Download President of the United States The President of the United States is

President of the United States
The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States.
The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of
the United States armed forces.
Article II of the U.S. Constitution vests the executive power of the United States in the president and
charges him with the execution of federal law, alongside the responsibility of appointing federal
executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers, and concluding treaties with foreign powers, with
the advice and consent of the Senate. The president is further empowered to grant federal pardons and
reprieves, and to convene and adjourn either or both houses of Congress under extraordinary
circumstances.[3] Since the founding of the United States, the power of the president and the federal
government have substantially grown[4] and each modern president, despite possessing no formal
legislative powers beyond signing or vetoing congressionally passed bills, is largely responsible for
dictating the legislative agenda of his party and the foreign and domestic policy of the United States. The
president is frequently described as the most powerful person in the world.
The president is indirectly elected by the people through the Electoral College to a four-year term, and is
one of only two nationally elected federal officers, the other being the Vice President of the United
States. The Twenty-second Amendment, adopted in 1951, prohibits anyone from being elected to the
presidency for a third full term. In all, 43 individuals have served 55 four-year terms. On January 20,
2009, Barack Obama became the forty-fourth and current president.
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was the dominant military and political
leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1797, leading the American victory over Britain
in the American Revolutionary War as commander in chief of the Continental Army, 1775–1783, and
presiding over the writing of the Constitution in 1787. As the unanimous choice to serve as the first
President of the United States (1789–1797), he developed the forms and rituals of government that
have been used ever since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. The
president built a strong, well-financed national government that avoided war, suppressed rebellion and
won acceptance among Americans of all types. Acclaimed ever since as the "Father of his country",
Washington, along with Abraham Lincoln, has become a central icon of republican values, self sacrifice
in the name of the nation, American nationalism and the ideal union of civic and military leadership.
In Colonial Virginia Washington was born into the provincial gentry in a wealthy, well connected family
that owned tobacco plantations using slave labor. Washington was home schooled by his father and
older brother but both died young and Washington became attached to the powerful Fairfax clan. They
promoted his career as surveyor and soldier. Strong, brave, eager for combat and a natural leader,
young Washington quickly became a senior officer of the colonial forces, 1754–58, during the first stages
of the French and Indian War. Indeed his rash actions helped precipitate the war.
Washington's experience, his military bearing, his leadership of the Patriot cause in Virginia, and his
political base in the largest colony made him the obvious choice of the Second Continental Congress in
1775 as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army to fight the British in the American Revolution. He
forced the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and nearly captured later that year when he
lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter he defeated the British in two
battles and retaking New Jersey. Because of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured two major
British armies at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781. Negotiating with Congress, governors, and
French allies, he held together a tenuous army and a fragile nation amid the threats of disintegration
and invasion. Historians give the commander in chief high marks for his selection and supervision of his
generals, his encouragement of morale, his coordination with the state governors and state militia units,
his relations with Congress, and his attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however,
Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. In the New York
campaign of 1776 and the Philadelphia campaign, General William Howe repeatedly flanked him, and
eventually took both cities, although the British abandoned Philadelphia after France entered the war in
1778, and Washington forced a major inconclusive battle at Monmouth Court House during their march
to New York. Washington is given full credit for the strategies that forced the British evacuation of
Boston in 1776 and the surrender at Yorktown in 1781. After victory was finalized in 1783, Washington
resigned rather than seize power, and returned to his plantation at Mount Vernon; this prompted his
erstwhile enemy King George III to call him "the greatest character of the age".
Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in
1787 because of his dissatisfaction with the weaknesses of Articles of Confederation that had time and
again impeded the war effort. Washington became President of the United States in 1789. Once
President, he attempted to bring rival factions together in order to create a more unified nation. He
supported Alexander Hamilton's programs to pay off all the state and national debts, implement an
effective tax system, and create a national bank, despite opposition from Thomas Jefferson. Washington
proclaimed the U.S. neutral in the wars raging in Europe after 1793. He avoided war with Britain and
guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense
opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the Federalist Party, he supported its
programs. Washington's farewell address was a primer on republican virtue and a stern warning against
partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. Washington had a vision of a great and
powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the
national government to improve the infrastructure, open the western lands, create a national university,
promote commerce, found a capital city (later named Washington, D.C.), reduce regional tensions and
promote a spirit of nationalism. "The name of AMERICAN," he said, must override any local
attachments." At his death Washington was hailed as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts
of his countrymen". The Federalists made him the symbol of their party, but for many years the
Jeffersonians continued to distrust him and delayed building the Washington Monument. As the leader
of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an
international icon for liberation and nationalism. His symbolism especially resonated in France and Latin
America. Historical scholars consistently rank him as one of the two or three greatest presidents.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth President of the United States
from 1825 to 1829. He was also an American diplomat and served in both the Senate and House of
Representatives. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and
later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of President John Adams and Abigail Adams.
The name "Quincy" came from Abigail's maternal grandfather, Colonel John Quincy, after whom Quincy,
Massachusetts, is named. As a diplomat, Adams was involved in many international negotiations, and
helped formulate the Monroe Doctrine as Secretary of State. Historians agree he was one of the great
diplomats in American history.
As president, he proposed a program of modernization and educational advancement, but was stymied
by Congress, controlled by his enemies. Adams lost his 1828 bid for re-election to Andrew Jackson. In
doing so, he became the first President since his father to serve a single term. As president, he
presented a vision of national greatness resting on economic growth and a strong federal government,
but his presidency was not a success as he lacked political adroitness, popularity or a network of
supporters, and ran afoul of politicians eager to undercut him.
Adams is best known as a diplomat who shaped America's foreign policy in line with his deeply
conservative and ardently nationalist commitment to America's republican values. More recently he has
been portrayed as the exemplar and moral leader in an era of modernization when new technologies
and networks of infrastructure and communication brought to the people messages of religious revival,
social reform, and party politics, as well as moving goods, money and people ever more rapidly and
efficiently.
Adams was elected a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts after leaving office, the only president
ever to do so, serving for the last 17 years of his life with far greater success than he had achieved in the
presidency. In the House he became a leading opponent of the Slave Power and argued that if a civil war
ever broke out the president could abolish slavery by using his war powers, which Abraham Lincoln
partially did during the American Civil War in the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Deeply troubled by
slavery, Adams correctly predicted the dissolution of the Union on the issue, though the series of bloody
slave insurrections he foresaw never came to pass.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (pronounced /ˈroʊzəvɛlt/ ROE-zə-velt; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919)
was the 26th President of the United States. He is noted for his energetic personality, range of interests
and achievements, leadership of the Progressive Movement, and his "cowboy" image and robust
masculinity. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Progressive ("Bull
Moose") Party of 1912. Before becoming President (1901–1909) he held offices at the municipal, state,
and federal level of government. Roosevelt's achievements as a naturalist, explorer, hunter, author, and
soldier are as much a part of his fame as any office he held as a politician.
Born to a wealthy family, Roosevelt was an unhealthy child suffering from asthma who stayed at home
studying natural history. In response to his physical weakness, he embraced a strenuous life. He was
home schooled and became a passionate student of nature. He attended Harvard, where he boxed and
developed an interest in naval affairs. In 1881, one year out of Harvard, he was elected to the state
legislature as its youngest member. Roosevelt's first historical book, The Naval War of 1812, published in
1882, established his professional reputation as a serious historian. After a few years of living in the
Badlands, Roosevelt returned to New York City, where he gained fame for fighting police corruption.
While effectively running the Department of the Navy, Spanish American War broke out from which he
resigned and led a small regiment in Cuba known as the Rough Riders, earning himself a nomination for
the Medal of Honor (which was received posthumously on his behalf on January 16, 2001). After the
war, he returned to New York and was elected governor in a close fought election. Within two years
later he was elected Vice President of the United States.
In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated, and Roosevelt became president at the age of 42,
taking office at the youngest age of any U.S. President in history.[5] Roosevelt attempted to move the
Republican Party in the direction of Progressivism, including trust busting and increased regulation of
businesses. Roosevelt coined the phrase "Square Deal" to describe his domestic agenda, emphasizing
that the average citizen would get a fair share under his policies. As an outdoorsman and naturalist, he
promoted the conservation movement. On the world stage, Roosevelt's policies were characterized by
his slogan, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Roosevelt was the force behind the completion of the
Panama Canal; he sent out the Great White Fleet to display American power, and he negotiated an end
to the Russo-Japanese War, for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Roosevelt was the first American
to win the Nobel Prize in any field.
