Roles of The President
- Head of State: As head of state, the president represents the nation and performs many ceremonial roles. The president is both head of state and chief executive. In most countries these two duties are distinct.
- Chief Executive: As the nation’s chief executive, the president sees that the laws of Congress are carried out. These laws range over a great many areas of public concern from Social Security, taxes, housing, flood control, and energy to civil rights, healthcare, education,and environmental protection.
- Reprieves and Pardons:As chief executive, the president also can grant “ reprieves and Pardons for offenses against the United States.” A reprieve grants a postponement of legal punishment. A pardon is a release from legal punishment.
- Amnesty: is a group pardon to people for an offense against the government. Amnesty usually applies to military the government. For example, presidents ford and carter granted amnesty to men who fled the draft during the Vietnam War.
- Chief Legislator: congress expects the executive branch to propose legislation it wishes to see enacted. A member of congress scolded the president’s staff: “Don’t expect us to start from scratch on what you people want…you draft the bills, and we work them over.”
- The President’s Legislative Program: Usually the president describes a legislative program in the annual State of the Union message to Congress. Congress responded by passing a host of new domestic legislation the administration proposed.
- Economic Planner: The president’s role as chief economic planner has grown rapidly since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The law also created a Council of Economic Advisers to study the economy and help prepare the report for the president.
- Party Leader:The president’s political party expects the chief executive to be a party leader. Presidents are expected to appoint members of their party to available government jobs.
- Chief Diplomat: The president directs the foreign policy of the United States, making Key decisions about the relations the United States has with other countries in the world. In this role the president is the nation’s chief diplomat.
- The Power to Make Treaties: As chief diplomat the president has sole power to negotiate and sign treaties-formal agreements between the government of two or more countries. The Senate takes its constitutional responsibility about treaties very seriously.
- Commander in Chief: Presidents can back up their foreign-policy decisions with military force when needed. The constitution makes the president commander in chief of the armed force of the United States.
- Power to Make War: The president shares with congress the power to make war. President George H.W. Bush received congressional approval for military action in Iraq before he ordered a massive air strike in January 1991.
- Reprieves and Pardons:As chief executive, the president also can grant “ reprieves and Pardons for offenses against the United States.” A reprieve grants a postponement of legal punishment. A pardon is a release from legal punishment.
- Amnesty: is a group pardon to people for an offense against the government. Amnesty usually applies to military the government. For example, presidents ford and carter granted amnesty to men who fled the draft during the Vietnam War.
- The President’s Legislative Program: Usually the president describes a legislative program in the annual State of the Union message to Congress. Congress responded by passing a host of new domestic legislation the administration proposed.
- The Power to Make Treaties: As chief diplomat the president has sole power to negotiate and sign treaties-formal agreements between the government of two or more countries. The Senate takes its constitutional responsibility about treaties very seriously.
- Power to Make War: The president shares with congress the power to make war. President George H.W. Bush received congressional approval for military action in Iraq before he ordered a massive air strike in January 1991.