The white House

The President (any natural-born citizen over 34) is elected for a term of four years and can only be re-elected for one more term (according to the Twenty Second Amendment, adopted after Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four successive terms).

The President was originally intended to be little more than a ceremonial Head of State, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, but the Federal Government’s increasing involvement in the Nation’s economic life and its prominent role in international affairs, where secrecy and speed are often essential, has increased the importance of the Presidency over Congress.

The President now proposes a full legislative program to Congress, although the President, the Cabinet and staff are not, and cannot be members of Congress. This means that the various bills must be introduced into the House of Representatives or Senate by their members. The President is consequently completely powerless facing an uncooperative Congress. While mentioning the difficulties in ensuring that the laws passed are effectively implemented by the federal bureaucracy, it has been said that the President’s only real power is the power to persuade.

The President is assisted by the members of the Cabinet who administer 14 major departments: State, Defense, Justice, Treasury, Commerce, Labor, Health, Education and Welfare, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Agriculture and Transportation. Though they rank as the President’s chief advisers, in recent decades members of President’s administration have generally more influence on him.

The role of the Vice President is not very well defined by the Constitution, which gives him or her no other task than presiding over the debates in the Senate, where he may only vote in the case of a tie. Yet the Vice President takes over from the President in case of death, resignation, or sickness, which has already happened on eight occasions. To try and attract able men to this otherwise unimportant, mainly ceremonial post, Vice Presidents have recently been given more important tasks, especially in foreign affairs.

The residence of the Administration is the White House.

Inaugurations of Presidents and Vice Presidents take place on January 20 of every year following a national election. These ceremonies are held on a platform erected over the steps on the East front of the Capitol Building. The oath of office is administered by the Chief Justice of the United States.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-17