Encyclopedia
The
President of the United States of America is the
head of state of the
United States. In the
U.S. Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the
federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the
armed forces.
Because of the hyperpower status of the United States, the American President is often described as the most powerful person on earth, and he/she is also described as one of the world's best-known public figures. The President is sometimes referred to as "the leader of the free world," although the usage of this phrase has declined since the end of the
Cold War.
The United States was the first nation to create the office of
President as the head of state in a modern
republic. Today the
presidential system of government is used in several countries throughout the world.
The 43rd and current President of the United States is
George W. Bush.
Requirements for Holding Office
Section One of
Article II of the U.S. Constitution establishes the requirements one must meet in order to become President. The president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States , be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for 14 years.
The natural-born citizenship requirement has been the subject of controversy recently. Some commentators argue that the clause should be repealed because it excludes qualified people based on so-called "technicalities", and fails to appreciate the contributions made by immigrants to American society. Supporters counter that the requirement protects the United States from foreign interference — another country could send an emigrant to the United States and through subterfuge get them elected. Many prominent public officials are barred from the presidency because they are not natural-born citizens , as well as other well-known persons born in other countries who have done great service for the United States. Constitutional amendments are occasionally proposed to remove or modify this requirement, but none has been successful to this date.
In 1968, the natural-born citizenship requirement was implicated in regard to Michigan Gov.
George W. Romney's candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. Romney had been born in the
Mexican state of
Chihuahua to American parents. However, Romney's campaign fizzled and the question was never seriously discussed. Another small controversy surfaced in the year 2000, when
John S. McCain III ran for the
GOP primary nomination for president. McCain was born in the
Panama Canal Zone, which at the time was outside
U.S. borders, but considered
American territory and under military control. Pursuant to an act approved by the First Congress on March 26, 1790, which declared that "The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States", both Romney's and McCain's candidacies would most likely have held up in court if seriously challenged.
Election
Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States are elected every four years indirectly through the
Electoral College. They are the only nationally elected offices in the United States, since executive officers and judges are appointed, senators are elected at the state level, and representatives are elected at the district level.
The Campaign
The modern presidential campaign begins before the primary elections, which the two major political parties use to clear the field of candidates in advance of their
national nominating conventions, where the most successful candidate is made the party's nominee for President. The party's presidential candidate chooses a vice presidential nominee and this choice is rubber-stamped by the convention. Also, the party establishes a platform on which to base its campaign. Although nominating conventions have a long history in the United States, their substantive importance in the political process has greatly diminished; however, they remain important as a way of energising the parties for the general election and focusing the public's attention on the nominees.
Nominees participate in
nationally televised debates, and while the debates are usually restricted to the Democratic and Republican nominees, third party candidates may be invited . Nominees campaign across the country to explain their views, convince voters, and solicit contributions. Much of the modern electoral process is concerned with winning
swing states through frequent visits and
mass media advertising drives.
Electoral College
On election day, the voting public select their preferred candidate, which usually translates into a vote for a slate of electors put forward by the candidate's party. Although state legislatures have the constitutional power to appoint slates of electors, all fifty states have established popular election of presidential electors. In December, electors gather at the state capitals to cast their ballots, which are then transmitted to
Congress under the care of the sitting vice president. The ballots are counted and certified in January before both houses of Congress. Should a candidate for either President or Vice President fail to achieve a majority of votes, the
United States House of Representatives chooses the next president from among the candidates while the
United States Senate selects the vice president.
Last election
Next election
Term of office
The President and Vice President serve a term of office of four years. The
Twenty-second Amendment provides that no one may be elected to the office more than twice, and that no one may be elected President more than once who has held the office of President for more than two years of another's term. Prior to the ratification of this amendment, and following the precedent set by
George Washington, an unofficial limit of two terms was generally observed, with the only exceptions being
Theodore Roosevelt, who ran unsuccessfully for a third nonconsecutive term, and
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served three full terms and died in his fourth after just over 12 years in office. Since the amendment went into effect, three Presidents have served two full terms:
Dwight Eisenhower,
Ronald Reagan, and
Bill Clinton.
Richard Nixon was elected to a second term but resigned before completing it. Current President
George W. Bush will become the fourth if he completes his current term, in 2009.
Lyndon B. Johnson was one of two presidents since the ratification of the amendment to have been eligible to have served more than 2 terms, having served only 14 months of
John F. Kennedy's term after becoming president following the
latter's assassination.
Harry S. Truman was also eligible for a potential third term as the 22nd specifically states it did not apply to the president in office upon its ratification . He briefly sought re-election in
1952, but withdrew after losing the
New Hampshire primary.
Powers
The President, according to the Constitution, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." To carry out this responsibility, he has many powers, most of which are subject to or checked by Congressional power. He presides over the executive branch of the federal government; a vast organization of about 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military personnel, of whom he is Commander in Chief.
According to the
Federalist Papers #69, which states, "In most of these particulars, the power of the President will resemble equally that of the king of
Great Britain and of the governor of
New York. The most material points of difference are these: First. The President will have only the occasional command of such part of the militia of the nation as by legislative provision may be called into the actual service of the Union. The king of Great Britain and the governor of New York have at all times the entire command of all the militia within their several jurisdictions. In this article, therefore, the power of the President would be inferior to that of either the monarch or the governor. Secondly. The President is to be commander-in-chief of the
army and
navy of the United States. In this respect his authority would be nominally the same with that of the king of Great Britain, but in substance much inferior to it. It would amount to nothing more than the supreme command and direction of the military and naval forces, as first General and admiral of the Confederacy; while that of the British king extends to the DECLARING of war and to the RAISING and REGULATING of fleets and armies, all which, by the Constitution under consideration, would appertain to the legislature". However, his control over these tools of state are checked by Congress' power "to make Rules for the Government and Regulation for the land and naval Forces" .
As President-elect, he will make as many as 6,000 appointments in addition to those that must be made during his term proper , but the Senate must consent to all appointments, except those of "inferior officers" that Congress has vested exclusively in him, the courts, or the heads of departments. He may make temporary appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate if the Senate is in recess, but such appointments expire at the end of the next session of the Senate.
While he may not personally initiate legislation, the President may veto any legislation passed by Congress. Such a veto may be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote in each House. He may make treaties, but two-thirds of the Senate must ratify the treaty. He is also required by the Constitution to give Congress information on the
State of the Union and propose measures for their consideration.
According to political scientist Richard Neustadt, "Presidential power is the power to persuade and the power to persuade is the ability to bargain". The President's constitutional domestic power is limited, and so, according to Neustadt, successful bargaining with Congress is usually essential to Presidential success.
Presidential salary and benefits
Salary
| + Presidential pay history |
| Date established | Salary | Salary in 2005
dollars |
|---|
| September 24, 1789 | $25,000 | $531,000 |
| March 3, 1873 | $50,000 | $811,000 |
| March 4, 1909 | $75,000 | $1,607,000 |
| January 19, 1949 | $100,000 | $820,000 |
| January 20, 1969 | $200,000 | $1,067,000 |
| January 20, 2001 | $400,000 | $441,000 |
The
First U.S. Congress voted to pay
George Washington a salary of $25,000 a year — a significant sum in 1789. Washington, already a wealthy man, refused to accept his salary. Similarly,
John F. Kennedy donated his salary to charities.
Traditionally, the President is the highest-paid government employee. Consequently, the President's salary serves as a traditional cap for all other federal officials, such as the
Chief Justice. A raise for 2001 was approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton in 1999 because other officials who receive annual cost-of-living increases had salaries approaching the President's. Consequently, to raise the salaries of the other federal employees, the President's salary had to be raised as well. The President's monetary compensation is minuscule in comparison to the CEOs of most Fortune 500 companies; in some parts of the United States some medical specialists will earn comparable salaries.
In recent times former Presidents, while they remain healthy, earn far more money after the end of their presidential term;
Forbes magazine estimated that
Bill Clinton, despite health problems that prevented him working for some part of the year, earned $6 million in 2005. Overall the vast majority of US presidents were very affluent upon entering office and thus were not dependent on the salary. In 2005 current President
George W. Bush earned roughly $800,000, more than twice his salary, mostly from capital gains income. Vice President
Richard B. Cheney, earned an approximate one-million dollars the same year.
