Article 2: The Executive Branch

Summary

Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution outlines the Executive Branch, focusing on the President's role and powers. To become President, one must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for 14 years. The same applies to the Vice President. The President serves as Commander-in-Chief, makes treaties, appoints officials, and delivers the State of the Union. However, if the President commits a serious crime, they can be impeached and potentially removed from office. Only two Presidents have been impeached but were acquitted.

Takeaways

• 📜 Article 2 of the Constitution covers the Executive Branch, specifically the role of the President.
• 👮‍♂️ The President's primary duty is to enforce laws as the head of the Executive Branch.
• 🌐 To run for President, one must be a natural born citizen of the United States.
• 📅 Candidates must be at least 35 years old, with most Presidents being in their 50s or older when elected.
• 🏠 A candidate must have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years, regardless of citizenship status at birth.
• 🌐 The same requirements apply to the Vice President, who may need to assume the Presidency.
• 🏆 The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, despite being a civilian.
• 🤝 The President has the power to make treaties with foreign nations.
• 📋 The President appoints key government officials such as Ambassadors and Judges.
• 🗣️ The President delivers a State of the Union address to Congress annually.
• ⚖️ The President can be impeached by Congress for failing to fulfill duties or committing serious crimes, though this is rare.

Q & A

What is Article 2 of the Constitution about?

Article 2 of the Constitution covers the Executive Branch, specifically the role and powers of the President.

What is the primary job of the Executive Branch?

The primary job of the Executive Branch is to enforce laws, and this responsibility is mainly held by the President.

What are the requirements to run for President as outlined in Article 2?

To run for President, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

What does it mean to be a 'natural-born citizen' of the United States?

A natural-born citizen means someone who was born in the United States or born outside the U.S. to parents who are U.S. citizens.

Why do the requirements for Vice President mirror those of the President?

The requirements are the same because if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President steps in to become the President.

What are some of the President's powers according to Article 2?

The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the military, has the power to make treaties, appoint Ambassadors, Judges, and other Federal Officials, and must give the State of the Union address to Congress once a year.

What is the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief?

As Commander-in-Chief, the President is in charge of the military, even though he is a civilian and not technically part of the military.

What is the purpose of the State of the Union address?

The State of the Union address is a speech given by the President to Congress once a year, outlining important issues and goals for the next year.

How can a President be punished according to Article 2?

If the President fails to fulfill his duties or commits a serious crime, he can be impeached by Congress. If found guilty, he can be removed from office.

How many Presidents have been impeached, and what was the outcome?

Two Presidents have been impeached, but both were acquitted of their crimes and remained in office.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Article 2 and the Executive Branch

This paragraph discusses Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines the role of the Executive Branch, primarily the President. It details the requirements to run for the presidency, including being a natural-born U.S. citizen, being at least 35 years old, and having been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. The paragraph also mentions that these requirements apply to the Vice President as well. The President's powers include being Commander-in-Chief of the military, making treaties, appointing government officials, and giving a State of the Union address annually. The paragraph concludes by explaining the impeachment process, which can result in the removal of a President who fails to fulfill their duties or commits a serious crime.

Keywords

💡Article 2

Article 2 of the Constitution refers to the section that outlines the framework for the Executive Branch of the United States government, primarily focusing on the role and responsibilities of the President. It is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for discussing the qualifications and powers of the President.

💡Executive Branch

The Executive Branch is one of the three branches of the U.S. federal government, responsible for enforcing laws. In the context of the video, it is the branch headed by the President, emphasizing the President's role in law enforcement.

💡President

The President is the head of the Executive Branch and the chief executive of the federal government. The video script discusses the President's qualifications, powers, and responsibilities, making the President a key concept in understanding the video's content.

💡Natural born citizen

A 'natural born citizen' is a requirement for running for the Office of President, defined as someone born within the United States or to U.S. citizen parents abroad. This term is crucial for understanding eligibility for the presidency as discussed in the video.

