Being President Webquest 9-12.7.B, 9-12.7.D

Being President

Webquest: adapted from iCivics.org

Index

1. Play by the Rulebook

2. Setting the Agenda

3. Serious Business

4. Not Alone

5. Carrying Out Laws

Play by the Rulebook

How long is the term served by a president according to the Constitution?

Click on the dot to open the link and asnwer the question on your paper.

Setting the Agenda

The president is our nation’s leader and often has goals for what the United States should accomplish. The president must explain that vision to other leaders in our government and to the people. The Constitution says the president must “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.” (They capitalized a lot of extra words back then.) The president does this once a year by giving a speech to a joint session of Congress (both the House and the Senate together). In this speech, the president tells everyone how things are going and sets goals for the coming year. This speech is called the State of the Union address.

Which president was the first to broadcast the State of the Union speech on the radio? Write a sentence explaining why it might be important to have the speech on radio or TV.

Serious Business

Being president must be super fun, right? Well, maybe… but being president of the United States is a tough job with important responsibilities that impact millions of people's lives. The president has to run the government, lead the military as Commander-in-Chief, and be the face of America to the rest of the world. Even while traveling on Air Force One, the president’s official jet, the president is still hard at work! Click the link and look through the headlines.

Describe two things you see in the Briefing Room that a president does as part of their job. Explain how each activity relates to the job of president.

Not Alone

Running the country is a huge job. Even if the president never slept, it would be impossible to run the country alone. Fortunately, the president has help—a group of advisors called the cabinet. Each of these advisors is the head of a different government department. The Constitution didn’t actually create the cabinet. It didn’t even create government departments! What it does say is that the president “may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments…” A quick mention of departments was good enough! Today’s executive branch has fifteen departments. Today’s presidents regularly ask the department heads’ opinions during cabinet meetings. On the left, you see former President Trump meeting with his cabinet.

• The cabinet includes one member who is not the head of a department. What is that person’s title? Who is that person right now?
• All of the department heads are called secretaries except one. Which department is that? What is that department’s leader called?

Carrying Out Laws

Congress passes laws, but the executive branch departments carry out those laws on a day-to-day basis. Your senator does not deliver the mail—the United States Postal Service does! Your House member does not arrest someone for breaking a federal law—an FBI agent working for the Department of Justice does! Congress does not screen your luggage at the airport—a transportation security officer working for the Department of Homeland Security does! The Constitution may put the president in charge of making sure the laws get followed, but it’s all these people who carry out laws on behalf of the executive branch. Click on the link and SCROLL DOWN to see descriptions of all the executive departments. (Watch for a paragraph called The Cabinet. The descriptions start right after that.)

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