The President also has free use of the
White House as his living and working quarters, and the use of its entire staff and facilities, including medical care, kitchen, housekeeping and security staff.
Travel
Whilst travelling, the President is able to conduct all the functions of the office aboard two custom-built
Boeing 747 aircraft popularly known as
Air Force One. However, this is not the actual name of the plane since any
U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President will use the call sign "Air Force One." In addition to Air Force One, the President also utilizes a
United States Marine Corps helicopter, most often to carry him from the
White House to Air Force One. When the President boards this helicopter or any other Marine Corps aircraft, the aircraft uses the call sign "
Marine One". "
Navy One" and "Coast Guard One" are the call signs used if the President is aboard an aircraft belonging to those two services—for instance, when President
George W. Bush landed aboard the USS
Abraham Lincoln in a Navy jet. "Executive One" would be used if the President flew aboard a civilian aircraft.
The President also utilises a
motorcade, in which the President himself rides in an armored
Presidential limousine, currently a heavily modified
Cadillac DTS.
Secret Service
The President and his family are always protected by a
Secret Service detail. Until 1997, all former Presidents and their families were protected by the Secret Service until the President's death. The last President to have lifetime Secret Service protection is Bill Clinton; George W. Bush and all subsequent Presidents will be protected by the Secret Service for a maximum of 10 years after leaving office.
Office-holders
Timeline of Presidential births
- William Henry Harrison, born February 9, 1773 in British colonial territory, was the last person to become President who was not a natural-born U.S. citizen.
- Martin Van Buren, born December 5, 1782, was the first President born after the Declaration of Independence and was thus arguably the first natural-born U.S. citizen to become President. He is also the first President not of Anglo-Celtic origin.
- John Tyler, born March 29, 1790, was the first President born after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. All Presidents born before him were eligible to be President because they were citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted. .
- Franklin Pierce, born November 23, 1804, was the first President born in the 19th century
...
.
- Warren G. Harding, born November 2, 1865, was the first President born after the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee surrendered April 9, 1865.
- John F. Kennedy, born May 29, 1917, was the first person born in the 20th century to become President .
- Kennedy's successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, was born on August 27, 1908, making him the first American president born in the 20th century . Three other Presidents who followed Johnson in office were also born before Kennedy .
- Jimmy Carter, born October 1, 1924, was the first person born after World War I to become President. He was also the first President to be born in a hospital.
- Bill Clinton, born August 19, 1946, was the first person born after World War II to serve as President.
Life after the presidency
Presidents continue to enjoy benefits after leaving office such as free mailing privileges, free office space, the right to hold a
diplomatic passport and budgets for office help and staff assistance. However, it was not until after Harry S. Truman that Presidents received a pension after they left office. Additionally, since the presidency of Herbert Hoover, Presidents receive funding from the
National Archives and Records Administration upon leaving office to establish their own
presidential library. These are not traditional libraries but rather repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, and other historical materials for each President since Herbert Hoover.
Former presidents continue to be important national figures, and in some cases go on to successful post-presidential careers. Notable examples have included
William Howard Taft's tenure as
Chief Justice of the United States,
Herbert Hoover's work on government reorganisation after World War II,
Jimmy Carter's current career as a global
human rights campaigner and best-selling writer, and most recently
George H. W. Bush and
Bill Clinton's combined effort to appeal for donations from Americans after the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and
Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Andrew Johnson was elected to the same Senate that tried his impeachment after his term was over. Furthermore,
John Quincy Adams enjoyed a prosperous career in the House of Representatives after his term in the White House.
As of 2006, there are four living former presidents:
Gerald Ford,
Jimmy Carter,
George H. W. Bush and
Bill Clinton. The most recently deceased President is
Ronald Reagan, who died June 5, 2004. Gerald Ford is currently the oldest living US president.
Trivia
Former Presidents
There have never been more than five former Presidents alive at any given time in American history. There have been three periods during which five former Presidents were alive:
- From March 4, 1861 to January 18, 1862, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan were living .
- From January 20, 1993 to April 22, 1994, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush
...
were living .
...
, and
Bill Clinton were living .
There have been six periods in American history during which no former Presidents were alive:
- April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797: until the first President left office, there could be no former Presidents, alive or otherwise.
