Is it in the constitution that the president can fire members of his cabinet or is that law?
349864
He can do it because he appointed them, and they are not voted in by the people.
15997
The President of the United States has 6 categories of power.  Under the category of Executive powers he or she has "Executive Orders" powers.  These powers a simliar to the legislative or judicial powers.\n\nBeing that the government is setup with equal power among the branches, the Supreme Court could rule what the President is doing is in violation of Constitutional rights.\n\nAbraham Lincoln violated consitutional rights doing the Civil war by suspending Habeas Corpus, that is the right of a person who has been arrested to know the charges they are being held on.\n\nThe Supreme Court ruled this was unconstitutional, however another presidential power suspended the Supreme Courts decision.\n\nUnder the President Military Powers, he or she is able to order the military into action.  During the Civil War Lincoln told the Supreme Court if they forced action he would order the military to arrest all of the Justices.  The Supreme Court backed down and waited until after the war was over to rule.\n\nWith the powers given to the President by the people of the United States through the US Constitution as well as the Constituion stating the government must protect the citizens of the United States, yes, it is well within the power of the President to take actions considered by the government to protect the citizens.
553496
None! The Constitution has no provisions on the matter. As to previous poster your refering to the rule for Senators & President. Not the Justices....
688076
Yes the Honorable President can direct the Government to enact a law to avoid such things and to dismiss the official(S)/Officer(S) responsible for such serious lapses.
25441
"Is there a "No Confidence" mechanism for US presidents?"\n\nAs a practical matter, no.  There are two constitutional clauses for removing the president - Article II, Section 4, which reads:\n"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."\n\nThe only attempt to use this mechanism that was pursued to its conclusion was with President Andrew Johnson, who was narrowly acquitted.\n\nThe other clause that offers any type of mechanism for removing the President is the 25th Amendment, which reads as follows:\n\n"Section 1.\nIn case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.\n\nSection 2.\nWhenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.\n\nSection 3.\nWhenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.\n\nSection 4.\nWhenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.\n\nThereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office."\n\nGiven that the Vice President and the cabinet are typically selected by the President, and with the exception of the VP serve at the pleasure of the President, this mechanism would require the individuals holding those offices to believe 1) that their oath of office to their country exceeded their loyalty to the President, and 2) that their commitment to the rule of law in this country exceeded their loyalty to the president.
3220
No, but he could declare "martial law", and halt all elections - thereby remaining president indefinately.\n\nI've included a link with more details.
1091212
No,the secret Service are a part of the Treasury Department, and the president can not tell them to go away unless he/she is in there private quarters.  I
95709
If it within the confines of existing law I don't have a problem with it. I'm one who believes that president doesn't not have a lot of power. The constitution limited the presidents powers inorder to keep the government in the hands of the people thru it's elected representives. Additionally, the Commander In Chief status(Article II) placed on the president was meant to keep military generals or other officers from taking over the country like we seen happen so many times in other countries ie Cuba, and many African nations.
218000
A sitting President is effectively immune from criminal prosecution or civil liability.  However if the evidence was particularly damning, then the president would likely be impeached and then afterwards brought up on criminal charges.\n\nOnly one president has quit and none has been actually removed from office by Congressional action.  \n\nThere are a lot of nasty things the President has to authorize (directly or indirectly) in order to protect the country.  Many of these, while heinous, are not actually illegal -- and, in fact, lying to the American public is actually a job requirement.  \n\nJust take a look at the people here on Yahoo Answers and you'll see why most Americans need to be lied to.  They not only can't handle the truth; they prefer comforting lies.