💡Resident

The term 'resident' in the context of Article 2 refers to the requirement that a President must have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. It is a key concept that ensures candidates have significant ties to the country.

💡Commander-in-Chief

As 'Commander-in-Chief', the President has authority over the military, even though they are not technically part of it. This power is highlighted in the video to illustrate the President's significant role in national defense.

💡Treaties

The President has the power to make treaties, which are formal agreements with other countries. This concept is important for understanding the President's role in foreign policy and international relations.

💡Appoint

The President's power to 'appoint' refers to the authority to choose key government officials such as Ambassadors and Judges. This term is highlighted in the video to show the President's influence on the shape of the government.

💡State of the Union

The 'State of the Union' address is an annual speech by the President to Congress, outlining the administration's goals and priorities. It is a key part of the President's communication with the legislative branch, as mentioned in the video.

💡Impeachment

Impeachment is the process by which the President can be accused of crimes and potentially removed from office. The video mentions this as a check on the President's power, ensuring accountability.

💡Vice President

The Vice President is second in line to the presidency and assumes the role if the President is unable to serve. The video script notes that the Vice President must meet the same qualifications as the President, emphasizing continuity in leadership.

Highlights

Article 2 of the Constitution covers the Executive Branch, focusing on the President.

The Executive Branch is responsible for enforcing laws, primarily the President's role.

To run for President, one must be a natural born citizen of the United States.

Natural born citizens include those born within the U.S. or to U.S. citizen parents abroad.

Presidential candidates must be at least 35 years old, with most being in their 50s or older.

A candidate must have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years.

The Vice President has the same requirements as the President.

The Vice President steps in as President if the current President dies, resigns, or is removed.

The President is Commander-in-Chief of the military, despite being a civilian.

The President has the power to make treaties with other countries.

The President appoints Ambassadors, Judges, and other Federal Officials.

The President must give a State of the Union address to Congress once a year.

The State of the Union address outlines important issues for Congress to address.

Article 1 grants the President many powers but also outlines impeachment procedures.

Impeachment is the process of accusing the President of a crime.

If found guilty, the President can be removed from office, though this is rare.

Only two Presidents have been impeached, both were acquitted and remained in office.

Transcripts

Today we'll learn about Article 2 of the Constitution.

Article 2 goes over the Executive Branch. or in other words, the President.

The Executive Branch's job is to enforce laws and this job is primarily left up to the President.

Article 2 has several requirements to run for the Office of President.

First, you must be a natural born citizen of the United States.

This means you were born within the United States, or you were born outside the United States to parents that were US citizens.

Second, you must be at least 35 years old but you could be much older.

Most Presidents are in their 50's or older when they're elected.

And third, you must have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

This means that if you were born a U.S. citizen and then you move somewhere else for part of your life

you have to have lived on U.S. soil for at least 14 years total to run for President.

Though the Constitution doesn't directly state it, the requirements are the same for the Vice President.

This is because if the President dies, resigns, or is removed from Office, it is the Vice President's job to step in and become President.

The President has several powers given to him in the Constitution.

He is Commander-in-Chief of the military which means that even though he isn't technically part of the military, and is considered a civilian, he is still in charge.

The President also has the power to make treaties which are agreements between the United States and other countries.

He also has the power to appoint many government workers.

Appoint means to choose, and the President gets to appoint Ambassadors, Judges, and other Federal Officials.

In addition, he must also give a State of the Union address to Congress once a year.

This is the speech in which the President tells Congress any important issues he wants them to work on over the course of the next year.

Article 1 gives the President many powers but it also outlines how the President can be punished.

If the President fails to fulfill his duties, or commits a serious crime, he can be impeached by Congress.

Impeach means accuse of a crime and if the President is found guilty, he can be removed from office

This rarely happen, only two Presidents have ever been impeached and both were acquitted of their crimes and got to keep their job of President.