The President’s Job

Chief of State The President is the Chief of State This means that he or she is the ceremonial head of the Government. This makes them the symbol of all the people in the nation. Basically the President stands for the people of the country and represents them in everything he or she does.

Chief Executive The Constitution says that the President is vested with “the executive power” of the United States. This power is immensely broad in foreign and domestic affairs. Remember the Supreme Court backed this up saying that in foreign affairs the President is the sole representative of the United States. The President has often been called the most powerful man in the world. Keep in mind though that the President isn’t all powerful. The President is still held accountable by the checks and balance system.

Chief Administrator This means that the President is the sole boss of the entire executive branch. He guides and directs and administration of more than 2.7 million civilian employees that spends more than 3 trillion dollars a year. It is the job of the President to put together a budget for all departments of the executive branch and present it to Congress for approval.

Commander in Chief The Constitution provides for this and says that all of the 1.4 million men and women in the armed forces and all the military might of the country are subject to the President’s direct and immediate control. This is where Congress and the President clash. Congress can declare war but the President has the right to deploy anywhere in the world for 30 days without Congressional approval. After that the House can pull the funding for the troops but they almost never do.

Chief Diplomat Every President is the main designer of American foreign policy. The President is the one that meets with foreign leaders and often times strikes deals with them. Remember Treaties need to be approved by Congress but executive agreements (handshake deals) carry the same weight but need not be approved by Congress. What is the difference between the President and Congress in matters of foreign policy and diplomacy? Why is it easier for the President to rule these fields rather than Congress?

Qualifications to Be President The first qualification, laid out by the Constitution, is that you must be “a natural born citizen of the United States”. What does Natural born mean? A citizen? Keep in mind anyone borne abroad to an American parent is a citizen at birth. There has been much argument over this.

Qualifications The next qualification is that you must be at least 35 years old. John F. Kennedy was the youngest President at 43 to ever be elected. Ronald Reagan was the oldest at age 69 and was 77 when he left office. Most Presidents have been in their 50’s during their time in office.

The Presidential Term At first the Framers couldn’t agree. Some wanted a 6-7 year tem with no reelection. Others wanted a 4 year term with a possibility to run again. They eventually settled on a 4 year term. Until the mid 90’s there was no limit on the number of terms to be served. After FDR ran and was elected to 4 consecutive terms the 22 nd amendment was passed limiting the President to 2 terms.

Pay and Benefits Congress determines the President’s annual salary. They can neither increase nor decrease this salary during a presidential term. The President’s salary was first set at $25,000 dollars a year in It is now $400,000 a year. Congress also provides the President with a $50,000 a year expense allowance. That money can be spent however the President chooses. This allowance is part of his/her pay and is taxed as such.

Pay and Benefits The Constitution says that the President can not receive any other type of payment for his/her work. This, however, doesn’t prevent the President from be provided with a great many “extras.” These extras include: The White House A 132 room mansion on 18.3 acres A fleet of automobiles Air Force one Camp David The Presidential retreat/resort The finest medical, dental and other healthcare available Generous travel and entertainment funds and many other fringe benefits.

Things to Remember The President is the ceremonial head of the government. The President dominates the areas of foreign policy, the army, and in most cases diplomacy. It is easier for the President to handle these fields rather than Congress because Congress is a huge group of people and the President is one person. The President must be 35 years old, and a natural born citizen. The President’s term is 4 years. The President may only run for 2 terms (22 nd amendment) The President makes $400,000 a year plus fringe benefits like the White House, Air Force One, automobiles, planes, and helicopters.