POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

What do you think is the most important duty of the President of the United States? As chief executive, the President carries out the laws of the land. But, the President also serves as the country's chief of state, Commander in Chief, and chief diplomat. The President acts not only as an executive leader, but also as a legislative leader and a judicial leader. This question, then, really has no one answer. All of these duties are important to American government today.

To carry out so many responsibilities, the President is given many powers. These are listed in Figure 2.

Figure 2

POWERS AND-DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT

Serves as chief of state Serves as chief executive Heads the federal bureaucracy Power to appoint and remove certain government leaders Power to issue executive orders Power to enforce the law Power to make budgets Serves as commander in chief Serves as Chief Diplomat Power to recognize a country Power to make treaties and executive agreements Power to suggest laws and to direct the course of legislation through Congress Power to call special sessions of Congress Power to veto bills Power to appoint judges to federal courts Power to grant pardons and reprieves Serves as national party leader

Executive Office of the President

Every day, the President of the United States is faced with scores of decisions, each with important consequences for America's future. To provide the President with the support he or she needs to govern effectively, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President's message to the American people to promoting trade interests abroad.

Perhaps the most visible parts of the EOP are the White House Communications Office and Press Secretary's Office. The Press Secretary provides daily briefings for the media on the President's activities and agenda. Less visible to most Americans is the National Security Council, which advises the President on foreign policy, intelligence, and national security.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 1281

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