Transcript Presidential Powers

POWERS OF THE
PRESIDENT
Where did George Washington begin?
Unit 6, Journal #1
Describe the following political cartoon and analyze its message.
Then, answer the following question:
Why is having a president so important?
Constitutional Qualifications
1. Must be at least 35
years old
2. Must have lived in the
United States for 14
years
3. Must be a naturalborn citizen
Presidential Benefits
• $400,000 tax-free salary
• $50,000/year expense account
• $100,000/year travel expenses
• The White House
• Secret Service protection
• Camp David country estate
• Air Force One personal
airplane
• Staff of 400-500
Christmas at the White House, 2004
Presidential Roles
Head of State
The President is chief of state.
This means he is the ceremonial
head of the government of the
United States, the symbol of all
the people of the nation.
Queen Elizabeth and President Reagan, 1983
President Kennedy speaks at Berlin Wall,
1963
Chief Executive
The Constitution vests the President
with the executive power of the United
States, making him or her the nation’s
chief executive.
President Clinton with Janet Reno,
the first female Attorney General,
February, 1993
President Bush holds cabinet meeting
in October, 2005
Chief Diplomat
As the nation’s chief diplomat, the
President is the main architect of
American foreign policy and chief
spokesperson to the rest of the
world.
President Lincoln during the Civil
War, 1862
President Roosevelt and the “Bully
Pulpit,” 1910
Commander-in-Chief
The Constitution makes the
President the commander in chief,
giving him or her complete control
of the nation’s armed forces.
President Johnson decorates a soldier
in Vietnam, October, 1966
President Bush aboard U.S.S.
Lincoln, May, 2003
Chief Legislator
The President is the chief
legislator, the main architect
of the nation’s public policies.
President Clinton delivers the State
of the Union Address, 1997
President Roosevelt signs into law the
Social Security Act, 1935
Political Party Leader
The President acts as the chief
of party, the acknowledged
leader of the political party
that controls the executive
branch.
President Reagan & Vice-President Bush accepting their party’s
nomination in 1980
Guardian of the Economy
the president will be concerned with
such things as unemployment, high
prices, taxes, business profits, and the
general prosperity of the country.
The president does not control the
economy, but is expected to help it run
smoothly.
Obama came into the presidency with many of these issues to face:
unemployment, debt, and a low prosperity in the U.S.
Chief Administrator
The President is the chief
administrator, or director, of the
United States government.
President Bush at Ground Zero after 9-11
Vice-President Johnson sworn in
aboard Air Force One
after President Kennedy’s
assassination, 1963
Chief Citizen!
The President is expected to be
“the representative of all the
people.”
Activity:
With a partner, discuss the following:
Of the 8 “roles” of the President of the
United States, which one do you think
President Obama has been most
successful at?
Which one is he least successful at?
WHY?