7.2- The President’s Job
Duties of the
President
• The Constitution is the basis for the president’s power, it is
listed in Article II
Duties of the
President
• The President’s main job is to execute, or carry out laws
passed by Congress
President Obama signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
Duties of the
President
• The Constitution
gives the
president power
to:
• Veto or reject bills
passed in
Congress
Duties of the
President
• Call Congress into special session
Duties of the
President
• Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces
Duties of the
President
• Receive leaders and other officials of foreign countries
President and the Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso at the White House February 2009
Duties of the
President
• Make treaties
with other
countries (Senate
approves)
Duties of the
President
• Appoint heads of
executive agencies,
federal court judges,
ambassadors, and
other top
government officials
(Senate approves)
Duties of the
President
• Pardon or reduce
the penalties
against people
convicted of
federal crimes
Richard Nixon was pardoned by
Gerald Ford on September 8, 1974
Duties of the
President
• The State of the Union Address is a speech given
by the President before a joint session of Congress
to discuss important issues facing the nation
Chief Executive
• The president’s most important job is to carry
out the nations laws; to do this he is in charge
of 15 cabinet departments and 3 million
civilians who work for the federal government
Chief Executive
• The president appoints the head of the cabinet
departments and other large agencies, with the
Senate’s approval
Hillary Clinton testifying at her Senate confirmation hearing January 13, 2009
Chief Executive
• Executive Orders are rules or
commands issued by the
President that have the force of
law
• President Harry S. Truman used
an executive order in 1948 to
racially integrate the armed
forces
http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefingroom/presidential-actions/executive-orders
Chief Executive
• The president appoints judges to the Supreme Court and
other courts; this is important because the Supreme Court
determines whether a law is constitutional
Chief Executive
• The Constitution also gives the president power to grant
pardons, which are declarations of forgiveness and freedom
from punishment
Chief Executive
• He can also issue
a reprieve, orders
to delay a
person’s
punishment until
a higher court
can hear the case
Chief Executive
• Or grant amnesty, a pardon to a group of people
Chief Diplomat
• Directs the
foreign policy, or
strategy of the
US, makes key
decisions about
how the US acts
towards other
countries in the
world
Commander in Chief
• The president is commander in chief of the
nation’s armed forces; this gives presidents the
ability to back up their foreign policy decisions
with force, if necessary
Commander in Chief
• The president is in charge of the Army, Navy, Air
Force, Marines, and Coast Guard; the top
commanders of these branches are subordinate to
the president
Commander in Chief
• The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war
but only the President can order soldiers into battle
Commander in Chief
• Congress has declared war only
five times, presidents have sent
troops into action overseas more
than 150 times since 1789
1.
The War of 1812
2.
The Mexican War
3.
The Spanish-American War
4.
World War I
5.
World War II
Commander in Chief
• In 1973, after the Vietnam
War, Congress passed the
War Powers Resolution
• According to this law, the
president must notify
Congress within 48 hours
when troops are sent into
battle and they must be
brought home within 60
days unless Congress gives
approval for them to
remain longer or declares
war
Legislative Leader
• Every president has a Legislative Program, these are new
laws he wants Congress to pass
Legislative Leader
• He makes speeches to build support for these laws and
meets with key senators and representatives to persuade
them to support the proposed laws
Harry Truman was the 1st President to give a
speech on TV (October 5, 1947)
Warren G. Harding was the first to give a speech
on the radio (1920)
Head of State
• The president is the living symbol of the nation
• In this role, he greets foreign visitors and carries out
ceremonial functions for Americans such as lighting the
national Christmas tree and giving out medals
Economic Leader
• The president tries to help the country’s economy prosper;
voters expect the president to deal with unemployment,
rising prices, and high taxes
Economic Leader
• The president plans the federal government’s
budget each year, he meets with officials to
decide what programs to support and what
programs to cut back
Party Leader
• The president is the leader of their political party
• Members of the party work hard to elect the president, in
turn he gives speeches for party members who are also
running for office
• The President also helps the party raise money