Title: Executive Branch - HISTORY
Headings: Executive Branch
Executive Branch
Contents
Branches of Government
What Does the Executive Branch Do?
Who is in Charge of the Executive Branch?
Powers of the President and Executive Branch
Executive Orders
Sources
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Content: Initially, electors did not vote separately for president and vice president, but cast a single vote; the candidate who came in second became the vice president. But in 1804, after two highly contentious national elections, the 12th Amendment changed the voting process to the current system. Did you know? President Thomas Jefferson and Vice President George Clinton were the first executives to be voted into the White House after the passage of the 12 Amendment. The federal government has 15 executive departments (including Defense, State, Justice, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and so on). Each of these departments is led by a member of the presidential cabinet, who serve as advisors to the president. The heads of numerous executive agencies (the Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, etc.) are not formally members of the Cabinet, but they do fall under the president’s authority. The executive branch also includes more than 50 independent federal commissions, including the Federal Reserve Board, Securities and Exchange Commission and many others.