The President of the United States is the head of state and is the highest political official in the United States. The President leads the executive branch of the federal government; thus the role of the President is to implement the laws passed by Congress. This guide introduces you to all the Presidents of the United States, the qualifications for office, how Presidents are elected and presidential powers.
The Presidents of The United States
Who are the 43 presidents of the United States? Beginning with George Washington, learn about their terms of office and political affiliation as well as review brief bios of all the Presidents of the United States. You can also see their election opponents and the electoral votes cast in each race.The President Must Be A Natural Born Citizen
Only United States citizens have the right to vote and the right serve as an elected member of the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives. But to be President, you must also be a "natural born" citizen, according to Section I, Article II of the U.S. Constitution. What does that mean?The President Must Be At Least 35 Years of Age
Article 2 Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution holds the requirement that the President of the United States be at least 35 years of age:... neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years ...The youngest person elected President was John F. Kennedy, at the age of 43; the youngest person to become president was Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was 9 months younger than Kennedy when he assumed the presidency on September 14, 1901 after President McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz (Zol-gash). However, Roosevelt was not elected to the presidency until 1904, when he was 46.
The President Is Selected By The Electoral College
Although we cast a ballot for a presidential nominee on election day (the first Tuesday in November), in reality we are selecting "electors" -- those people who will cast the deciding ballot. The electoral college is a non-direct election artifact created by the Founding Fathers, most of whom distrusted direct democracy. Electoral votes are based on congressional representation -- the sum of senators and representatives. The total is 538, and 270 votes are needed to be elected.The President May Formally Appoint Advisors
Article Two of the U.S. Constitution gives the President the authority to seek external advisors. It states that the President can require "the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices." Congress, in turn, determines the number and scope of executive Departments.These formal advisors are commonly known as the President's Cabinet. An informal group of advisors is sometimes known as a "Kitchen Cabinet."
The President May Act Using The Veto
The veto is the power of the executive (President or Governor) to prevent the enactment of a bill or resolution which has been passed by the legislative body (Congress or State Legislature) by refusing to sign the measure.The President Does Not Have Line-Item Veto Authority
The line-item veto is the power of an executive to nullify (strike out, line-by-line) specific provisions of a bill without vetoing the entire piece of legislation. Usually this veto power refers to appropriations (spending) bills. Most U.S. Governors have line-item veto power; the President of the United States does not.In 1996, a Republican Congress passed the Line Item Veto Act; it was part of the GOP "Contract With America." In 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (6-3) that the line-item veto is unconstitutional. Those justices in the majority: Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, John Paul Stevens (author of the opinion) and Clarence Thomas.