How many roles does the president have

The president monitors the U. He or she may set up government programs that help Americans get jobs and allow businesses to do well. The president shares responsibility for the economy with Congress. Overseeing the economy includes many factors, such as trying to keep the unemployment rate down and aiding businesses. Every year, the president proposes a budget for the country. This determines how much money each part of the government, such as the military, will get to operate.

The final budget must be passed by Congress and signed by the president. The president is in charge of the entire U.

Only Congress can declare war, but the president can send troops into action in emergencies. The Constitution divides the power to make war between the president and Congress. Only Congress can actually declare war on another country. That means the president makes major decisions on where and when troops will be deployed or sent into combat , who will lead them, and how the U.

Harry S. Truman had to make that choice when he ordered atomic bombs to be dropped on two Japanese cities, the action that ended World War II The president can suggest laws to Congress. He or she also signs bills into law or vetoes them. Each January, the president gives a big speech to Congress called the State of the Union address.

The president can influence legislation in several ways. As a proposed law called a bill works its way through Congress, the president will call members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to urge them to vote for or against it. He or she may also invite members of Congress to the White House to discuss a proposed bill.

Constitution planned it. Here are three things a U. A president cannot make laws—only Congress has the power to do that. But he or she can pass executive orders. Those are official directives issued by a president that must be obeyed like laws. In many instances, U. According to the 22nd Amendment, which was ratified in , a person can be elected to the U.

In the United States, the president both leads the government and acts as the chief of state, although this is not the case in many countries. As chief of state, the president presides over commemorations of war heroes, throws out the first pitch at baseball games, and attends funerals of world leaders, among other duties. Obviously, the president cannot attend all ceremonies in his or her role as chief of state. The operational branch of the chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense, and from the Secretary of Defense down to the combatant commanders of the unified combatant commands.

The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Head of State is a term used in constitutional law, international law, political science, and diplomatic protocol to designate an official who holds the highest ranked position in a state and has the vested or implied powers to act as the chief public representative of a sovereign state.

Heads of state in most countries are natural persons holding an office, however in some countries the head of state position is held by a body of persons.

As head of state, it is the job of each of these leaders to represent their countries. A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch is led by a president who serves as both head of state and head of government.

In such a system, this branch exists separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which it cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss. Presidential systems are a notable feature of constitutions in the Americas, including those of the Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Venezuela; this is generally attributed to the strong influence of the United States in the region, and as the United States Constitution served as an inspiration and model for the Latin American wars of independence of the early 19 th century.

George Washington : George Washington, the first President of the United States, set the precedent for an executive head of state in republican systems of government. Presidential governments make no distinction between the positions of head of state and head of government, both of which are held by the president. Many parliamentary governments have a symbolic head of state in the form of a president or monarch. In the s, in the aftermath of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and his near-removal from office, it was speculated that the United States, too, would move from a presidential system to a semi-presidential or even parliamentary one.

Under this new system, the Speaker of the House of Representatives would become the real center of government as a quasi-prime minister. This did not in fact happen. The presidency, having been damaged by three late nineteenth and early twentieth century assassinations, and one impeachment, reasserted its political dominance by the early twentieth century through such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

Moreover, in presidential systems, the president often has the power to fire ministers at his sole discretion. In the United States, convention calls for cabinet secretaries to resign on their own initiative when called to do so. It is usual that the head of state, particularly in parliamentary systems as part of the symbolic role, is the one who opens the annual sessions of the legislature, e.

Even in presidential systems the head of state often formally reports to the legislature on the present national status, e. As head of state, the president can fulfill traditions established by previous presidents. William Howard Taft started the tradition of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.

Every president since Taft, except for Jimmy Carter, threw out at least one ceremonial first ball or pitch for Opening Day, the All-Star Game, or the World Series, usually with much fanfare. Wilson opening day : U. President Woodrow Wilson throws out the ball on opening day of baseball season, During a state visit by a foreign head of state, the president typically hosts a State Arrival Ceremony held on the South Lawn, a custom begun by John F.

Kennedy in This is followed by a state dinner given by the president which is held in the State Dining Room later in the evening. The appointment power of the President allows him or her to appoint and receive ambassadors around the world.

Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states. Another method the president can use to check Congress's activities is the veto. A veto is a presidential rejection of a proposed law.

Some presidents have used vetoes fairly often. In , President Gerald Ford vetoed 18 bills. The mere threat to veto can be powerful.

It can sometimes allow the president to shape legislation to his liking. The president is the nation's chief diplomat. He or she deals directly with the heads of foreign governments. One example is meetings with leaders of the Group of Eight G-8 major industrialized nations. These occur regularly.

In addition, presidents oversee negotiation of major treaties with other countries. An example was the Panama Canal Treaty of — As commander in chief, the president is in charge of all national military forces. He or she can send troops overseas. The president can also order them into combat. Usually this is done to protect the interests and lives of U. Some presidents have also used the military inside the United States to maintain the peace.

In extreme situations, a president can impose martial law. Martial law is rule by military force. President Abraham Lincoln did so during the Civil War. Additionally, the president is the only person with the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. Civilian control of the military is important.

A dramatic example of this principle occurred in As chief policy maker, the president creates guiding principles for issues that concern Americans. For example, the president decides what he wants to accomplish in areas such as education, crime, and unemployment. President Lyndon Johnson established his Great Society program. This included programs for health care for the poor and pollution control.