The President's and Vice President's Jobs

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The President

 

A Demanding Job: The President of the U.S. has many responsibilities. The President acts as the head of his political party, the chief representative of the government, and the country's popular leader.

Chief Executive: The President is considered the country's chief executive. He develops federal policies, prepares national budgets, enforces federal laws, and appoints federal officials.

Commander in Chief: The President as the commander of the armed services. He is responsible for keeping the country safe and strong both in wartime and during peaceful periods.

Foreign Policy Director: The President must direct foreign policy, appoint ambassadors, make treaties, and meet with foreign leaders.

Legislative Leader: The President influences the development and passage of laws. But his support does not guarantee that a law will be instated. Also, the President has the power to veto any bill that has been passed by Congress.

The Vice President

The V.P.'s Job: The only duty the U.S. Constitution assigns the Vice President is to act as presiding officer of the Senate. But the Vice President also serves as ceremonial assistant to the President and is an important part of the President's administration.

The Second Highest Office: The Vice President is only "a heartbeat away" from becoming the President. He or she must be ready to become President or Acting President if anything happens to the President. Thirteen Vice Presidents have gone on to become President, eight because of the death of a President. (Gerald Ford became President after Richard M. Nixon resigned, and the rest were elected to the office.)

Adapted from Scholastic News.

Election 2008
Republicans and Democrats are getting ready for another round of debates. Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, will host debates on Sunday, June 3, and Tuesday, June 5.

Election 2008
After months of speculation, Fred Thompson, former Senator and actor from Tennessee, announced that he was considering running for President of the United States. As his first step, Thompson formed a "Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â?testing the waters" committee, which will allow him to gauge people'Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â?Ã?Â?s reaction.

Election 2008
On Saint Patrick's Day, Micah Kalem, 12, of San Leandro, California, came to Oakland with his mom to show his support for presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Senator from Illinois came to California to raise money and votes for his bid to win the Democratic nomination.

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