The Presidency

A president must be natural-born citizen, at least thirty five years old, who has lived in the USA for a minimum of 14 years. Some presidential powers are directly enumerated in the Constitution and the others are just implied.

As a party chieftain, the President often uses his authority to support his own party. However, in dramatic circumstances, such as Civil War or the Great Depression, Presidents used their party boldly in their political struggle.

The President serves as the head of the executive. Actually, he spends much more time making policy decisions for his Cabinet of ministers than trying to enforce the existing policies. The chief executive, the President exercises the authority to appoint federal court judges and Cabinet members (on the advice and consent of the Senate, it is checks and balances), ambassadors, and many other officials. Congress has no power to nominate executive officers though it may set qualifications for officers established by statute and in some cases give approval to appointments and dismissals. As a commander in chief of the military, the President is partly controlled by the Congress that has power to declare war.

The President introduces the draft of the national budget to the Congress.

It is also necessary to say that the bill does not become a law without Presidential assent. The President can sign a bill if he is in favour of it or veto the draft and return it to the Congress, which can override the veto by a two-thirds vote in each house. The President can also decide to take no action, in which case the bill becomes a law in ten working days. When Congress is not in session, the President cannot return a bill; therefore, according to the Constitution, "It shall not be a law." In 1984 the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the district of Columbia ruled that a President is allowed to use such a measure - as pocket veto - only when a Congress adjourns (на каникулах, а не распущен). As a whole, presidential veto is used for three purposes: protecting executive independence from the legislature, security against the enacting improper laws, and a persuasive lever when the branches of power are in conflict.

A form of regulating the external affairs for President is executive agreements, or international agreements entered into by the President, but without the need for the approval by the Senate. Such agreements are to be pursuant to treaties, legislation and to the President's constitutional authority..

In compliance with his wide powers, the President exercises numerous restrictions that can be imposed on him. Probably, impeachment is the most serious of them. According to the Constitution, "the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other Court Crimes and Misdemeanors". The Constitution gives the House of Representatives power to bring charges against the President; after a trial presided over by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Senate determines guilt or innocence. Other restraints in the Congress' discretion are: denying a bill submitted by the President, including an international treaty and national budget; refusing appointment and dismissal policy. Even the fact that legislators represent states or districts that make them tend to take a provincial view of public affairs while by the very nature of his office the President adopt a national point of view provides a number of controversies.