The Presidency Lesson

George Washington Painting The Presidency was created in the image of George Washington. Washington's personality shaped the expectation that the president should be wise, moderate, dignified, and nonpartisan. The president had to be someone who was sensitive to individual rights and liberties but proved to have strong leadership in a newly formed nation.

Americans, today, set very high expectations for our presidents. We want someone who provides a sense of purpose and who represents the hopes and dreams of all Americans. We also want the president to pay very close attention to practical matters such as employment, healthcare, immigration, the military, peace, and prosperity. The president must be tough, competent, and decisive. In recent years, there has also been mistrust of government which makes being a president a very tough job.

The Characteristics of the Executive Branch

Constitutional Qualifications and Powers

Article II of the United States Constitution outlines the qualifications, benefits, and powers of the presidency. In order to become the President of the United States, an individual must be at least 35 years old, have lived in the United States for no fewer than 14 years, and be a natural born citizen. The president's pay is determined by Congress and cannot be increased or decreased during the president's term in office. Today, the president makes approximately $400,000 per year.

White House Logo

The president serves a four-year term in office, according to the U.S. Constitution. The 22^nd Amendment states that a president cannot be elected to office more than twice, nor serve more than a total of ten years. For example, if a president were to die in office, the vice president would fill the vacated position of president. As the new president (former vice president), he/she may be re-elected twice to office so long as he/she took over the office less with less than 2 years left on the former president's term. After the 22nd Amendment, no president may serve more than ten years in office.

Powers of the President

Strengthening of the President

Until the 1930s, the Constitution gave the president limited power. Congress dominated and made most of the decisions. Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt provided the foundation for strengthening the presidency through a combination of constitutional and evolutionary powers. The forceful personalities of these STRONG presidents have expanded the role and power of the modern presidency.

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