President of the United States |
- For the rock band, see Presidents of the United States of America
The President of the United States is the head of
state of the United States. Under the U.S. Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and
commander in chief of the armed forces. The president is the principal elected
representative of the U.S. citizenry.
Because of the superpower status of the United States, the American
President is often dubbed "the most powerful person on earth" and the current occupant is often one of the world's best-known
figures. During the Cold War, the President was sometimes referred to as "the
leader of the free world," a phrase that is still occasionally invoked today.
Requirements to hold office
Section one of Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the requirements one must
meet in order to become President: The president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years of age, and a resident of the United
States for 14 years. The Constitution also allowed any U.S. citizens at the time of the adoption of the Constitution to be
eligible for the Presidency.
Under the Constitution, the President serves a four-year term. Amendment XXII (which took effect in 1951 and was first applied to Dwight D.
Eisenhower in 1952) limits the
President to either two four-year terms or a maximum of ten years in office should he have succeeded to the Presidency previously
and served less than two years completing his predecessor's term.
Presidential elections
U.S. presidential elections are held every
four years through the U.S. Electoral College. The
President and the Vice
President are the only two nationally elected officials in the United States. (Legislators are elected on a state-by-state
basis; other executive officers and judges are appointed.) Originally, electors voted for two people for President. The votes
were tallied and the person receiving the greatest number of votes (provided that such a number was a majority of electors) would
be President, while the individual who was in second place became Vice President.
The ratification of Amendment XII in 1804 clarified
the electoral process by directing the electors to use separate ballots to vote for the President and Vice President. To be
elected, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes, or if no candidate receives a majority, the President and Vice
President are chosen by the House of Representatives and Senate respectively as necessary. Since 1937, with the ratification of Amendment XX, a newly-elected President, or a re-elected incumbent, is sworn in (usually by the Chief Justice) on January 20 of
the year following the election, an event called Inauguration
Day.
The modern Presidential election process begins with the primary elections, during which the major parties (currently the Democrats and the Republicans) select a nominee to unite behind;
the nominee in turn selects a running mate to join him on the ticket as the
Vice Presidential candidate. The two major candidates then face off in the general election, usually participating in nationally televised debates at least twice before
Election Day and campaigning across the country to explain their views and
plans to the voters. Much of the modern electoral process is concerned with winning swing states, through frequent visits and mass media
advertising drives.
In accordance with Article II, Section 1, Paragraph 8 of the Constitution, upon entering office, the President must repeat the
following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the
United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Only
presidents Franklin Pierce and Herbert Hoover have chosen to affirm rather than swear. The oath is traditionally ended with, "So help me
God," although for religious reasons some Presidents have said, "So help me."
Presidential powers
The office of president of the United States is one of the most powerful offices of its kind in the world. The president, the
Constitution says, must "take care that the
laws be faithfully executed." To carry out this responsibility, the president presides over the executive branch of the federal
government — a vast organization numbering about 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military personnel. In
addition, the president has important legislative and judicial powers.
Presidential executive powers
Within the executive branch itself, the president has broad powers to manage national affairs and the workings of the federal
government. The president can issue rules, regulations, and instructions called executive orders, which have the binding force of law upon federal agencies but do not require
congressional approval. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States, the president may also call into federal service the state
units of the National Guard. In times of
war or national emergency, the Congress may grant the
president even broader powers to manage the national economy and protect the security of the United States.
The president nominates — and the Senate confirms
— the heads of all executive departments and agencies, together with hundreds of other high-ranking federal officials. (See
United States Cabinet, Executive Office of the President.) In 2003, more than 3000 executive agency positions were subject to presidential appointment, with more than 1200
requiring Senate approval. The large majority of federal workers, however, are selected through the Civil Service system, in which appointment and promotion are
based on ability and experience.
The President is also responsible for preparing the budget of the United States, although the Congress must approve it. (See
Office of
Management and Budget)
Presidential legislative powers
Despite the constitutional provision that "all legislative powers" shall be vested in the Congress, the president, as the chief formulator of public
policy, has a major legislative role. The president can veto any bill passed by Congress
and, unless two-thirds of the members of each house vote to override the veto, the bill does not become law.
Much of the legislation dealt with by Congress is drafted at the initiative of the executive branch. In annual and special
messages to Congress, the president may propose legislation he believes is necessary. The most important of these is the annual
State of the Union Address traditionally given
in January. Before a joint session of Congress, the President outlines the status of the country and his legislative proposals
for the upcoming year. If Congress should adjourn without acting on those proposals, the president has the power to call it into
special session. But beyond this official role, the president, as head of a political party and as principal executive officer of
the U.S. government, is primarily in a position to influence public opinion and thereby to influence the course of legislation in
Congress.
To improve their working relationships with Congress, presidents in recent years have set up a Congressional
Liaison Office in the White House. Presidential aides keep abreast of all
important legislative activities and try to persuade senators and representatives of both parties to support administration
policies.
