Roles of the President

1. Roles of the President

2. Chief Executive The President’s main job is to carry out the laws passed by Congress. The president works in the West Wing of the White House.

3. Chief Executive The President must make sure that a wide range of laws are put into action. He meets constantly with his “inner circle,” the Executive Office of the President. The Oval Office.

4. Chief Executive The President issues executive orders, creates regulations and appoints a variety of government officials. President Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. He decided to keep Bush’s Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates in charge at the Pentagon.

5. Chief Administrator The president is in charge of many departments and agencies which help him carry out the laws passed by Congress. He is the “boss” of the executive branch. President Obama leads a meeting of the heads of all the executive departments (the Cabinet).

6. Chief Administrator The President directs the heads of departments and agencies to carry out his policies. Timothy Geithner is the Secretary of Treasury and is directing the President’s economic recovery program.

7. Chief Diplomat The president directs the foreign policy of the U.S., making key decisions about how we act toward other nations. Bush signs free trade agreement (a treaty) with Prime Minister Chok Tong Gohof Singapore.

8. Chief Diplomat Obama meets the Ghanaian president, John Atta Mills, at the Presidential Palace

9. Chief Diplomat President Obama spoke to the Muslim world at Cairo University.

10. Chief Diplomat

11. Commander-in-Chief The president is in charge of the army, navy, air force and marines. The top commanders answer to the president.

12. Commander-in-Chief Bush serves Thanksgiving dinner to troops in Baghdad.

13. Legislative Leader The president tries to persuade Congress to pass laws (legislation) which support his goals for the government. Surrounded by Congressional leaders, the President signs a bill into law.

14. Legislative Leader In his State of the Union Address, the president tells Congress what he would like them to do in the next year.

15. Legislative Leader In September, 2009, President Obama made it clear to Congress that he wanted a health-care reform bill passed.

16. Head of State The president is a living symbol of our nation. He carries out ceremonial functions for Americans. The Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qataris welcomed to the U.S. by our President.

17. Head of State Mrs. GursharanKaur, the wife of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, talks with President Barack Obama during the State Dinner at the White House, Nov. 24, 2009.

18. Head of State President Bush honors the 2002 World Champion Anaheim Angels in the White House Rose Garden.

19. Head of State President Obama welcomed the 2009 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House.

20. Head of State President Bush honors the 2006 National Teacher of the Year Kimberly Oliver.

21. Head of State President Bush congratulates 2004 National Spelling Bee winner David Tiomarsh.

22. Head of State President Bush is presented with the the Olympic torch from Paralympic gold medalist Chris Devlin-Young.

23. Economic Leader The president tries to help the country’s economy prosper by dealing with such problems as unemployment and high taxes. The President promotes his economic program.

24. Economic Leader The president tries to help the country’s economy prosper by dealing with such problems as unemployment and high taxes. The President visits a wind turbine factory in Pennsylvania and an equipment plant in Illinois.

25. Economic Leader Bush meets with workers at a food processing plant in New Jersey.

26. Party Leader The president is the head of his political party. He helps the party raise money, and helps other party members win elections. George Bush helps a famous actor campaign for governor of California.

27. Party Leader The president is the head of his political party. He helps the party raise money, and helps other party members win elections. Barack Obama helped the Creigh Deeds campaign a little bit, but the Democratic candidate was not eager for help from the White House.

28. Regular Guy George H.W. Bush enjoys a stroll with his dog, Millie, and her puppies on the White House lawn in 1989.

29. Regular Guy George H.W. Bush stays busy while Millie snoozes on the couch. Bush’s son George stays busy while Millie’s son Spot snoozes under the table.

30. The president discusses important policy matters with his Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley.

31. Barney was sometimes allowed to conduct press conferences.

32. First Lady Laura Bush with Barney and Miss Beasely.

33. The Obamas with their Portuguese Water Dog puppy, Bo.

34. It will be a long time before Bo can just lay around the White House.

37. Got it?

38. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Obama meets with Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Chief Diplomat

39. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader The President meets with government officials to discuss rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina. Chief Administrator

40. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Obama tours a solar panel plant. He recently announced a $3.4 billion plan to develop a national “smart grid.” Economic Leader

41. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Head of State The White House holds a formal dinner for Charles, the Prince of Wales.

42. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Bush holds a press conference at the Pentagon with his national security team. Commander-in-Chief

43. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Obama gladly accepts the nomination for president at the 2008 Democratic national convention. Party Leader

44. Chief Executive • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Legislative Leader Surrounded by members of Congress, Bush signs a recently-passed bill.

45. Chief Executive • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Chief Diplomat President Bush, with Vice-President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice meet with Nigerian President Olusengun Obasanjo and other Nigerian officials.

46. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader President Bush announces the appointment of Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank. Economic Leader

47. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Obama meets with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Party Leader Legislative Leader

48. Chief Executive • Chief Administrator • Chief Diplomat • Commander-in-Chief • Legislative Leader • Head of State • Economic Leader • Party Leader Obama announces greenhouse gas emission standards (regulations) for vehicles too be carried implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency. Chief Administrator