US Constitution Article II: Executive Branch

To be president, one must be born in the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
The Twenty-second Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits the president to two elected terms.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment deals with presidential succession if the president dies or is disabled, in which case the vice-president succeeds the president.

Article II requires the President to swear an oath or affirmation before taking office.
The oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the inauguration ceremony.
The oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
George Washington's inauguration took place at Federal Hall in New York City, on April 30, 1789.

The Constitution establishes a system for electing the president, Americans do not directly elect the president.
Each state nominates a number of electors equal to the state's total number of senators and representatives, and these electors vote for a presidential candidate.
Originally, each elector cast two votes for president, with at least one for a candidate from another state
The person with the most votes became president and second-most became vice-president.
The election of 1800 led to Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr receiving the same number of votes, the House of Representatives had to vote 36 times before Jefferson finally won.
The Twelfth Amendment in 1804 limited each elector to one vote for president and one for vice president.
The Constitution allows states to decide how to choose electors.

Political parties create lists of electors who are loyal to their presidential candidate and give those lists to each state.
Voters select their choice for president on the ballot; the names of the electors are not listed.
The candidate with the most votes in the state gets all the votes of their chosen electors.
Washington, D.C. has a larger population than 13 states, it is not entitled to representatives or senators because it is not a state.
Residents of Washington are entitled to vote in presidential elections due to the Twenty-third Amendment.
That district is not allowed to have any more electors than the least populous state, so it has three electors.

Article II of the Constitution "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"
To carry out laws, the president oversees most of the federal government, which includes more than 4 million employees
The president can issue executive orders, which prescribe rules like laws, that employees of the executive branch must obey.
Specific Presidential Powers:
- Nomination of judges to the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, subject to approval by the Senate.
- Power to pardon criminals who have broken a federal law.
- Power to make treaties with other countries, also subject to approval by the Senate.
The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces, and can direct the armed forces movements.
Congress may give the president broader powers during times of war.
The president can create a cabinet to give advice and make policies.
George Washington's cabinet consisted of a secretary of state, a secretary of war, a secretary of the treasury, and an attorney general, while today the presidential cabinet consists of 15 people.
he Constitution envisions the president working closely with Congress, and the president gives Congress Information of the State of the Union, and proposes much of the legislation discussed by Congress.

The president can veto legislation passed by both houses, but the legislature can override the president's veto with a two-thirds majority in both houses.
Section 4 of Article II of the Constitution permits Congress to impeach the president.
Impeachment is a process authorized by the Constitution, and it brings charges against the president and certain other officials for misconduct.
The House of Representatives has the sole power to impeach, and the Senate may hold a trial on the accusations.
If the Senate convicts the president, it may remove him from office.
Only two presidents have been impeached, Andrew Jackson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, though neither president was convicted or dismissed from office.
In 2004, the president earned a salary of $400,000 a year.
The Secret Service uses an acronym to refer to the president of the United States: POTUS, while the First Lady is referred to as FLOTUS.

Head of State: The President is the lead figure of the government and the symbol of leadership for both Americans and the world.
Commander in Chief: The President leads the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps.
Chief Executive: The President holds executive power and serves as "the boss" for the executive branch's government workers.
Agenda Setter: The President can influence legislation and shape public policy, however the Congress can legislate.
Keeper of the Economy: The President is concerned with and responsible for the health of the American economy.
Party Chief: The President is a top official in their political party and works to get other members elected.

Impeachment is a critical check that enforces that no one, including the President, is above the law.
Impeachment means to formally charge a federal official, and a conviction is required to remove that official from office.
The House of Representatives has the power to impeach, while the Senate has the sole power to try impeachments.
If The House votes to impeach, the Resolution must originate in the House.
The House then Investagates before a vote is held, and means impeachment, moving it to the Senate.
For conviction, each side presents evidence during the trial before deliberation.
Senators vote based on their deliberation, then time for removal if a supermajority (2/3) is met at the Senate.