Powers and Roles of the President

Powers and Roles of the President

• Article II Sec 1, of the Constitution provides that “the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”– This clause means that the president, as head

of the executive branch, is responsible for executing or carrying out, laws passed by Congress

Legislative Leader

• President recommends needed laws to Congress. – This is required by the Constitution

• President also delivers several messages to Congress each year– These are usually in the form of the State of th Union

Address• Televised speech that sets forth programs and policies for

Congress to consider • These programs and policies usually address the country’s

most pressing concerns

Commander in Chief

• The president is head of the U.S. armed forces or commander in chief– All military officers answer to the president– The president has final say in how a war is

fought– Congress has to declare war, but the

president can send forces into any part of the world where danger threatens

• Congress has to approve the action within 60 days

Foreign-Policy Leader

• The president, as chief executive of one of the most powerful countries in the world, must give constant attention to U.S. foreign policy

• Foreign policy is the government’s plan for interacting with the other countries of the world

• President seeks to secure friendly relations with foreign governments while preserving national security

• The president appoints officials to represent the U.S. government in foreign countries called diplomats

Foreign-Policy Leader

• The art of interacting with foreign governments is called diplomacy

• The president is the country’s chief diplomat• Presidential visits to foreign countries build international

friendship and security and promote U.S. interests• Written communications among diplomats are called

diplomatic notes• U.S. government makes written agreements, called

treaties• All treaties must be made with the advice and consent of

the Senate

Judicial Powers

• The Constitution gives the president the power to appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal judges– These judicial appointments must be approved by a majority

vote of the members of the Senate

• President also has the power to grant reprieves and pardons to those who have committed federal crimes– A reprieve postpones the carrying out of a person’s sentence– A pardon forgives a person convicted of a crime and frees him or

her from serving out the sentence– President also has the power of commutation or making a

convicted person’s sentence less severe

Other Presidential Roles

• President is the chief of state or the symbol of the United States and its people – President greets visiting foreign heads of

state and travels as the U.S.’s head of state

• President is also leader of their political party

Presidential Daily Life

• At all times the president’s office must be in touch with key government officials

• Many hours of the day are spent in meetings with presidential advisers

• Some meetings involve the president’s political party

• The president also delivers a great number of speeches

• President must sign bills submitted by Congress