To comment, go to the blog by clicking on any underlined article or section title below.

III. EXECUTIVE BRANCH

A.  President and Vice President

1.  The Head of State and Chief Executive Officer of the United States is the President.  The term of office will be four years.   

2.  A Vice President is elected along with the President and takes office at the same time and for the same term.  Except as noted herein, the Vice President shall assume only those duties assigned by the President.

3.  When assuming office, the President and Vice President must be at least at least the minimum age and less than a maximum age defined by law and must have been a citizen for at least 40 years, and neither shall have been President for more than six years.

---

B.  Succession

1.  When the office of President is vacant, the Vice President becomes President.

2.  When the office of Vice President is vacant, the President shall nominate an eligible person who will become Vice President upon the approval of 14 Senators. 

3.  Upon each new senior executive appointment, the President, with the approval of the Senate, will establish a sequenced list of senior executive appointees in office who are eligible to serve as President.  If the offices of President and Vice President are both vacant, the first available appointee on the list takes the oath and assumes the office of President, but he or she cannot be a nominee for President in the next election[1].

4.  Laws predating the nomination of the current President will define the circumstances whereby the President is so incapacitated as to be unable to serve and the Vice President or appointee successor becomes Acting President and the procedures whereby the President resumes his or her duties.

 

---

C.  Organization and Appointments

1.  The President will organize the executive into departments, sub-departments, and administrative agencies in a plan approved by the Senate.  Executive appointees will be in charge of each organizational unit and will be responsible for the annual budget thereof.

2.  The President appoints[2]:

1. Without the requirement of approval by the Senate, senior staff advisors who will serve at the pleasure of the President.
2. With the approval of the Senate, senior officials to be in charge of organizational units that carry out executive policies who will serve at the pleasure of the President.
3. Members of commissions, agencies, boards, and other entities under the terms defined in the laws creating these bodies.
4. With the approval of the Senate, senior officials to be in charge of the organizational units defined in law to be independent of executive policies (1) who will serve a fixed term of from three to seven years determined at the time of appointment to end in an odd-numbered year in the next presidential term, (2) who may not be reappointed to the same post more than once, and (3) who may be dismissed by the President only with the approval of seven Senators[3].

3.  As defined by law, those elected or appointed to federal service may select certain subordinates; otherwise, persons will enter non-military federal employment by examination. 

4.  Security, civilian personnel administration, accounting, purchasing, property management and other staff functions of the federal government will be part of the Executive Branch.  As defined in laws, the various components of the Executive Branch and the managers of the administrative functions of the Legislative, Judicial, and Electoral Branches will utilize these staff functions or not.
 

---

D.  Presidential Authority

1.  The President has full and exclusive authority to represent the United States to other countries and international organizations, to appoint ambassadors and other representatives thereto, and to negotiate agreements therewith. 

2.  Agreements between the United States and other countries or international institutions must be presented to the Senate within 90 days after the final text is settled.  If the Senate fails to vote within 90 days, agreements will be in effect.  If and when the Senate votes, agreements will be in effect immediately unless rejected by the vote of eight Senators.  Once in effect, international agreements supersede laws[4]. 

3.  Acting in accord with international agreements, the President will set tariffs, quotas on imports, and controls and subsidies on exports[5]. 

4.  The President is Commander in Chief of the military services with full and exclusive authority over the organization, composition, equipment, and domestic stationing of forces; and over the appointment of senior officers[6]. 

5.  All commissioned officers in the uniformed services shall take the following oath:

“I promise to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States of America and to carry out my duties with honor and integrity.”

6.  The President may order combat operations to repel an attack on the United States or to fulfill treaty obligations with other countries and international organizations; otherwise the vote of 14 Senators is required to declare war or to commit forces to combat or to station a military force outside of the United States.

7.  The federal military services will organize and equip state militia to serve as reserve forces.  In time of war, the President may incorporate the militia into the federal military services; in domestic emergencies, the President may call state militia to enforce federal laws and to maintain public order.

8.  The President has full control over covert intelligence and counter-intelligence activities and will keep seven Senators, selected by the Senate, fully informed of such activities.

9.  Notwithstanding the full and exclusive authority of the President as defined herein, the Senate will approve the budgets for foreign representation, the military services, and intelligence activities; and within the constraints of national security, committees of the House will have authority to monitor the operations thereof[7]. 

10.  The President may pardon or reduce the penalties of those convicted of federal crimes.

Back to Top