Presidential judicial powers
Among the president's constitutional powers is that of appointing important public officials. Presidential nomination of
federal judges, including members of the Supreme Court, is subject to confirmation by the Senate. Another significant power is
that of granting a full or conditional pardon to anyone convicted of breaking a federal law — except in a case of
impeachment. The pardoning power has come to embrace the power to shorten prison terms and reduce fines.
Presidential powers in foreign affairs
Under the Constitution, the president is the federal official primarily responsible for the relations of the United States
with foreign nations. The president appoints ambassadors, ministers, and consuls — subject to confirmation by the Senate
— and receives foreign ambassadors and other public officials. With the secretary of state, the president manages all
official contacts with foreign governments. On occasion, the president may personally participate in summit conferences where
chiefs of state meet for direct consultation. Thus, President Woodrow
Wilson headed the American delegation to the Paris conference at the end of World War
I; President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Allied leaders during World War II; and
every president since then has sat down with world leaders to discuss economic and political issues and to reach bilateral and
multilateral agreements.
Through the Department of
State, the president is responsible for the protection of Americans abroad and of foreign nationals in the United States. The
president decides whether to recognize new nations and new governments, and negotiate treaties with other nations, which become
binding on the United States when approved by two-thirds of the Senate. The president may also negotiate "executive agreements"
with foreign powers that are not subject to Senate confirmation.
Constraints on Presidential power
Because of the vast array of presidential roles and responsibilities, coupled with a conspicuous presence on the national and
international scene, political analysts have tended to place great emphasis on the president's powers. Some have even spoken of
"the imperial presidency," referring to the expanded role of
the office that Franklin D. Roosevelt maintained during his term.
One of the first sobering realities a new president discovers is an inherited bureaucratic structure that can be difficult to
manage and slow to change direction. The president's power to appoint extends only to some 3,000 people out of a civilian
government work force of about 3 million.
The president finds that the machinery of government (the civil
service) often operates independently of presidential interventions, has done so through earlier administrations, and will
continue to do so in the future. New presidents are immediately confronted with a backlog of decisions from the outgoing
administration. They inherit a budget formulated and enacted into law long before they came to office, as well as major spending
programs (such as veterans' benefits, Social Security payments, and Medicare health insurance for the elderly), which are mandated by law. In foreign affairs,
presidents must conform with treaties and informal agreements negotiated by their predecessors in office.
As the happy euphoria of the post-election "honeymoon" dissipates, the new president discovers that Congress has become less
cooperative and the media more critical. The president is forced to build at least temporary alliances among diverse, often
antagonistic interests — economic, geographic, ethnic, and ideological. Compromises with Congress must be struck if any
legislation is to be adopted. "It is very easy to defeat a bill in Congress," lamented President John F. Kennedy. "It is much more difficult to pass one."
Despite these constraints, every president achieves at least some of his legislative goals and prevents by veto the enactment
of other laws he believes not to be in the nation's best interests. The president's authority in the conduct of war and peace,
including the negotiation of treaties, is substantial. Moreover, the president can use his unique position to articulate ideas
and advocate policies, which then have a better chance of entering the public consciousness than those held by his political
rivals. President Theodore Roosevelt called this aspect of the
presidency "the bully pulpit," for when a president raises an issue, it inevitably becomes subject to public debate. A
president's power and influence may be limited, but they are also greater than those of any other American, in or out of
office.
Though constrained by various other laws passed by Congress, the President's executive branch conducts most foreign policy,
and his power to order and direct troops as commander-in-chief is quite significant. (The exact limits of what a President can do
with the military without Congressional authorization are open to debate.)
Succession
The United
States presidential line of succession is a well-defined sequence of who is to fill the Presidential office upon the death,
resignation or removal from office (by impeachment and conviction) of a
sitting President. The first three in the long line are:
- Vice President of the United
States
- Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- President pro tempore of the United States Senate.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution was written and
ratified to clarify and specifically outline the process for deeming a President incapable of discharging his powers and duties,
and subsequently elevating the Vice President to the role of Acting President of the United States.
List of Presidents of the United States
* Democrat on Whig ticket
** Democrat who ran on Union ticket with Republican Lincoln
Timeline
- Martin Van Buren was the first president born after the American Revolution and was thus arguably the first president who was not born as a subject of Britain.
- John Tyler was the first president born after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, meaning that all those born after him had/have to be a natural-born citizen
of the United States in order to become president.
- Franklin Pierce was the first president born in the 19th century.
- Warren Harding was the first president born after the American
Civil War.
- John F. Kennedy was the first president born in the 20th century.
- Jimmy Carter was the first president born after World War I.
- Bill Clinton was the first president born after World War II.
Former Presidents
After a president of the U.S. leaves office, the title "President" continues to be applied to them the rest of their life.
Former presidents continue to be important national figures, and in some cases go on to successful post-presidential careers.
