2305+-+The+Executive+-+Definition+and+Historical+Background

Power Points



Description: In this section we introduce the executive branch, and as with the legislative branch, discuss its slow development over the course of British history and how that history helps explain the nature of executive power in the United States.

Goals: After reading through the material above, you should be able to address the following questions:

- What is the executive branch and what functions does it serve? - What are the different aspects of executive power? - What is the ultimate source of executive power? - What titles do we use to refer to chief executives? Why are these titles meaningful? - What does it matter if the executive is headed by one person or by mutliple people? - What aspects of executive power did the Magna Carta Attempt to limit? How did it intend to do so? Was it sucessful? - What additional limitations did the Petition of Right and the British Bill of Rights attempt to impose on executive/monarchic power? Were they successful? Why or why not? - Be able to descibe the factors that led to an increase in executive power over British history. In what ways did the monarch become more powerful? - Be familiar with the growth of the administrative state. - What arguments did monarchs - especially the Stuarts - use to justify their power? - What was the general attitude the Stuarts had towards parliament? - How did Parliament deal with the Stuarts? - What grievances did the colonists have with the British monarch? What specific usurpations of executive power dis they complain about? Why are these significant?