The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch is a huge branch. Many people believe that this branch is made up of only the president. However, this assumption is false. This branch covers everything from the president to his cabinet to all of the different departments. The Executive Branch's job is to carry out and enforce the laws that the legislative branch makes. Without the Executive Branch, there wouldn't be much of a US government. Throughout this section, I will explain all of the little parts that make this branch work. And trust me, it gets pretty intricate.
Lots of Parts
Like I said earlier, there are many different parts to this Branch. The Executive Branch is made up of departments and independent agencies. There are fifteen different departments, and all of them do an important part for the branch. Inside of each department, there is a secretary that is the leader. The president is the one who appoints these secretaries. These secretaries advise the president, and they are called the cabinet. Independent agencies are like departments in the fact that they focus on certain issues, but they are independent of the president. They are ruled by either a board or a commission. This board will make all of the decisions for the agency and not have to worry about be ruled by the president (directly).
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Now, the main point of this branch is to enforce the laws that the Legislative Branch lays down. But how exactly do they do that? Well, there are many ways in which the government can enforce a law. First, they have to make sure that the law is being broken. Once they see a law is broken they can take the individual or group to court. Once in court, they can cite the wrong that has been done and punish the perpetrator accordingly. There are also laws that are just like instructions for companies. These regulations must be followed, or the government can shut the business down. An example of a regulation is that employees must was their hands before entering the work place.
Safety First
Now that you know that the Executive Branch enforces laws, let's talk about the other things that it does. One of the main thing that the Executive Branch does is keep the United States safe. One of the department, The Department of Homeland Security, is in charge of making sure that terrorist threats are subsidized before any credibility is achieved. Not only does this department deal with international affairs like terrorists, but it also deals with natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Isaac. Everything that the Executive Branch does is done to ensure that The United States is the safest and best country it can be.
Section Review
- The main job of the Executive Branch is to enforce the laws that the Legislative Branch makes
- The Executive has many, many parts that make up the Branch
- The Executive Branch has Departments and Independent Agencies that each have a secretary. These Secretaires make up the Cabinet.
- The Executive Branch protects the US in many ways. They protect from both terrorist threats and natural disasters.
Vocab
Departments: Divisions of the Executive Branch that cover the many different areas of the US affairs. There are 15 Departments, and they are ruled by the government.
Independent Agencies: Divisions of the Executive Branch that also deal with US affairs, but are ruled by a board or commission independent of the Government.
Cabinet: Group of secretaries appointed by the president that advise him.
Enforce: To carry out a law and/or make sure that the law is obeyed.
Regulations: Laws that have to be followed by businesses such as health codes.
Independent Agencies: Divisions of the Executive Branch that also deal with US affairs, but are ruled by a board or commission independent of the Government.
Cabinet: Group of secretaries appointed by the president that advise him.
Enforce: To carry out a law and/or make sure that the law is obeyed.
Regulations: Laws that have to be followed by businesses such as health codes.
Review Questions
- How many departments are in the Executive Branch? 15
- What is the main job of the Executive Branch? To enforce the laws made by the Legislative Branch.
- What is the Department of Homeland Security? The Department that protects the US in thing ranging from terrorist threats to dealing with natural disasters.
- How are Secretaries appointed? They are appointed by the President.
- What happens if a business breaks a regulation? They can be shut down.