Roles of The President
The President of the United States must fill more roles in the US than most US citizens realize.
- Chief of State - The President must be the ceremonial head of the country, much like the Queen of England. Some see this as a waste of the Presidents time, as he has many other jobs.
- Chief Executive - The President's Primary job is to be in charge of the country and insure that it runs smoothly. He has the power to appoint people to be on his staff and has as many as 2000 appoints that help him do his job.
- Commander in Chief - The President is also the Supreme Commander of the US military, however he cannot declare war on anyone. Only Congress has that power. According to the War Powers Resolution however, he can send in troops, but must get it approved by congress in a timely manner.
- Chief Diplomat - The President is the main representative of the United States to the entire world. He may create executive agreements, but may not make treaties with other countries without Congress's approval.
- Chief Legislator - The President also has influence in making laws. He has the power to sign or veto a law, in other words, he gets the final call on whether a law will become a law or not, and he can also use a pocket veto, requiring Congress to reintroduce it in the next session of Congress, effectively stopping it from passing, without directly vetoing it. He also has the power to do nothing with the bill, which results in the bill becoming a law without his signature, in 10 working days.
- Chief of Party - The President is in charge of his political party, which can come in handy with fundraising for others campaigns.
- Chief Citizen - And finally, the President is expected to embody everything that we expect of US citizens. He must act as our role model.
