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was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii .]]
The President of the United States of America is the Head Of State of the United States . Under 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 Superpower status of the United States, the American President is widely considered to be the most powerful person on earth, and is usually 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 office is widely emulated all over the world in nations with a Presidential System of government.

The 43rd and current President of the United States is George W. Bush . He is currently serving his second term.


PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED

After the adoption of the Articles Of Confederation in 1781 , the President Of The Continental Congress was renamed to President Of The United States In Congress Assembled . Functionally, the President of the United States in Congress Assembled was quite different from the modern office of the President of the United States; the President of the USiCA was nothing more than the presiding officer of the legislature and was neither a head of government nor head of state. After the Constitutional Convention, the position of the President of the United States in Congress Assembled was dissolved and replaced with the positions of the Speaker Of The United States House Of Representatives and the President Of The United States Senate and President Pro Tempore Of The United States Senate . The executive branch was established, and the office of President of the United States of America was created.


REQUIREMENTS TO HOLD 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 (or a citizen of the United States at the time the U.S. Constitution was adopted), 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 (for example, Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright , and Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan ), as well as other well-known persons born in other countries who have done great service for the United States ( Bob Hope ). Constitutional amendments are occasionally proposed to remove or modify this requirement, but none has been successful.

The only time recently that the Natural-born Citizenship requirement has been implicated in regard to a presidential candidate was in 1968. That year, Michigan Governor George W. Romney was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president. Romney had been born in Chihuahua, Mexico to American parents. However, Romney's campaign fizzled and the question was never seriously discussed.


ELECTION

See Also: United States presidential election


Presidential elections are held every four years. Presidents are elected indirectly, through the Electoral College . The President and the Vice President are the only two nationally elected officials in the United States. (Legislators are elected on a state-by-state basis; other executive officers and judges are appointed.)


Current system

Refer to the article on the Electoral College .


Campaign

The modern Presidential election process begins with the Primary Elections , during which political parties each select a nominee to unite behind; these nominees in turn select Running Mates to join them on the ticket as the Vice Presidential candidates. The candidates then face off in the general election. The major candidates (in recent times, usually the Democrat and the Republican ) usually participate in Nationally Televised Debates before Election Day and campaign across the country to explain their views and plans to the voters. Much of the modern electoral process is concerned with winning Swing State s through frequent visits and Mass Media advertising drives.


Last election

See Also: United States presidential election, 2004




TERM(S) OF OFFICE

Under the Constitution, the President serves a term of four years. , Ronald Reagan , and Bill Clinton . Incumbent President George W. Bush would become the fourth if he completes his current term in 2009. Richard Nixon was elected to a second term but resigned before completing it.


SUCCESSION

The United States Presidential Line Of Succession is a detailed list of government officials to serve or act as President upon a vacancy in the office due to death, resignation, or removal from office (by Impeachment and conviction). The line of 17 begins with the Vice President and ends with the Secretary Of Veterans Affairs . Legislation to add the Secretary Of Homeland Security to the line of succession is pending in Congress.

The Constitution provided that, if a President were to die, resign, or be removed from office, the "''powers'' and '''''duties'''''" of the office would devolve upon the Vice President, Article II, Section 1 (which seems to imply the position of acting president), and that the Vice President shall "'''''exercise''''' the '''''office''''' of President of the United States," Article I, Section 2 (which seems to imply actual assumption of the presidency itself). People did not agree as to the exact meaning and intention of the text, and whether the Vice President would succeed to the office of President or merely act as President. After the death of William Henry Harrison , however, Vice President John Tyler asserted that he had become the President, not merely Acting President, and this precedent was followed in all subsequent cases.

The 25th Amendment eliminated this ambiguity by confirming the Vice President as first in the order as well as spelling out a process for him to serve as Acting President should the President become disabled. A provision of the United States Code (), known as the Presidential Succession Act Of 1947 , establishes the rest of the succession line.

To date, no officer other than the Vice President has been called upon to act as President.


POWERS

See Also: Powers of the President of the United States


The President, according to the Constitution, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." To carry out this responsibility, the president presides over the executive branch of the federal government; a vast organization of about 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military personnel. A President-elect will make as many as 6,000 appointments to government positions, including appointments to the Federal Judiciary . The Senate must consent to all judicial appointments as well as the appointments of all principal officers. The President may veto laws made by the United States Congress but cannot personally initiate laws. Congress can overturn the veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses. He is Commander in Chief of the armed forces and may make treaties, but the Senate must confirm these. The political scientist Richard Neustadt said, "Presidential power is the power to persuade and the power to persuade is the ability to bargain". He was commenting on the fact that the President's domestically constitutional power is limited, despite the modern expectation of Presidents to have a legislative program, and successful bargaining with Congress is usually essential to Presidential success.