- December 14, 1799 – March 4, 1801: from the death of Washington to the end of John Adams's term .
- July 31, 1875 – March 4, 1877: from the death of Andrew Johnson to the end of Grant's term .
- June 24, 1908 – March 4, 1909: from the death of Cleveland until the end of Theodore Roosevelt's term .
- January 5, 1933 – March 4, 1933: from the death of Coolidge until the end of Hoover's term .
- January 22, 1973 – August 9, 1974: from the death of Lyndon Johnson until the resignation of Nixon .
Herbert Hoover holds the record for having lived the longest time as a former president at 31 years, 7 months and 16 days - a total of 11,553 days. Gerald Ford will tie Herbert Hoover if he is alive on September 7, 2008, having been a former president since January 20, 1977. James K. Polk had the shortest post-presidency. He died on June 15, 1849, three months after his term ended on March 4, 1849. He lived as a former president for only 103 days.
- Four former Presidents went on to hold other major offices:
- William Howard Taft was the Chief Justice of the United States
- Andrew Johnson returned to the United States Senate
- John Quincy Adams served in the United States House of Representatives
- John Tyler served in the provisional Confederate States Congress during the Civil War. He was elected to the regular Confederate Congress but died before it met.
- Grover Cleveland was defeated in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison for reelection but won the presidency again in 1892
Births
Between the birth of
George Washington in 1732 and the birth of Bill Clinton in 1946, future Presidents have been born in every decade except two: the 1810s and the 1930s. Between the death of George Washington in 1799 and the present, Presidents or former Presidents have died in every decade except four: the 1800s, 1810s, 1950s, and 1980s.
Deaths
- Assassination attempts have been made on seven other U.S Presidents while in office, and on one President-elect:
...
- Four others died in office of natural causes:
- William Henry Harrison, died of pneumonia in 1841
- Zachary Taylor, died of "acute indigestion" in 1850. Taylor's body was exhumed in 1991 to test if he had died of arsenic poisoning. It was determined he did not.
- Warren G. Harding, died of heart attack in 1923
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, died of cerebral hemorrhage in 1945
- Every U.S. President from William Henry Harrison to John F. Kennedy who was elected or re-elected in a year evenly divisible by 20 died in office, many by assassination. Ronald Reagan survived an attempt on his life and George W. Bush had a Soviet grenade thrown at him while in Georgia, which failed to explode. This string is commonly labelled Tecumseh's Curse.
- 1840: William Henry Harrison
- 1860: Abraham Lincoln
- 1880: James Garfield
- 1900: William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt, who was McKinley's Vice President and succeeded him in 1901, was shot by John Shrank in an assassination attempt in 1912
- 1920: Warren G. Harding
- 1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 1960: John F. Kennedy
- One has died in a foreign country:
Resignations and impeachments
- One President resigned from office:
- Two Presidents have been impeached, though neither was subsequently convicted:
- Andrew Johnson impeached and tried in 1868
- Bill Clinton impeached in 1998, tried in 1999
Elections
- Four Presidents have been elected without a plurality of popular votes:
- John Quincy Adams—trailed Andrew Jackson by 44,804 votes in the 1824 election
- However, in six of the then twenty-four states in 1824, the electors were chosen by the state legislature, with no popular vote.
- Rutherford B. Hayes—trailed Samuel J. Tilden by 264,292 votes in the 1876 election
- Benjamin Harrison—trailed Grover Cleveland 95,713 votes in the 1888 election
- George W. Bush—trailed Al Gore by 543,895 votes in the 2000 election
- A possible addition to this list is John F. Kennedy, who may have trailed Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. The precise gap in votes is difficult to determine because voters in Alabama were not given Kennedy as an option on their ballot - they could only vote "Democratic" without choosing a candidate. So, when the Democrats won Alabama, half of the state's electoral votes were pledged to Kennedy, and the other half were not pledged at all, and those votes all went to Harry F. Byrd. So it is impossible to know how many of those voters meant to vote for Kennedy, or for Byrd. The margin between Kennedy and Nixon was smaller than the number of Democratic votes in Alabama. The official figure from the U.S. government includes the Alabama votes in Kennedy's total, giving Kennedy the popular plurality.
- Eleven Presidents have been elect
