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. The President of the United States of America (often abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. The office of President was established upon the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788 and the first president took office in 1789. The President serves as chief executive and head of the executive branch of the United States government. Article Two of the United States Constitution establishes the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and enumerates powers specifically granted to the President, including the power to sign into law bills passed by both houses of the Legislature, to create a Cabinet of advisors, to grant pardons or reprieves, and, with the "advice and consent" of the United States Senate, to make treaties and appoint Officers, Ambassadors, Judges, and Justices of the Supreme Court. Prior to the American Revolutionary Period in 1776 and from the American Revolutionary War to the 1789 ratification of the Constitution, there was no comparable figure with executive authority over the Thirteen Colonies, although individuals who presided over the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary period and under the post-war Articles of Confederation were referred to as "President of the United States of America in Congress Assembled", often shortened to "President of the United States." The President's executive authority, tempered by the checks and balances of the Judicial and Legislative branches of the Federal Government, was designed to solve several political problems faced by the young nation and anticipate future challenges, while still preventing the rise of an autocrat over a nation wary of royal authority. The United States was the first nation to create the office of President as the head of state in a modern republic, and today the presidential system of government is used in several countries throughout the world. As of 2006, there have been forty-three Presidents of the United States. The first President of the United States was George Washington, and the 43rd and current President of the United States is George W. Bush. From the early 20th Century, the United States' status as a hyperpower has led the American President to be one of the world's best-known public figures, often described as the most powerful person on Earth, and sometimes referred to as "the leader of the free world". Origin The Treaty of Paris (1783) left the United States independent and at peace but with an unsettled governmental structure. The Second Continental Congress had drawn up Articles of Confederation in 1777, describing a permanent confederation but granting to the Congress--the only federal institution--little power to finance itself or to ensure that its resolutions were enforced. In part this reflected the anti-monarchy view of the Revolutionary period, and the new American system was explicitly designed to prevent the rise of an American tyrant to replace the British King. However, during the economic depression that followed the Revolutionary War, political unrest in several States and efforts by debtors to use popular government to erase their debts. The apparent inability of the Continental Congress to redeem the public obligations incurred during the war, or to become a forum for productive cooperation among the States encouraging commerce and economic development, exacerbated the difficulties and threatened the viability of the American government. In response a Constitutional Convention was convened to draft a new system of government that would include greater executive power but retain the checks and balances essential to restrain any imperial tendency in the office of the President. General description Article Two of the United States Constitution, coupled with several articles of amendment, establish the requirements one must meet in order to become President, as well as the term of office, method of election, and powers. Requirements for holding office Section One of Article II of the U.S. Constitution states that the President must be a natural born citizen of the United States (or a citizen of the United States at the time the U.S. Constitution was adopted), at least 35 years of age, and resident of the United States for at least fourteen years. Congress first extended citizenship to children born to U.S. parents overseas on March 26, 1790: "The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States." However, this statutory definition of citizenship was succeeded by the Fourteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment specifically defines two types of citizenship: citizenship by birth and citizenship by law (naturalized citizens): "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." All persons born in the United States are citizens by birth; all other persons with citizenship are citizens by law (thus "naturalized"). Because of this Constitutional definition of citizenship, either a person is born in the United States or a person is a naturalized citizen. Thus, to be a "natural born citizen," a person must be born in the United States; otherwise, they are citizens by law and are naturalized, as defined by the 14th Amendment. Examples of persons who become naturalized citizens at birth would include: birth to Americans overseas, or birth on U.S. soil, territories, or military bases overseas. Term of office
Election Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States are elected every four years indirectly through the United States Electoral College. They are the only nationally-elected offices in the United States, since executive officers and judges are appointed, United States Senators are elected at the state level, and United States Representatives are elected at the district level. On election day, the voting public selects its preferred candidate, usually by voting for a slate of electors put forward by the candidate's party. Although State Legislatures have the constitutional power to appoint slates of electors, all fifty states have established popular election of presidential electors. In December, following the general election, Electors gather at their respective State capitals to cast their ballots, which are then transmitted to Congress under the care of the sitting Vice President of the United States. The ballots are counted and certified in January before both houses of Congress. Should a candidate for either President or Vice President fail to achieve a majority of votes, the United States House of Representatives (voting by state) chooses the next president from among the candidates while the United States Senate (voting normally) selects the vice president. Powers The President, according to the Constitution, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." To carry out this responsibility, he has many powers, most