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 Commander-in-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.