PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The title of the chief executive officer of the United States.
The constitution directs that the executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America. Art 2, s. 1.
2. No person except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adop tion of this constitution, shall be eligible to tl3e office of president; neither shall any person be eli gible to that office who shall not have attained the age of 4:arty-five years and been fourteen years a residenttwithin the United States. Art. 2, s. 1, n.
5. In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation or inability to dis c13arge the powers and duties of' the said office, the same shall devolve on the vice-president; and the oangress may by law provide for the removal, death, resignation, or inability both of the president and vice-president, declaring what officer shall then act as president; and such officer shall act accordingly until the disability be removed or a president shall ha elected. Art. 2, s. 1, n. 6.
3. He is chosen by electors of president (q. v.). See U. S. Const. art. 2, s. 1, n. 2, 3, 4; 1 Kent, Comm. 273; Story, Const. 1447 et seq. After his election, and before 13e enters on the execution of bis office, he shall take the following oath or affirm ation: " do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute tl3e 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." Article 2, s. 1, n. 8, 9.
He holds his office for the term pf four years, srt. 2, s. 1, n. I ; and is re-eligible for successive terms; hut no one has ventured, oontrary to public opinion, to be a candidate for a third term.
4. The president shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected; and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, ar any of them. Art. 2, s. 1. n 7 The act of the 24th September, 1789, 3h. 19, fixed the salary of the president at twenty five thousand dollars. ThiS is his salary now.
The powers of the president are to be exercised by him alone, or by him with the ooncurrence of the senate.
5. The constitution has vested in him alone the following powers: he is commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when oalled into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officers of each of the executive departments, upon any sub ject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and he shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. Art. 2, s. 2, n. 2. Ile may appoint all officers of the United States, whose appointments are not otherwise provided for in the constitution, and which shall be established by law, when congress shall vest the appointment of such officers in the president alone. Art. 2, s. 2, n. 2. He shall have power to fill up all vacan cies that may happen during the reeess of the senate, by granting commissions, which shall ex pire at the end of their next session. Art. 2, s. 2, n. 3. He shall from time to time give congrese information of the state of the Union, and recom mend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them with respect to the time of adjournment, 13e may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws he faithfully executed, and shall commission all officers of the United States.
6. His power, with the concurrence of the senate, is as follows :—to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur; nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appoint, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officere of the United States whose appoint ments are not providod for in the constitution, and which have been established by law; but the con gress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they shall think proper in the president alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments. Art. 2, s. 2, n. 2. See 1 Kent, Comm. Lect. 13; Story, Const. b. 3, c. 36; Rawle, Const. Index; Serg. Const. L. Index.