Article Two

The short Article Two of the U.S. Constitution outlines the Executive Branch of the federal government. It grants executive power, military power and legislative power to the President of the United States of America. The President must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old and a 14-year resident of the United States. Unique to our federal republic, the President is chosen by electors in the Electoral College. These electors are chosen in November every four years by the voters and the Electoral College meets in mid-December.

The executive power of the President includes the power to appoint the heads of the executive cabinet departments and other cabinet level officers. These appointments require confirmation by the U.S. Senate. The President also has the power, subject to Senate confirmation, to appoint federal judges, justices of the Supreme Court, ambassadors and other ministers and consuls. When the Senate is in recess, the President has power to temporarily fill any of these vacancies, without confirmation, until the next election. The President has the power to make treaties, again subject to Senate confirmation.

The President executes his military power as the commander-in-chief of the United States military and the state militias when they are called to active service during times of war. The President appoints all officers of the United States Armed Forces.

The President has the legislative power to sign into law any bills sent to him by the Congress. He also has the power to veto them. Congress may override his veto with a two-thirds vote of both Houses in the Congress. The President has legislative power to call the Congress back from recess into session under extraordinary circumstances and the power to adjourn the Congress if the two Houses cannot agree to recess. The President can recommend legislation to Congress.

The President can only be removed from office by impeachment in the House and a guilty verdict in a Senate trial.

The President has an annual duty to report to the Congress the State of the Union.

At the inauguration of the President, the President takes a specific Oath of Office, spelled out in Article Two. The President of the United States is the most powerful political leader in the United States of America.