7.2- The President7.2- The President’’s Jobs Job

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President

• The Constitution is the basis for the presidentThe Constitution is the basis for the president’’s s power, it is listed in power, it is listed in Article IIArticle II

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President• The PresidentThe President’’s main job is to s main job is to executeexecute, or carry , or carry

out laws passed by Congressout laws passed by Congress

President Obama signing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President

•The The Constitution Constitution gives the gives the president president power to:power to:

•VetoVeto or reject or reject bills passed in bills passed in CongressCongress

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President• Call Call CongressCongress into special session into special session

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President• Serve as commander in chief of the Serve as commander in chief of the armed forcesarmed forces

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President

• Receive leaders and other officials of Receive leaders and other officials of foreign foreign countriescountries

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

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President

•Make Make treatiestreaties with other with other countries countries (Senate (Senate approves)approves)

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President•Appoint heads of Appoint heads of

executive executive agencies, federal agencies, federal court court judgesjudges, , ambassadors, and ambassadors, and other top other top government government officials officials

(Senate (Senate approves)approves)

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President

•PardonPardon or or reduce the reduce the penalties penalties against people against people convicted of convicted of federal crimesfederal crimes

Richard Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford on

September 8, 1974

Duties of the PresidentDuties of the President• The The State of the UnionState of the Union Address is a speech Address is a speech

given by the President before a joint given by the President before a joint session of Congress to discuss important session of Congress to discuss important issues facing the nation issues facing the nation

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

• The presidentThe president’’s most important job is to s most important job is to carry out the nations carry out the nations lawslaws; to do this he ; to do this he is in charge of is in charge of 1515 cabinet departments cabinet departments and 3 million civilians who work for the and 3 million civilians who work for the federal governmentfederal government

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

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

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

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive• Executive OrdersExecutive Orders are rules are rules

or commands issued by the or commands issued by the President that have the President that have the force of lawforce of law

• President President Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman used an executive order in used an executive order in 1948 to racially integrate 1948 to racially integrate the armed forcesthe armed forces

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/executive-orders

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

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

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

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

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive

• He can also He can also issue a issue a reprievereprieve, , orders to delay orders to delay a persona person’’s s punishment punishment until a higher until a higher court can hear court can hear the casethe case

Chief ExecutiveChief Executive• Or grant Or grant amnestyamnesty, a pardon to a group of people , a pardon to a group of people

Chief DiplomatChief Diplomat

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

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief• The president is commander in chief of the The president is commander in chief of the

nationnation’’s armed forces; this gives presidents s armed forces; this gives presidents the ability to back up their foreign policy the ability to back up their foreign policy decisions with decisions with forceforce, if necessary, if necessary

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief

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

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief• The Constitution gives The Constitution gives CongressCongress the power to the power to

declare war but only the declare war but only the PresidentPresident can order can order soldiers into battlesoldiers into battle

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief

• Congress has declared war Congress has declared war only only fivefive times, presidents times, presidents have sent troops into action have sent troops into action overseas more than overseas more than 150150 times since 1789times since 1789

1.1. The War of 1812The War of 1812

2.2. The Mexican WarThe Mexican War

3.3. The Spanish-American The Spanish-American WarWar

4.4. World War IWorld War I

5.5. World War IIWorld War II

Commander in ChiefCommander in Chief

• In 1973, after the In 1973, after the Vietnam War, Congress Vietnam War, Congress passed the passed the War PowersWar Powers ResolutionResolution

• According to this law, the According to this law, the president must notify president must notify Congress within Congress within 4848 hours hours when troops are sent when troops are sent into battle and they must into battle and they must be brought home within be brought home within 6060 days unless Congress days unless Congress gives approval for them gives approval for them to remain longer or to remain longer or declares war declares war

Legislative LeaderLegislative Leader• Every president has a Every president has a Legislative ProgramLegislative Program, these , these

are new laws he wants Congress to passare new laws he wants Congress to pass

Legislative LeaderLegislative Leader• He makes He makes speechesspeeches to build support for these to build support for these

laws and meets with key senators and laws and meets with key senators and representatives to persuade them to support the representatives to persuade them to support the proposed laws 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)

Head of StateHead of State

• The president is the living The president is the living symbolsymbol of the nation of the nation

• In this role, he greets foreign visitors and carries In this role, he greets foreign visitors and carries out out ceremonialceremonial functions for Americans such as functions for Americans such as lighting the national Christmas tree and giving out lighting the national Christmas tree and giving out medals medals

Economic LeaderEconomic Leader

• The president tries to help the countryThe president tries to help the country’’s s economyeconomy prosper; voters expect the president to deal with prosper; voters expect the president to deal with unemployment, rising prices, and high taxesunemployment, rising prices, and high taxes

Economic LeaderEconomic Leader

• The president plans the federal The president plans the federal governmentgovernment’’s s budgetbudget each year, he each year, he meets with officials to decide what meets with officials to decide what programs to support and what programs programs to support and what programs to cut back to cut back

Party LeaderParty Leader

• The president is the leader of their The president is the leader of their political partypolitical party

• Members of the party work hard to Members of the party work hard to electelect the the president, in turn he gives speeches for party president, in turn he gives speeches for party members who are also running for officemembers who are also running for office

• The President also helps the party raise The President also helps the party raise moneymoney