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12.2: Presidential Roles

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    287406
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    The president plays important roles in America’s political and civic life. Americans tend to be most familiar with his role as head of government. It is the president’s duty, according to Article II of the Constitution, to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Congress makes laws, but it is up to the president – and the departments, agencies, and offices over which he presides – to enforce them. From IRS auditors collecting taxes to CIA operatives tracking suspected terrorists to NPS rangers monitoring national parks, the president’s subordinates act to carry out the will of Congress.

    In addition to his practical role as head of government, the president also fulfills the symbolic role of head of state. As the only official other than the vice president chosen in a national election, the president represents the entire country in ceremonial ways, from pardoning turkeys each November to welcoming visiting foreign leaders to mourning national tragedies. The president personifies all of America, officially and unofficially, both within its borders and around the world.

    Some countries, including Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey, combine the roles of head of state and head of government the way America does. Others keep them separate. In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is head of government while the King is head of state. A similar division occurs in Iran: the secular President is head of government, but the religious Supreme Leader is head of state. Ethiopia, Germany, India, and many other countries have both an elected head of government and a separately elected head of state.

    Aside from head of government and head of state, the President of the United States is commander-in-chief of the military, responsible for both overall strategy and specific tactical operations. The president is also America’s chief diplomat, negotiating political and economic treaties with other countries, often with the aid of the Department of State. Finally, the president is the unofficial head of his party (as its highest-ranking member in government) and sets the tone for the party’s policy agenda and electoral strategy.


    12.2: Presidential Roles is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.