Roosevelt declined to run for re-election in 1908. After leaving office, he embarked on a safari to Africa
and a tour of Europe. On his return to the US, a bitter rift developed between Roosevelt and his
anointed successor as President, William Howard Taft. Roosevelt attempted in 1912 to wrest the
Republican nomination from Taft, and when he failed, he launched the Bull Moose Party. In the election,
Roosevelt became the only third party candidate to come in second place, beating Taft but losing to
Woodrow Wilson. After the election, Roosevelt embarked on a major expedition to South America; the
river on which he traveled now bears his name. He contracted malaria on the trip, which damaged his
health, and he died a few years later, at the age of 60. Roosevelt has consistently been ranked by
scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (pronounced /ˈaɪzənhaʊər/ EYE-zən-how-ər; October 14, 1890 – March
28, 1969) was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States,
from 1953 until 1961, and the last to be born in the 19th century. During World War II, he served as
Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the
successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45, from the Western Front. In 1951, he became the
first supreme commander of NATO.
A Republican, Eisenhower entered the 1952 presidential race to counter the isolationism of Sen. Robert
A. Taft, and to crusade against "Communism, Korea and corruption". He won by a landslide, defeating
Democrat Adlai Stevenson and ending two decades of the New Deal Coalition holding the White House.
As President, Eisenhower concluded negotiations with China to end the Korean War. He maintained
pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War, gave priority to inexpensive nuclear weapons and
reduced the other forces to save money. He had to play catch-up in the Space Race after the Soviets
launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957. On the domestic front, he helped remove Joseph McCarthy from
power but otherwise left most political actions to his Vice President, Richard Nixon. Eisenhower did not
end New Deal policies, and in fact enlarged the Social Security, and signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act
of 1956. He was the first term-limited president in accordance with the 22nd Amendment. His two
terms were peaceful, and generally prosperous except for a sharp economic recession in 1958–59.
Historians typically rank Eisenhower among the ten greatest U.S. presidents.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States
(1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975).
Born in Tampico, Illinois, raised in Dixon, Illinois, and educated at Eureka College Class of 1932 in Eureka,
Illinois with a bachelor of arts degree in economics-sociology, Reagan first moved to Iowa as a radio
broadcaster and then to Los Angeles, California in 1937. He began a career as an actor, first in films and
later television, appearing in over fifty movie productions and gaining enough success to become a
famous, publicly recognized figure. Some of his most notable roles are in Knute Rockne, All American
and Kings Row. Reagan served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, and later spokesman for General
Electric (GE); his start in politics occurred during his work for GE. Originally a member of the Democratic
Party, he switched to the Republican Party in 1962. After delivering a rousing speech in support of Barry
Goldwater's presidential candidacy in 1964, he was persuaded to seek the California governorship,
winning two years later and again in 1970. He was defeated in his run for the Republican presidential
nomination in 1968 as well as 1976, but won both the nomination and election in 1980.
As president, Reagan implemented sweeping new political and economic initiatives. His supply-side
economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics," advocated controlling the money supply to reduce inflation,
and spurring economic growth by reducing tax rates, government regulation of the economy, and
certain types of government spending. In his first term he survived an assassination attempt, took a hard
line against labor unions, and ordered military actions in Grenada. He was reelected in a landslide in
1984, proclaiming it was "Morning in America". His second term was primarily marked by foreign
matters, such as the ending of the Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the revelation of the Iran-Contra
affair. Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," he supported anti-Communist
movements worldwide and spent his first term forgoing the strategy of détente by ordering a massive
military buildup in an arms race with the USSR. Reagan negotiated with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail
Gorbachev, culminating in the INF Treaty and the decrease of both countries' nuclear arsenals.
Reagan left office in 1989. In 1994, the former president disclosed that he had been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease earlier in the year; he died ten years later at the age of 93. He ranks highly in public
opinion polls of U.S. Presidents, and is a conservative icon.