The Roles of the President
Guided Reading Activity Review
The President is the only official
elected by all of the people…
 Congressmen and Senators are elect by the people in a
Congressional district or a state, but only the President is
elected by all of the people.
 Because he represents everyone – majorities and minorities,
the people that voted for him AND the people who voted
against him – his leadership role is extremely important to
the United States of America.
The Executive Branch
 The Executive Branch the branch of the government
responsible for executing, or carrying out, the law.
 Remember, a law is only as good as the people who enforce
it. It may be illegal to drive over 55 Miles Per Hour on
Interstate 81, but if there are no state troopers there to
monitor and execute the law, it is unlikely to prevent drivers
from speeding.
Article Two of the Constitution
 Most of the members of the Philadelphia Convention which
drafted the Constitution had a healthy mistrust of the
executive branch. The Presidency was the office most like
that of a King, and they were fearful that the President might
usurp power in order to violate the rights of the people.
 Since they worried about an exceedingly powerful executive
branch, the Framers of the Constitution granted him few
powers – most of the power in the federal government is
vested in the Congress, and the President’s powers are often
checked by Congressional oversight.
The Four Year Term of the President
 The Constitution limits the
President’s term in office to
four years. Originally, he
could be re-elected as many
times as possible. George
Washington chose to serve
two terms, setting a
precedent that was followed
until FDR was elected to four
terms in office. The 22nd
Amendment limits the
President to two full terms
and no more than 10 years in
office.
Limits on the Powers of the
President
 The President cannot make laws, but is elected to carry out the
laws enacted by Congress; even then, the President is limited by
which laws the Supreme Court declares constitutional.
 In instances of extreme wrongdoing, the Congress may impeach
the President, try him before the Senate and the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court, and even remove him from office. Two
Presidents have been impeach. None have ever been removed
from office. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, because he was
facing impeachment and removal from office.
Richard Nixon: “I am not a
crook!”
Qualifications for the Presidency
 The President must be at least 35 years old.
 The President must be a natural born citizen of the United
States – he or she cannot be an immigrant.
 The President must have lived in the United States for at least
14 years.
 The Presidential salary is set yearly by Congress; currently it
is about $400,000 per year.
George Washington’s Presidency
The office of the President was designed by the Founding Fathers with George Washington in
mind. Every action he took – or failed to take – during his time in office established a precedent.
Many of the traditions of the Presidency today were established in the late 18th Century when
George Washington was the President of the United States.
Roles of the President of the
United States
 The President is a Legislative Leader, proposing legislation
each year and trying to find Congressmen or Senators who
will sponsor bills he favors.
 The President is the nation’s Chief Diplomat, establishing the
nation’s foreign policy.
 The President is the Commander-in-Chief of our nation’s
armed forces.
 The President has judicial powers as well, especially the
power to name Supreme Court Justices.
Executive Orders of the President
 No executive order of the President can violate the United
States Constitution.
 No executive order of the President can violate the laws
passed by Congress (and signed by the President…)
Presidential Appointments
 The President of the United States must appoint close to
4,000 executive branch officials.
 The Congress has oversight over just a handful of these
officials. They must confirm, or approve of, many of the top
appointments of the President.
The President as Commanderin-Chief of the Armed Forces
 The President is not a member of the military during his
time in office; he is the civilian leader of the armed forces, or
Commander-in-Chief.
 Ultimately, the President has the power to direct the
military; however, most Presidents defer to the military
leaders who are experts at promoting the national defense.
 The President is allowed to send troops to foreign nations in
order to protect American lives and interests, even if the
Congress has not declared war!
The War Powers Resolution
 If the President does chose
to send American soldiers
into harm’s way, those
troops cannot stay in
another nation for more
than 60 days without the
express permission of
Congress. This rule was
put into effect after the
Vietnam War, which lasted
for close to 11 years.