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8 ROLES OF THE PRESIDENT
1. CHIEF OF STATE
A. Ceremonial head of the government and nation. Symbol of the people.
B. Different from other countries with a Prime Minister (political head) and an Emperor or
Queen (ceremonial head). U.S. President does both.
2. CHIEF EXECUTIVE
1. Job to carry out the laws and programs passed by Congress.
2. Head of all government agencies, bureaus, commissions and departments.
3. The President appoints with the consent of Congress, the top officials in all the federal
agencies, cabinet, armed forces, federal judges, attorneys, and marshalls.
3. CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
A. Controls the largest business organization in the world.
B. Hires and fires top governmental employees.
C. Directs and employees more than 2.7 civilians and spends nearly 2 trillion a year.
4. CHIEF DIPLOMAT
A. Makes key appointments of diplomats & ambassadors with the consent of the Senate.
B. Recognizes governments. (Exchanges diplomats and sets up embassies).
C. Enters into Executive agreements with other country’s leaders. This does not require
Senate consent.
D. Sets our foreign policy.
E. Meets with advisors on foreign affairs.
F. Factors in decisions include: political ideology, development of a country, threats,
economy/trade issues, past relationships with that country.
5. COMMANDER IN CHIEF
A. Key military decisions are left to the President
B. Only Congress can declare war, but the President can use troops before
this on a limited basis according to the War Powers Act, which
states:
1. Within 48 hours of committing U.S. forces, the President must report to
Congress detailing the circumstances and scope of his/her actions.
2. Combat commitment must end within 60 days unless Congress agrees to a
longer period.
3. Congress may end the combat commitment at any time by passing a resolution.
4. The constitutionality of this Act is in dispute. It has never been put to the test.
C. Presidential Military Advisors include: Secretary of State, Defense
Secretary, Heads of the Military.
6. CHIEF LEGISLATOR
A. Develops a legislative program spelled out through public policies.
B. Sets the congressional agenda.
C. Sends a budget for Congressional approval or changes.
D. Sends messages along with bills on specific issues to Congress (executive staff and
agencies may do this as well).
E. Has the power to veto. This can be overturned with a 2/3 vote in Congress.
F. President has requested line item veto. What is this and what problems can occur with
it?
a. Allows President to cancel specific spending amounts in spending bills enacted
by Congress.
b. Gives President too much power of the legislation process.
c. It is not granted in the Constitution. Would need an Amendment to have it.
G. Judicial Power include the power of clemency (mercy or forgiveness). These include
the power to:
a. Pardon or forgive a crime,
b. Reprieve or postpone an execution sentence,
c. Commutation or the power to reduce the length of a sentence or amount of fine,
d. Amnesty or pardons to groups of people.
THESE FIRST SIX ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT COME DIRECTLY FROM THE
CONSTITUTION.
7. CHIEF OF PARTY
A. Leader of the Democratic or Republican party.
B. Helps plan the party’s future selection and election strategy.
C. Patronage – political job appointments
D. Party spokesperson (speaks at fundraisers)
E. Campaign for self and others.
8. CHIEF CITIZEN
A. The President is the representative of all the people of the U.S. – Our voice.
B. Media Power – Talk to the nation through radio and TV.
C. Represent the public interest against the many private interests.
FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT:
A. Must be a natural born citizen of the U.S.
B. Must be at least 35 years of age.
C. Must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
TERM OF THE PRESIDENT:
A. Agreed to be 4 years. Although at first there was no limit to the number of terms one
could serve.
B. George Washington served only two terms and started the “no third term tradition.”
C. FDR sought and won a third and fourth term. The 22nd Amendment was passed limiting
Presidents to serving two terms only.
D. A President may finish out a predecessor’s term and then seek two full terms but cannot be
president more than 10 years.