Title: The Executive Branch of US Government
Headings: The Executive Branch of US Government
The Executive Branch of US Government
The President Heads Up the Executive Branch
Fast Facts: The Executive Branch
The Role of the President
The Role of the Vice President
The Roles of the Cabinet Agencies
Watch Now: Checks and Balances in the U.S. Government

Content: The executive branch also includes the Vice President of the United States and the members of the president’s cabinet. The president’s cabinet is made up of the heads of the 15 major government departments who advise the president on important matters and assist in the preparation of the annual federal budget. As one of the foundational elements of a strong central government as envisioned by America’s Founding Fathers, the executive branch dates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Hoping to protect the liberties of individual citizens by preventing the government from abusing its power, the Framers crafted the first three articles of the Constitution to establish three separate branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. The Role of the President
Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states: “ The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” As the head of the executive branch, the President of the United States functions as the head of state representing U.S. foreign policy and as the Commander-in-Chief of all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The president appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Secretaries of the Cabinet agencies, as well as the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. As part of the system of checks and balances, the president’s nominees for these positions require the approval of the Senate.