The Executive Branch of the Federal Government: Purpose, Process, and People

Introduction 11
Chapter 1: The Role of the Executive 21
The Political Executive 22
Presidential Systems of Government 25
The Presidency of the United States 27
Duties of the Office 27
Primary Document: The Constitution
of the United States: Article II 28
Historical Development
of the Presidency 29
Primary Document: The Constitution of the
United States: Twenty-third Amendment 40
In Focus: The Watergate Scandal 42
Selecting a President 45
Primary Document: The Constitution of
the United States: Twelfth Amendment 48
The Vice Presidency of the United States 60
The First Lady of the United States 64
The White House 78
Executive Departments and Agencies 85
The Cabinet 86
Executive Agencies and Offices 94
Chapter 2: Presidents of the United States:
George Washington to
William McKinley 103
George Washington 103
Childhood and Youth 103
Prerevolutionary Military
and Political Career 104
Revolutionary Leadership 109
Presidency 113
John Adams 116
Early Life 116
Continental Congress 117
Foreign Service 118
Political Philosophy 119
Vice Presidency and Presidency 120
Retirement 122

Thomas Jefferson 123
Early Years 123
Declaring Independence 124
American in Paris 125
Party Politics 126
Presidency 128
Retirement 131
James Madison 132
Early Life and Political Activities 133
The Father of the Constitution 134
Madison’s Presidency 136
Later Life 137
James Monroe 138
Early Life and Career 138
Minister to France 139
The Louisiana Purchase 140
Presidency 141
John Quincy Adams 142
Early Life and Career 142
Break with the Federalists 144
Secretary of State 145
Presidency and Feud with Jackson 145
Second Career in Congress 146
Andrew Jackson 147
Early Life 147
Tennessee Politics 148
Military Feats 149
Presidential Prospects 150
Jacksonian Democracy 151
The First Term 151
Reelection in 1832 153
Martin Van Buren 154
William Henry Harrison 156
John Tyler 159
James K. Polk 161
Early Life and Career 162
Presidency 164
Zachary Taylor 164
Millard Fillmore 167
Franklin Pierce 169
James Buchanan

Abraham Lincoln 174
Life 175
Reputation and Character 185
Andrew Johnson 187
Early Life and Career 187
The Presidency 189
Impeachment 190
Ulysses S. Grant 191
Early Life 192
The Civil War 193
Command over Union Armies 193
Grant’s Presidency 195
Later Life 196
Rutherford B. Hayes 197
James A. Garfield 199
Chester A. Arthur 202
Grover Cleveland 205
Benjamin Harrison 209
William McKinley 212
Chapter 3: Presidents of the United States:
Theodore Roosevelt to
Barack Obama 216
Theodore Roosevelt 216
The Early Years 216
The Square Deal 219
Foreign Policy 220
Last Years as President 221
Later Years 221
William Howard Taft 222
Woodrow Wilson 225
Early Life, Education, and Governorship 226
First Term as President 227
Second Term as President 228
Warren G. Harding 230
Calvin Coolidge 233
Herbert Hoover 236
Franklin D. Roosevelt 240
Early Life 240
Early Political Activities 241
Paralysis to Presidency 242
The First Term 244

The Second Term 246
The Third and Fourth Terms 248
Harry S. Truman 251
Early Life and Career 252
Succession to the Presidency 253
Winning a Second Term 254
Outbreak of the Korean War 255
Dwight D. Eisenhower 256
Early Career 256
Supreme Commander 257
First Term as President 258
Second Term 260
Primary Document:
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Farewell Address 262
John F. Kennedy 263
Early Life 263
Congressman and Senator 264
Presidential Candidate and President 265
Primary Document:
John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address 268
Assassination 270
Lyndon B. Johnson 271
Early Life 272
Career in Congress 272
Vice Presidency 273
Accession to the Presidency 274
In Focus: The Warren Commission 275
Election and the Vietnam War 277
Domestic Problems 278
Last Days 279
Richard M. Nixon 279
Early Life and Congressional Career 280
Vice Presidency 280
Election of 1960 281
Presidency 282
Domestic Policies 282
Foreign Affairs 283
Watergate and Other Scandals 284
Retirement and Death 286
Gerald R. Ford 286
Primary Document: The Constitution of the
United States: Twenty-fifth Amendment,
Sections 1 and 2 287

Jimmy Carter 289
Ronald W. Reagan 295
Early Life and Acting Career 296
Governorship of California 298
Election of 1980 299
Primary Document:
Ronald Reagan: First Inaugural Address 300
Presidency 301
Retirement and Declining Health 308
George Bush 308
Early Life and Career 309
Vice Presidency 310
Presidency 311
Retirement 314
Bill Clinton 314
Early Life 314
Governor of Arkansas 316
Presidency 317
Life After the Presidency 321
George W. Bush 322
Early Life 323
Governor of Texas 325
Presidency 327
Barack Obama 340
Early Life 341
Politics and the Presidency 342
Primary Document:
Barack Obama: Inaugural Address 346
Appendix: Tables 349
Presidents of the United States 349
Vice Presidents of the United States 351
First Ladies of the United States 354
U.S. Presidential Election Results 356
Cabinets of the
Presidents of the United States 367
Glossary 399
For Further Reading 402
Index 404

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