Chapters 13 & 14: The Presidency T HE M ANY H ATS OF THE P RESIDENT

The many hats of the president…  Chief of State  Chief Executive/Chief Administrator  Chief Diplomat  Commander in Chief  Chief Legislator  Chief of Party  Chief Guardian of the Economy  Chief Citizen

Chief of State  Ceremonial head of the United States government  Living symbol of our country  President both reigns and rules.  In several countries, the chief of state reigns and represents a country, but does not rule.  Examples: Royal family in England, emperor in Japan  Behaviors in this role:  Greeting visitors to the White House  Awarding medals to recipients of some scholarships

Chief Executive  Constitution gives the President the “Executive Power”  President is the boss of millions of government workers in the Executive Branch  Presidency is often described as the “most powerful office in the world”  Power is limited by checks and balances  Behaviors in this role:  Appointing members of his Cabinet  Holding a cabinet meeting to discuss government business

Chief Diplomat  Main architect of foreign policy and the nation’s chief spokesperson to the rest of the world  Decides what American diplomats and ambassadors should say to foreign government leaders.  Behaviors in this role:  Entertaining foreign heads of state at the White House  Writing a message or letter to leaders of another country  Traveling to another country to meet with its leaders

Commander in Chief  Head of the armed forces of the United States  All the men and women in the military are subject to the President’s direct and immediate control  All military generals and admirals take their orders from the President  Behaviors in this role:  Deciding where troops should be stationed  Deciding how weapons should be used  Sending troops to stop a riot

Chief Legislator  Main architect of United States public policy  Initiates, suggests, requests, insists, and demands that Congress enact much of its major legislation.  President can also veto bills with which he disagrees.  Behaviors in this role:  Signing a bill into law  Making a speech in Congress

Chief of Party  Leader of the political party of which he is a member  President Obama is the current leader of the Democratic Party of the United States.  Behaviors in this role:  Choosing leading party members to serve in the Cabinet  Traveling to speak at a rally for a party nominee  Campaigning for members of his party who have supported his policies

Chief Guardian of the Economy  President looks out for the general prosperity of the country  President does not control the economy, but he helps it run smoothly.  Behaviors in this role:  Meeting with economic advisers to discuss ways to reduce unemployment

Chief Citizen  Representative of all the people in the United States  Expected to work for and represent the public interest