865084
Section 1)  If the President leaves office through either his death or his resignation, then the Vice President becomes president (notice the first section doesn't require him to be sworn in, even though it's customary).  \n\nSection 2)  If there is no Vice President (for whatever reason), then the President nominates someone for Vice President; that person must be confimed by a majority (51%) of the House of Representatives.\n\nSection 3)  If the President signs a letter saying that he is not able to do his job for a time, the duties of the President are performed by the Vice President; he takes his office back by signing a letter declaring that he is able to resume his job.  This section is all about VOLUNTARILY giving up power for a time; it has been invoked on a number of occasions when a president has had to have surgery, for instance.\n\nSection 4)  is about INVOLUNTARILY surrendering power; If the Vice President AND a majority of the cabinet (or another body that Congress selects) determine that the president is incapable of fulfilling his duties, they deliver a letter to the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker of the House declaring this fact, at which time the Vice President assumes the duties of the President as *acting* president.  If the President later sends a letter to these same parties stating that he is fit to carry out his duties, he will re-assume his duties unless the VP and the majority of the cabinet (or the other selected body) sends another letter to the President Pro Tem of the Senate and the Speaker, saying that the President is not capable of performing his duties (this would be the second letter stating this); if that happens, the Congress assembles, and if a two-thirds vote of BOTH houses agrees with the VP and the Cabinet/ other body, then the VP takes over the duties of the President.\n\nAll this came about after the shooting of John F. Kennedy; had he lived, but been incapacitated, there would have been no constitutional basis for then Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson to have assumed the powers of the president; this amendment clarified the succession of the presidency in the event that the president was incapacitated but not dead.  It also provided for the appointment of a new vice president (Johnson served as President at least three years without a Vice President after becoming President when Kennedy was killed, thus putting the Speaker of the House 2nd in line for quite some time).
142460
No -- the law already provides means for the President to act in emergencies.  Claiming the right to do anything at all in "wartime" in furtherance of "national security" -- including the sole right to define "wartime" and "national security" is extremely dangerous.  Even with checks and balances in place this country has jailed pacifists (not draft resisters, simply opponents of WW 1) and imprisoned citizens of Japanese descent -- for no reason other than their race.  It will be far worse if no checks of law or balances from the courts and Congress remain.
179801
That would be mentioned somewhere in the state constitution, which it is not. Instead, the governor has the power of clemency.\n\n"Except in cases of treason and in cases where impeachment results in conviction, the governor may, by executive order filed with the custodian of state records, suspend collection of fines and forfeitures, grant reprieves not exceeding sixty days and, with the approval of two members of the cabinet, grant full or conditional pardons, restore civil rights, commute punishment, and remit fines and forfeitures for offenses."
974763
The answer is no. If ever a president made such a move, to mantain power (emergency powers, anyone?), the congress, supreme court, and the people themselves would have the right and indeed, the responsibility to remove him from office, by force if necessary.\n\nEdit: Peace, why can you libs not just answer a question without blasting the president and regurgitating the same old talking points?
488749
Article 1, Section 6 of the United States constitution says\nthat members of Congress "shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place."\n\nFor over two hundred years this has been interpreted to mean, among other things, that you can't search a congressman's office.\n\nThe Executive branch controls the FBI and to allow the executive branch to perform intrusive investigations of the Legislative branch has the clear potential of making a mockery of the separation of powers. The misuse of investigative and police powers is a classic means by which dictators have terrorized legislators and forced them to do their bidding.
121591
Basically, the government can do whatever it wants except what is explicitly forbidden by the constitution. And even then, they can ratify the constitution. Government also gets away with doing things if nobody says anything about it and the Supreme Court doesn't notice or is willing to rule in their favor.\n\nBut if you're looking for an answer about which branch has what powers, congress makes laws, the supreme court ensures laws and acts of government are constitutional, and the president has the power to act in an emergency and veto potential laws he or potentially she disagrees with.\n\nIn introductory political science courses they say the president enforces laws, but I think that doesn't hold up in reality. When was the last time you saw the president enforce anything?
713432
Traditionally, the president can choose whomever he wishes for his cabinet. The cast of cabinet secretaries is varied and has included both friends and foes of the sitting President at the time. However, most cabinet positions are subject to congressional hearings, so it helps to pick people with some kind of qualifications, and the selection and performance of the President's cabinet can reflect directly on the chief executive and influence his re-election, if they prove to be poor choices.
174488
He was impeached by the House of Representatives, not the Senate.  According to the US Constitution, only the House can  impeach someone.  An impeachment is not an official punishment in itself, but once someone is impeached, the Constitution requires the Senate hold a trial to decide if the accused should be removed from office.  The result of the party-line vote in the Senate was not to remove Clinton because Republicans did not have the 2/3 vote needed to remove him.