President and Vice President Current Issues in Public Leadership Mr. Dodson

Duties of the President Presidents have enormous power and responsibility, the Constitution gives the President the following duties. Serving as Commander in Chief of the military making treaties with other countries executing the laws of the U.S.

Duties of the President Additional duties are: deliver the State of The Union Address; appoint top officials, federal judges, and ambassadors; and meet with leaders of countries.

President’s Term and Salary The Twenty-second Amendment limited presidents to two terms. Congress determines the president’s salary ($400,000 beginning in 2001); in addition, many benefits are provided for presidents while in office and in retirement.

Presidential Qualifications The Constitution sets several requirements for the president: –a candidate must be a natural-born citizen; –at least 35 years old; –a resident of the United States for 14 years. Experience in government is an unwritten but important qualification. Candidates for office must also have access to sources for raising large amounts of money in the presidential election campaign.

Presidential Qualifications Successful presidential candidates usually hold moderate political beliefs. Most presidents have shared similar backgrounds—ethnic, economic, racial, and gender. Being president underscores personal strengths and weaknesses

Presidential Succession The Twenty-fifth Amendment established the order of succession to the presidency –vice president, –Speaker of the House, –president pro tempore –of the Senate, –secretary of state, –other cabinet members It also spelled out what happens when the vice presidency is vacant. The Twenty-fifth Amendment also set forth rules to be followed if a president becomes disabled.

The Vice President’s Role The vice president’s work depends on what jobs, if any, the president assigns. Although presidents before Eisenhower generally ignored their vice presidents, presidents since then have tried to give their vice presidents more responsibility.