Notable examples have included William Howard Taft's tenure
as Chief Justice of the United
States and Jimmy Carter's current career as a global human rights campaigner.
As of 2004, there are four living former presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter,
George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The most recently deceased President is Ronald Reagan.
There has never been more than five former presidents alive at any given time in American history. There have been three
periods during which five former presidents were alive:
- From March 4, 1861, to January 18, 1862, Martin Van Buren, John
Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan were living
(during the Lincoln Administration, until the death of Tyler).
- From January 20, 1993, to April 22, 1994, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush were living (during the Clinton Administration, until the death of Nixon).
- From January 20, 2001, to June 5, 2004, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and
Bill Clinton were living (during the George W. Bush Administration, until the death of Reagan).
Presidential salary and perks
Presidential Pay History
| Date established |
Salary |
| September 24, 1789 |
$25,000 |
| March 3, 1873 |
$50,000 |
| March 4, 1909 |
$75,000 |
| January 19, 1949 |
$100,000 |
| January 20, 1969 |
$200,000 |
| January 20, 2001 |
$400,000 |
The first United States Congress voted to pay George Washington a salary of $25,000 a year — a significant sum in
1789. Washington, already a successful man, didn't take the money. Since 2001, the President has earned a salary of $400,000 a year, modest in comparison to the
multi-million dollar salaries of most private-sector chief executive officers.
Traditionally, the President, as the most important official in the U.S. government, is the highest paid government employee. Consequently, the President's
salary serves as a cap of sorts for all other federal officials such as the Chief Justice. The raise for 2001 was
approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton in 1999 because other officials who receive annual cost-of-living increases had salaries approaching the
President's. Consequently, in order to raise the salaries of the other federal employees, the President's salary had to be raised
as well.
Modern Presidents enjoy many non-salary perks such as living and working in the spacious White House mansion in Washington, DC. While
travelling, the President is able to conduct all the functions of the office aboard several specially-built Boeing 747s, which take the call sign Air Force One when the President is aboard. The President travels around Washington in an armored Cadillac limousine, equipped with bullet-proof windows and tires and
a self-contained ventilation system in the event of a biological or chemical attack. When traveling longer distances around the
Washington area, the President travels aboard the Presidential helicopter, Marine
One. Additionally, the President has full use of Camp David in Maryland, a sprawling retreat occasionally used as a casual setting for hosting foreign
dignitaries.
The President and his family are protected at all times by an extensive Secret Service detail. Until 1997, all former Presidents
and their families were protected by the Secret Service until the President's death. The last President to have lifetime Secret
Service protection is Bill Clinton. George W. Bush and all subsequent Presidents will be protected by the Secret Service for a
maximum of 10 years after leaving office.
Presidents continue to enjoy other benefits after leaving office such as free mailing privileges, free office space, and
budgets for office help and staff assistance. However, it was not until after Harry Truman (1958) that Presidents received a pension after they left
office. Additionally, since the presidency of Herbert Hoover,
Presidents receive funding from the National Archives and Records Administration upon leaving office to establish
their own Presidential library. These are not traditional
libraries, but rather repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, and other historical materials for
each U.S. President since Herbert Hoover.
Presidential residences
The President's principal workplace and official residence is the White
House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. His official vacation or weekend residence is Camp David in Maryland. Many Presidents
have also had their own
homes.
Presidential facts
Transition events
- Four U.S. Presidents have been assassinated while in office:
- Four others died in office of natural causes:
- One President resigned from office:
- Two Presidents have been impeached, though neither was subsequently
convicted:
- Four Presidents have been elected without a plurality of popular votes:
- Two Presidents have been elected without a majority of electoral votes, and were chosen by the House of Representatives:
- Eight Presidents were not directly elected to the Presidency but were instead elected as Vice Presidents and then promoted
from that position:
- One President, Gerald Ford, was never elected but was appointed Vice
President by Richard Nixon (with approval from Congress) upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro
Agnew, succeeded to the Presidency after Nixon's resignation, and defeated in the 1976 election by Jimmy Carter. He remains the only President neither elected as President nor as
Vice President.
Other facts
While most presidents have been of substantially English descent, there have been a few who came from a different
background:
No women or non-white males have yet served as President of the United States.
The Secret Service and some agencies in
the government use acronyms as jargon. Since the Truman Administration the
President of the United States has been called POTUS. The wife of the President, traditionally referred to as
the First Lady is called
FLOTUS.
Presidential trivia lists
Related topics
Further readings
- Waldman, Michael, and George Stephanopoulos, "My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of America's Presidents,
from George Washington to George W. Bush". Sourcebooks Trade. September 2003. ISBN 1402200277
- Couch, Ernie, "Presidential Trivia". Rutledge Hill Press. March 1, 1996. ISBN 1558534121
- Lang, J. Stephen, "The Complete Book of Presidential Trivia". Pelican Publishing. September 2001. ISBN 1565548779
External links
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