The president of the United States must fulfill several roles; he is simultaneously: chief of state, chief executive, chief administrator, chief diplomat, commander in chief, chief legislator, chief of party, and chief citizen. The first six of these roles come directly from the Constitution; the last two do not, but they are still vital roles that the President must play.
1. Chief of State This means that the President is a symbolic leader of our country. He performs many ceremonial duties like bestowing medals on military heroes, and recognizing citizens whom have made outstanding contributions to their nation. He also entertains foreign leaders, throws out the first pitch at baseball games, and promotes worthy causes.
2. Chief Executive This simply means that the President runs our United States government. He makes sure laws are enforced, appoints important officials, issues executive orders, and coordinates the efforts of over 150 different departments and agencies. He does not do all of this alone, of course. His cabinet and White House executive office staff help him carry out these duties.
3. Commander in Chief This means that the President is head of all military forces. He raises, trains, supervises, and deploys our nation's armed forces. The 1.4 million men and women in uniform are subject to the President's immediate and direct control. The President also reviews the troops and awards them with service medals, as well as meets with military officers and civilian national security advisers.
4. Chief Diplomat This means that the President is the leader, initiator, and guide of our foreign policy. He consults with the leaders of of foreign countries, performs ceremonial duties with foreign leaders, and makes the decisions for our country affecting foreign affairs. Some of these duties include appointing ambassadors to united nations who speak for the United States, and negotiating treaties with other countries.
5. Chief Administrator This means that the President is the director of the executive branch of the federal government. He runs and directs the 2-7 million government officials with a budget of $2.5 trillion per year. He also annually meets with the vice president, and the secretaries of defense, state, and security.
6. Chief Legislator This means that the President is the principal author of the nation's public policies. He sets the public policy, as well as initiates, suggests, requests, insists, and demands legislation. He also campaigns and lobbies for certain bills to be passed.
7. Chief of Party This means that the President is the leader of the political party that controls the executive branch. Even though parties are not involved in the Constitution, they play a major part in the workings of the American government system.
8. Chief Citizen This means that the President is the face and the "representative of all the people." He must be trustworthy and work for the public interest. He must also put the nation's best interests above himself and one person or one group of people.
Formal Qualifications of the President
The Constitution says that the President must meet three formal qualifications for office: he must be a natural born U.S. citizen, be at least 35 years of age, and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
The Presidential Term
The Framers who designed the U.S. Constitution agreed that the best choice for term length would be a four-year term with an option for re-election, versus a six-year term without being eligible for re-election. They decided on the four-year term because they believed that four years was a long enough time period for the president to gain experience and establish policies.
The original Constitution did not place any limits on the number of terms a president could serve. Most presidents did not seek more than two terms, however, and soon the "no third term tradition" became an unwritten rule. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president who broke the tradition, when he served a third and then a fourth term in 1940 and 1944. The 22nd Amendment prevented this from happening again by making the unwritten "no third term tradition" an actual part of the Constitution.
Presidential Pay and Benefits
Today, the President's annual salary is around $400,000 a year, versus the $25,000 it used to be in 1789. Congress determines the President's pay salary, and they are unable to increase or decrease it during a presidential term.
On top of the President's salary, congress provides the President with a $50,000 expense allowance per year. This allowance is taxed as part of his income, but the money may be spent however he wishes.