PRESIDENTIAL SALARY AND BENEFITS


Salary

The First U.S. Congress voted to pay George Washington a salary of $25,000 a year (about $270,000 in 2005 terms) — a significant sum in 1789 . Washington, already a successful 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 miniscule in comparison to the CEOs of most Fortune 500 companies; in some parts of the United States some medical specialists (such as cardiovascular surgeons) 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 Bill Clinton , despite health problems that prevented him working for some part of the year, earned $6 million in 2005 {Link without Title} .


Travelling


While traveling, 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 as 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 ". (Previously, an Army aircraft dubbed " Army One " was also used. " 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 utilizes a Motorcade , in which the President himself rides in the Presidential Limousine .


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

See Also: List of Presidents of the United States


See Also: President of the Continental Congress


See Also: Gallery of Presidents of the United States




TIMELINE OF PRESIDENTIAL BIRTHS



LIFE AFTER THE PRESIDENCY

, George H. W. Bush , Ronald Reagan , Jimmy Carter , Gerald Ford , and their wives at the funeral of President Richard Nixon on April 27 , 1994 .]]
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 (1958) 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.

After a president of the U.S. leaves office, the title "President" continues to be applied to that person for the rest of his life. 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 reorganization 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 .

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:

There have been six periods in American history during which no former presidents were alive:

Herbert Hoover had the longest post-presidency, 31 years. He left office in 1933 and died in 1964. Still alive today is Gerald Ford , who has been an former president for 29 years, as of 2006. James K. Polk had the shortest post-presidency. He died on June 15 , 1849 , a mere three months after the expiration of his term.

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.





Other facts

flying over Mount Rushmore ]]

  • All presidents have been white males and nominally Christian (mostly Protestant ). Most presidents have been of substantially British descent, but there have been a few who came from a different background:

  • ---Predominantly Dutch : Martin Van Buren


  • --Although Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt had Dutch names, neither was predominantly Dutch; each had only one Dutch grandfather. Theodore's other three grandparents were all British; Franklin's other three grandparents were of Puritan stock.

  • ---Predominantly German : Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower

  • ---Predominantly Irish : William McKinley, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton


  • --Kennedy was also America's only Roman Catholic president.

  • Only one president, James Buchanan , remained a Bachelor . Bachelor Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom while in office, while both John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson became Widower s and remarried while in office.

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only President to have had a serious physical disability.

  • Historical Rankings Of United States Presidents by academic historians usually regard three Presidents — in chronological order, George Washington , Abraham Lincoln , and Franklin D. Roosevelt — to be the three most successful presidents by a wide margin.

  • The Secret Service and some agencies in the government use acronyms as jargon. Since the Truman Administration the President of the United States has been called POTUS, pronounced //. The wife of the President, traditionally referred to as the First Lady is called '''FLOTUS''', pronounced //. The Vice President of the United States is often abbreviated to '''VPOTUS''', pronounced //.

  • Military Service : 26 out of the 42 U.S. presidents have served in the military

  • Three out of the first five presidents died on July 4 th (Independence Day)



SEE ALSO



FURTHER READING

  • Leonard Leo, James Taranto, and William J. Bennett. ''Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House.'' Simon and Schuster, June, 2004, hardcover, 304 pages, ISBN 0743254333

  • Waldman, Michael, and George Stephanopoulos, ''My Fellow Americans: The Most Important Speeches of America's Presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush.'' Sourcebooks Trade. September 2003. ISBN 1402200277

  • Couch, Ernie, ''Presidential Trivia.'' Rutledge Hill Press. 1 March 1996 . ISBN 1558534121

  • Lang, J. Stephen, ''The Complete Book of Presidential Trivia.'' Pelican Publishing. September 2001. ISBN 1565548779



NOTES




EXTERNAL LINKS



Official





Presidential histories

  • 1 - A collection of over 52,000 Presidential documents

  • 2 - Brief biographies, election results, cabinet members, notable events, and some points of interest on each of the presidents.

  • 3 - A companion website for the C-SPAN television series: ''American Presidents: Life Portraits''

  • 4



Speeches



Miscellaneous

  • 8 - Brief histories of the Masonic careers of Presidents who were members of the Freemasons.

  • 9 - A resource for educators teaching the American Presidency

  • - The author of this blog posts links to sites relating to the American Presidency or specific American Presidents

  • 10 - Listing of the cabinet members for each Presidential Administration

  • 11 - Opinion poll of how great each President is believed to be.

  • Presidential Birthdays