POL 313

 

Presidential Roles

 

 

 

 


 


Constitutional Roles of the President
 
1) Commander-in Chief
 
Art II, Sec. 2: Power as head of armed forces
 
 
2) Chief Diplomat
 
Art II Sec 2: Power to negotiate treaties and executive agreements
Art II Sec 2: Power to nominate ambassadors
Art II Sec 3: Power to receive ambassadors
 
3) Chief of State
 
Art II Sec 2: Power to grant reprieves and pardons
Art II Sec 2: Power to commissions officers
 
 
4) Chief Legislator
 
Art II Sec 3: Power to convene and adjourn Congress
Art II Sec 3: Power to address Congress on the State of the Union
Art II Sec 3: Power to recommend legislation
Art I, Sec 7: Power to veto legislation
 
 
5) Chief Administrator
 
Art II Sec 2: Power to nominate judges
Art II Sec 2: Power to command the executive branch
Art II, Sec 2: Power to appoint top administrators



The Supra-Constitutional Roles of the Presidency

Supra-constitutional roles refer to roles which have "accrued" to the presidency but are not discoverable in the Constitution.


1) Chief of Party
Source: dominance and expansion of the presidency/ power of appointment/ media coverage


2) Protector of the Peace/ Global Leader of the Free World
Source: US emergence during and after World War II/ US economic dominance


3) Manager of the Economy
Source: Aftermath of stock market crash and depression/ US global economic dominance


4) Voice of the People/ Opinion Leader/ Moral Leader
Source: media coverage of president