of which are subject to or checked by Congressional power. He presides over the executive branch of the federal government; a vast organization of about 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military personnel, of whom he is Commander in Chief. The Federalist Papers As President-elect, he will make as many as 6,000 appointments in addition to those that must be made during his term proper (including appointments to the federal judiciary), but the Senate must consent to all appointments, except those of "inferior officers" that Congress has vested exclusively in him, the courts, or the heads of departments. He may make temporary appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate if the Senate is in recess, but such appointments expire at the end of the next session of the Senate. While he may not personally initiate legislation, the President may veto any legislation passed by Congress. Such a veto may be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote in each House. He may make treaties, but two-thirds of the Senate must ratify the treaty. He is also required by the Constitution to give Congress information on the State of the Union and propose measures for their consideration. According to political scientist Richard Neustadt, "Presidential power is the power to persuade and the power to persuade is the ability to bargain." The President's constitutional domestic power is limited, and so, according to Neustadt, successful bargaining with Congress is usually essential to Presidential success. The Campaign The modern presidential campaign begins before the primary elections, which the two major political parties use to clear the field of candidates in advance of their national nominating conventions, where the most successful candidate is made the party's nominee for President. The party's presidential candidate chooses a vice presidential nominee and this choice is rubber-stamped by the convention. Also, the party establishes a platform on which to base its campaign. Although nominating conventions have a long history in the United States, their substantive importance in the political process has greatly diminished; however, they remain important as a way of energising the parties for the general election and focusing the public's attention on the nominees. Nominees participate in nationally televised debates, and while the debates are usually restricted to the Democratic and Republican nominees, third party candidates may be invited (such as Ross Perot in the 1992 debates). Nominees campaign across the country to explain their views, convince voters, and solicit contributions. Much of the modern electoral process is concerned with winning swing states through frequent visits and mass media advertising drives. Salary The First U.S. Congress voted to pay George Washington a salary of $25,000 a year (about $531,000 in 2005 terms) — a significant sum in 1789. Washington, already a wealthy man, refused to accept his salary. Similarly, John F. Kennedy donated his salary to charities. Traditionally, the President is the highest-paid government employee. Consequently, the President's salary serves as a traditional cap for all other federal officials, such as the Chief Justice. A raise for 2001 was approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton in 1999 because other officials who receive annual cost-of-living increases had salaries approaching the President's. Consequently, to raise the salaries of the other federal employees, the President's salary had to be raised as well. The President's monetary compensation is minuscule in comparison to the CEOs of most Fortune 500 companies and comparable to that of certain kinds of professionals e.g. attorneys and physicians in some parts of the United States. Overall the vast majority of US presidents were very affluent upon entering office and thus were not dependent on the salary. Privileges of office The President is entitled to use the White House as his living and working quarters, and its entire staff and facilities, including medical care, kitchen, housekeeping and security staff. Whilst travelling, the President is able to conduct the functions of the office from one of two custom-built Boeing 747 aircraft popularly known as "Air Force One." The President also utilises a United States Marine Corps helicopter, designated "Marine One" when the President is aboard. Similarly, "Navy One" and "Coast Guard One" are the call signs used if the President is aboard an aircraft belonging to these services. For ground travel, the President uses an armored Presidential limousine, currently a heavily modified Cadillac DTS. Secret Service The sitting President and his family are always protected by a United States Secret Service detail, and until 1997, all former Presidents and their families were protected by the Secret Service until the President's death. The last President to have lifetime Secret Service protection is Bill Clinton; George W. Bush and all subsequent Presidents will be protected by the Secret Service for a maximum of ten years after leaving office. Office-holders Life after the presidency Presidents continue to enjoy benefits after leaving office, including free mailing privileges, free office space, the right to hold a diplomatic passport and budgets for office help and staff assistance. After Harry S. Truman (1958) Presidents received a pension after they left office, and since the presidency of Herbert Hoover, Presidents have received funding from the National Archives and Records Administration to establish their own presidential library, a repository for preserving and making available their papers, records, and other historical materials. Former presidents continue to be important national figures, and in some cases go on to successful post-presidential careers. Notable examples have included William Howard Taft's tenure as Chief Justice of the United States, Herbert Hoover's work on government reorganization after World War II, Jimmy Carter's current career as a global human rights campaigner and best-selling writer, and most recently George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton's combined effort to appeal for donations from Americans after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Andrew Johnson was elected to the Senate after his term was over, and John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives. John Tyler served in the provisional Confederate States Congress during the Civil War, and was elected to the official Confederate Congress but died before it convened. Grover Cleveland, voted out of office at the conclusion of his first term in 1888, was elected President four years later in 1892. Trivia See also Further reading Notes Official Presidential histories Speeches Miscellaneous | |||||||||
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