The Presidency

The President of the United States many important jobs. As the head of state for the United States, the president symbolizes the American people to the rest of the world. The president acts as a host when leaders from other countries visit the United States.

The president is also the chief diplomat for the United States. Presidents meet and make agreements with other world leaders. The treaties and the agreements are part of foreign policy.

As the chief administrator and chief executive of the national government, the president makes sure that the government runs smoothly. The president is the boss of millions of federal employees from postal workers to FBI agents.

Presidents also pick or appoint ambassadors, cabinet members and Supreme Court justices. Ambassadors represent the United States in other countries. Cabinet members are the leaders of different government departments. Supreme Court justices are the leaders of the judicial branch. The Senate must approve all the president's appointments.

The armed forces of the United States also answer to the president. As the commander-in-chief of the military, the president can order the use of troops in other countries. However, the president cannot declare war.

The president cannot make new laws, but has the authority to pass or veto bills, plans and programs that Congress, the legislative branch, presents. When a president vetoes a bill, it means it has been rejected.

The president is also the leader of his or her political party. Political parties are groups of people who share similar ideas on how governments should be run. The two major parties in the United States are Democrats and Republicans. The president can help a person win a political office in his or her state.

What does it take to become the president of the United States? The Constitution declares that the president must be a "natural-born citizen" of the United States. A president must also be at least 35 years old and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. Besides meeting these requirements, a president usually must have had years of experience in politics.

The president and vice-president are the only government leaders who are elected by national election. People from all the states vote to elect a president to a four-year term. The election process doesn't stop there, however.

The Electoral College is really responsible for the election of a president and vice-president. Each state has a number of electoral votes according to its population. Once the popular vote has been counted in a state, the state electors from the winning political party cast their votes. These votes are counted in the Senate and then in front of the entire Congress. The candidates with the most electoral votes win.

Once a president is elected, he or she can only be removed from office through impeachment. Impeachment is charging an official with a crime to remove the person from office. Only the House of Representatives can start impeachment proceedings. The Senate tries the president in an impeachment case. In history, the impeachment process only has been started against Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and William Clinton.

After an election, the president is inaugurated or officially sworn into office. The president takes an oath of office that says, "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The president and his or her family, called the First Family, live in the White House after the president is elected. The White House is located in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital.