PRESIDENT (OF. president, Fr. president, from Lat. prwsidens. president, pres. part. of prirsidere, to preside, direct, sit before, from prtr, before sedere, to sit). The chief exeeutive officer of the United States Government, chosen for a term of four years by an electoral college. in ease of removal, resignation, death, or inabil ity to discharge the duties imposed by the Consti tution and laws he is succeeded by an officer called Vice-President. The electors by whom the Presi dent is chosen are appointed in each State in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, each State being entitled to as many electors as it has Senators and Representatives in Congress. At present the practice in every State is to choose time electors by popular vote on a general ticket. This election takes place on the Tuesday following the first Monday in Novem ber of the year preceding that of the Presiden tial election. These electors assemble in their respective State capitals on the second Monday of January following for the purpose of casting their votes, which are in turn transmitted to Congress and officially counted by that body on the second Wednesday of February. In case no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes the election is taken to the 1-louse of Representatives, where the members voting by States choose a President from the three highest candidates on the list. This happened in 1800 and again in 1824. The President is inaugurated on the 4th of March following the election. He is eligible for reelection without limit as to the number of terms, but the precedent set by Washington of refusing a third term has never been broken. Eight Presidents have, however, served two terms each. The convention which framed the Consti tution of the United States was well nigh unani mous in opinion as to what should be the char acter of the Presidential office, although there were differences of opinion as to what should be the tenure and mode of election. The State Gov ernors and Presidents afforded a tolerably clear model for the creation of the national executive, and it may he said that these were followed rather than the British executive. The qualifica tions for the Presidency are fixed by the Consti tution. They are eitizenship acquired by birth in time United States, fourteen years' residence in the United States, and the completion of the thir ty-fifth year of age. The President is required be
fore entering upon the discharge of his duties to swear or affirm that he will faithfully execute the duties of the office to which he has been elected and to the best of his ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. On the occasion of time inaugura tion the President delivers a public address in which he announces his political policy, and an nually upon the meeting of Congress he sends a message to that body containing information of the state of the Union and making such recom mendations as may seem to him wise and ex pedient.
The President receives compensation for his ser vices in a salary which is at present fixed by stat ute at $50.000 per year and which cannot be in creased or diminished during the term for %Odell he is chosen. Be is also allowed the use of the executive mansion, together with the furniture and effects kept therein. He is prohibited by the Constitution from accepting any other emolument from any one of the Commonwealths or from any foreign Prince. King, or State. lie is from the jurisdiction of any court or but may be impeached by the 1-louse of Represen tatives for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors, and upon conviction by the Senate must be removed from office. Being then divested of his official character, he is subject to indictment and trial in the regular courts as any other private individual. The privilege of resign from office is recognized by the Constitution, and the formalities of relinquishment are pre scribed by a statute of • The powers and duties of the President include the management of the foreign relations of the United States; the calling together of Congress in extraordinary session, and the furnishing it with information concerning the Government; the power to veto legislative measures; the com mand of the army and navy; the granting of re prieves and pardons; the execution of the laws•, and the appointment of the officers of the United States. For a more detailed discussion of the duties and powers of the President, see UNITED STATES, and for the electoral votes cast for the various candidates for the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency, see ELECTORAL VOTES. See, also, ELECTORAL COLLEGE. Consult Stanwood, History of the Presidency (Boston, 1898).