Executive Branch

Under the federal political system, the branch of government responsible for implementing, or executing, the law. To compare, the legislature does not implement but makes the law, which the executive branch enforces. The president cannot be part of the legislature, a dimension that confirms the separation of powers doctrine.

Under the separation of powers doctrine, the term executive branch refers to the president of the United States and his or her cabinet. The president appoints the cabinet staff.

The role of the executive involves enforcing the law and conducting the foreign relations of the state along with commanding the armed forces. The executive branch of government also issues executive orders. The Senate and the House of Representatives act as a check on the president with their right of impeachment (House) and conviction (Senate). The president, in turn, can veto congressional legislation, which the latter can override with a two-thirds vote. In the United States, a person can become president if he or she is a minimum of 35 years of age and is a natural-born citizen who has lived in the country for at least 14 years.

The executive branch model of government can be traced back to the French thinkers of the 18th century, who devised a political system based on the legislature, the judiciary, and the executive. For more information, see Robertson (1985), Scruton (1982), and The White House (2009).