7.2- The President

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7.2- The Presidents Job
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Duties of the President

• The Constitution is the basis for the presidents
  power, it is listed in Article II

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Duties of the President

• The Presidents main job is to execute, or carry
  out laws passed by Congress

President Obama signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair
Pay Act of 2009
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Duties of the President

• The Constitution gives the president power to
• Veto or reject bills passed in Congress

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Duties of the President

• Call Congress into special session

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Duties of the President

• Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces

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Duties of the President

• Receive leaders and other officials of foreign
  countries

President and the Japanese Prime Minister Taro
Aso at the White House February 2009
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Duties of the President

• Make treaties with other countries (Senate
  approves)

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Duties of the President

• Appoint heads of executive agencies, federal
  court judges, ambassadors, and other top
  government officials
• (Senate approves)

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Duties of the President

• Pardon or reduce the penalties against people
  convicted of federal crimes

Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford on
September 8, 1974
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Duties of the President

• The State of the Union Address is a speech given
  by the President before a joint session of
  Congress to discuss important issues facing the
  nation

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Chief Executive

• The presidents most important job is to carry
  out the nations laws to do this he is in charge
  of 15 cabinet departments and 3 million civilians
  who work for the federal government

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Chief Executive

• The president appoints the head of the cabinet
  departments and other large agencies, with the
  Senates approval

Hillary Clinton testifying at her Senate
confirmation hearing January 13, 2009
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Chief Executive

• Executive Orders are rules or commands issued by
  the President that have the force of law
• President Harry S. Truman used an executive order
  in 1948 to racially integrate the armed forces

http//www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidenti
al-actions/executive-orders
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Chief Executive

• The president appoints judges to the Supreme
  Court and other courts this is important because
  the Supreme Court determines whether a law is
  constitutional

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Chief Executive

• The Constitution also gives the president power
  to grant pardons, which are declarations of
  forgiveness and freedom from punishment

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Chief Executive

• He can also issue a reprieve, orders to delay a
  persons punishment until a higher court can hear
  the case

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Chief Executive

• Or grant amnesty, a pardon to a group of people

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Chief Diplomat

• Directs the foreign policy, or strategy of the
  US, makes key decisions about how the US acts
  towards other countries in the world

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Commander in Chief

• The president is commander in chief of the
  nations armed forces this gives presidents the
  ability to back up their foreign policy decisions
  with force, if necessary

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Commander in Chief

• The president is in charge of the Army, Navy, Air
  Force, Marines, and Coast Guard the top
  commanders of these branches are subordinate to
  the president

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Commander in Chief

• The Constitution gives Congress the power to
  declare war but only the President can order
  soldiers into battle

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Commander in Chief

• The War of 1812
• The Mexican War
• The Spanish-American War
• World War I
• World War II

• Congress has declared war only five times,
  presidents have sent troops into action overseas
  more than 150 times since 1789

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Commander in Chief

• In 1973, after the Vietnam War, Congress passed
  the War Powers Resolution
• According to this law, the president must notify
  Congress within 48 hours when troops are sent
  into battle and they must be brought home within
  60 days unless Congress gives approval for them
  to remain longer or declares war

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Legislative Leader

• Every president has a Legislative Program, these
  are new laws he wants Congress to pass

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Legislative Leader

• He makes speeches to build support for these laws
  and meets with key senators and representatives
  to persuade them to support the proposed laws

Harry Truman was the 1st President to give a
speech on TV (October 5, 1947)
Warren G. Harding was the first to give a speech
on the radio (1920)
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Head of State

• The president is the living symbol of the nation
• In this role, he greets foreign visitors and
  carries out ceremonial functions for Americans
  such as lighting the national Christmas tree and
  giving out medals

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Economic Leader

• The president tries to help the countrys economy
  prosper voters expect the president to deal with
  unemployment, rising prices, and high taxes

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Economic Leader

• The president plans the federal governments
  budget each year, he meets with officials to
  decide what programs to support and what programs
  to cut back

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Party Leader

• The president is the leader of their political
  party
• Members of the party work hard to elect the
  president, in turn he gives speeches for party
  members who are also running for office
• The President also helps the party raise money