The President of the United States
Roles of the President
Name: _________________________________
The POTUS as the Party Leader
Role: In this role, the president helps members of his political party get elected or appointed to office. The president campaigns for
those members who have supported his policies. At the end of a term the president may campaign for re-election.
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1. Choosing leading party members to serve in the president’s Cabinet.
2.
Guiding Questions:
1. To what political party does the current president belong?
2. In what ways can a sitting president work on behalf of his party?
3. In what ways can the president's party continue to work on his behalf?
The POTUS as the Commander-in-Chief
Role: The president is in charge of the U.S. armed forces: the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The president decides where troops
shall be stationed, where ships shall be sent, and how weapons shall be used. All military generals and admirals take their orders
from the President. The President uses a long line of civilian and military advisors to help him make these important decisions.
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1.
2.
3.
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the benefit of having a civilian who is an elected public official as the Commander-in-Chief?
2. What might be some of the drawbacks?
The POTUS as the Chief Executive (Head of Government)
Role: The president is "boss" for millions of government workers in the Executive Branch, deciding how the laws of the United States
are to be enforced and choosing the cabinet secretaries, officials and advisers to help run the Executive Branch.
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1. Appointing the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
2.
3.
Guiding Questions:
1. Which recent executive orders have impacted the state of the nation?
2. What article in the Constitution grants the president executive power?
The POTUS as the Chief of State (Head of State)
Role: This role requires a president to be an inspiring example for the American people. In some nations, the chief of state is a king or
a queen who wears a crown on special occasions, celebrates national holidays, and stands for the highest values and ideals of the
country. As the American Chief of State, the president is a living symbol of the nation.
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1. Awarding medals to students receiving academic honors.
2. Greeting visitors to the White House.
3.
4.
Guiding Questions:
1. When has a president visited U.S. cities in distress?
2. How would a president play the role of chief of state during wartime?
The POTUS as the Chief Diplomat
Role: The president decides what American diplomats and ambassadors shall say to foreign governments. With the help of advisers,
the president makes the foreign policy of the United States. The President is ultimately in charge of foreign policy and foreign
relations, although he sometimes delegates this power to… who?
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1. Traveling to London to meet with the British prime minister.
2. Working with leaders in the Middle East in an effort to create a peace plan for the region.
3.
4.
Guiding Questions:
1. Which foreign leaders has the president recently hosted at the White House? Which nations has the president recently visited?
What have been the motivating reasons for these visits?
2. Which countries have been traditional allies of the United States? Do these friendly relationships remain strong today?
The POTUS as the Chief Legislator
Role: Only Congress has the actual power to make laws. But the Constitution gives the president power to influence Congress in its
lawmaking. Presidents may urge Congress to pass new laws or veto bills that they do not favor.
Examples of the POTUS in this Role:
1.
2.
Guiding Questions:
1. Name two controversial pieces of legislation that the president has pushed through Congress.