

11. The Executive Branch is also responsible for conducting diplomacy at the international level, and the President has the authority to negotiate and sign treaties, which should also be supported by two-thirds of the Senate.

12. With a budget of around $25 billion, the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the U.S. is the world’s largest law office and the central agency to enforce federal laws.

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