(left) The Oval Office at the White House
the executive branch
"In directing national policy, the President possesses
almost unlimited discretional powers
which are not subject to question by
the legislative or judicial departments."
(source: "The Story of the Constitution." U.S. Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission, Congress, Washington, D.C., 1937).
Presidents One -12
Presidents One -12
Presidents One -12
George Washington (1789–1797)
John Adams (1797–1801)
Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809)
James Madison (1809–1817)
James Monroe (1817–1825)
John Quincy Adams (1825–1829)
Andrew Jackson (1829–1837)
Martin Van Buren (1837–1841)
William Henry Harrison (1841)
John Tyler (1841–1845)
James Polk (1845–1849)
Zachary Taylor (1849–1850)
Presidents 13 - 24
Presidents One -12
Presidents One -12
Millard Fillmore (1850–1853)
Franklin Pierce (1853–1857)
James Buchanan (1857–1861)
Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865)
Andrew Johnson (1865–1869)
Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
James Garfield (1881)
Chester Arthur (1881–1885)
Grover Cleveland (1885–1889) Benjamin Harrison (1889–1893)
Grover Cleveland (1893–1897)
Presidents 14 - 34
Presidents One -12
Presidents 14 - 34
William McKinley (1897–1901)
Theodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)
William H. Taft (1909–1913)
Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
Warren Harding (1921–1923)
Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
Herbert Hoover (1929–1933)
*Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
Dwight Eisenhower (1953–1961)
*F.D. Roosevelt won four terms in office. This prompted 22nd Amendment - term limits.
Presidents 35 - 47
Presidents One -12
Presidents 14 - 34
John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
Lyndon Johnson (1963–1969)
Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
Gerald Ford (1974–1977)
Jimmy Carter (1977–1981)
Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)
George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
William J. Clinton (1993–2001)
George W. Bush (2001–2009)
Barack Obama (2009–2017)
Donald J. Trump (2017–2021)
Joseph Biden (2021–2025)
Donald J. Trump (2025–Present)
Did you know?
Three U.S. Presidents died on july 4th
On the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1826, John Adams, the second president and Thomas Jefferson, the third president, both died. On July 4, 1831, James Monroe, the fifth president, died. RIP
Constitutional Duties & Powers of the President
Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, by J. Trumbull
The American Revolution
October 19, 1781
1. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;
he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and
2. he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
3. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and
4. he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
5. The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
6. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;
7. 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, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper;
8. he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers;
9. he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
(Language of the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Sections 1-4. Numbers added by editor)
The President is elected by each State's Electors
(left map) Electoral Votes of 1792
Each State votes in State Representatives, but the President is shared by all States, hence, the Electoral process.
The Electoral process gives smaller populated states a voice with larger populated states in deciding President of US.
45th & 47th President - Donald J Trump
Term of Presidency - January 20, 2025 to January 20, 2029
After a landslide election victory in 2024, President Donald J. Trump is returning to the White House to build upon his previous successes and use his mandate to reject the extremist policies of the radical left while providing tangible quality of life improvements for the American people.
Source: The Trump Administration
Learn about the focus issues of the President.
Vice President
J.D. Vance
"In 2024, President Donald J. Trump extended JD the incredible honor of asking him to serve as the Vice-Presidential Nominee for the Republican Party. JD looks forward to serving with President Trump over the next four years as they work diligently to Make America Great Again."
Source: The Trump Administration
The President's Cabinet
The Constitution Gives the Power of Appointments to the President
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution reads in part: "He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States . . ."
The Cabinet’s role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member’s respective office.
early days & problems with the presidential elections
Election 1796
John Adams (Federalist) had the most votes and was elected President. Thomas Jefferson (Republican) came in second place, and was elected Vice President.
Due to the President's and Vice President's differing public policy philosophies, the Executive office lacked unity in public policy ideas and goals. Governing was difficult.
Election 1800
- Thomas Jefferson (Republican) & Aaron Burr (Federalist) tied for the Presidency with 73 electoral votes each.
In accordance with the Constitution, when there is a tie - the vote for the President then goes to the House of Representatives.
In what would be one of several slights by Alexander Hamilton toward Aaron Burr, Hamilton encouraged his Federalist Party colleagues in the House to vote for Jefferson over Burr.
Even though Hamilton did not share the same political philosophy as Jefferson he trusted Jefferson over Burr.
- Jefferson became President and
- Burr - Vice President.
After Burr's term as V.P., Hamilton continued to criticize Burr & damage his reputation.
Hamilton was thought to have said of Aaron Burr,
"Mr. Burr to be a dangerous man and one who ought not to be trusted with the reins of government.”
Burr would not take anymore slights from Hamilton and to defend his reputation Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel.
July 11, 1804 - Duel
- Saving face and upholding one's honor was ingrained as common and necessary for a "gentleman."
- Dueling was an acceptable & expected defense to a man's honor.
Hamilton would not apologize for his remarks and felt obligated to accept the duel.
Hamilton replied to Burr, “. . . I answer that my relative situation . . . enforcing all the considerations which constitute what men of the world denominate honor, imposed on me (as I thought) a peculiar necessity not to decline the call.”
The Senate claimed a duel was not a common murder!
Hamilton wrote that his plan was to purposely “throw away” his first shot, and hold off his second shot to give Burr,
“a double opportunity” to “pause and to reflect.”
Burr did not throw away his first shot, and his aim fatally wounded Hamilton. Burr was not prosecuted for murder.
The 12th Amendment (ratified June 1804) -
- Since the ratification of the 12th Amendment, the President & Vice President candidates run separate races.
- In regard to unifying differing public policy ideology, the President and Vice President candidates are not required to, but have ever since been in the same political Party. They run on same "ticket."
Summary of 25th Amendment - Death, Resignation or Discharge
25th Amendment complete text - (above) under "Constitutional Amendments Related to Executive Branch."
12th Amendment text - Election of President & Vice-president
Amendment XII
Passed by Congress December 9, 1803.
Ratified June 15, 1804.
(Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment).
The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves;
they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;
-- the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; --
The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President.
But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.
And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.
* The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.
*Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment.