Abigail Carsner

For a very long time, people have treated the president like a king/queen or dictator and what I mean by this, is many citizens believe that the president can do their job without the constitution stopping or limiting them. With this upcoming election, there are very serious misconceptions about the presidency being brought out. The president is, after all, one part of the executive branch. And the executive branch is only one part of the three branches of government.

What is the Presidency?

Once elected, the president will swear an oath on January 20th, also known as, ‘Inauguration Day’. The oath is a promise to persevere, protect, and defend America’s constitution.

You may end up hearing people referring to the president as the ‘Commander in Chief’ at least once in your lifetime, probably in a movie or show. The Commander in Chief oversees all U.S. military powers and creates agencies for wartime.

Making treaties with other nations to bring new laws to the international level is another large responsibility.

Congress will send a bill to the president to be either passed or vetoed. If the president vetoes the bill, it has a chance to go through Congress again to be passed but that doesn’t normally happen as the process is a long one.

Lesser Known Jobs of the Presidency

The president has the power to pardon people. This is where the president gives formal forgiveness to a group or person that committed a crime and may even help lower their time in prison. This does not mean they are suddenly innocent or freed, just the given forgiveness of the crime from the president.

Nominating people for government roles like a judge on the Supreme Court if a chair is opened during their term, people for their cabinet, U.S attorneys, U.S marshals, and military services.

The U.S. government operates in a ‘balance and checks’ which means that one branch of government makes sure the other two are following the rules (constitution) and calls the two out when one does something wrong or one does something out of line.

State of the Union – an event that happens once a year in March. This is where all governmental people gather in the capital and listen to the president give out their wants and needs to be done by the upcoming few years, sorta like a to-do list and an address to the nation.

(Fun Fact: Like I mentioned earlier, there is a long list of people who become president if the acting president passes. There is one randomly picked person who is called the ‘designated survivor’ and they are left out in case there is an attack on the building. This person will become president if this were to happen.)

Elections

The United States of America’s constitution – that really old piece of paper in Washington D.C. that lives behind a bulletproof glass plan – says that the president can only have two four-year terms, also known as the 22nd amendment.

Presidents tend to keep the same Vice Presidents (VP) so when they run for their second term, you get both of them. Mr. Santangelo (my AP U.S. Gov. teacher) said, “A good way to remember this is by thinking of it as a “two for one” deal”.

The constitution has been edited many times, as to fit in today’s world and not when it was first written. In 1804, the constitution was changed so that the president may choose their VP and not whoever lost the election. You could imagine how bad of a situation that is and why two-thirds of Congress needed to fix this issue. I mean, imagine needing to work with that one guy in class who just always has to argue and disagree with you no matter what.

Vice President

The VP’s two main jobs are to be in the president’s cabinet and to help break a tie in the Senate if one occurs while watching over the Senate as a whole. They will also count electoral ballots in presidential elections.

And, of course, the Vice President is the first to become president if, for whatever reason either that being death, impeachment, or stepping down, the acting president is unable to continue their duties.

Today’s elections

The upcoming election is very controversial for a multitude of reasons. I will only be speaking of one: the job.

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned the job of a president and how the president can’t just do what they want to.

While yes there is a loophole the president can make, an ‘executive order’ – or make a ruling without congressional approval as balances and checks allow – it only lasts for that acting president’s term.

People want a president who will fix their problems with a snap of their fingers and, well, that’s just not possible. As we have spoken about, the president’s main job actually focuses on overseeing and coming up with solutions to an issue while hiring people to A: help come up with those ideas and B: solve them. 

The president can do a lot of things, but they can not just fix or add to our issues as a nation. That comes from voting within any and all elections – even local.

While it is still very important to vote for a president, don’t get too caught up in it. There are many other elections to vote for that are just as important. No election is more important than another.

What is a Campaign?

Americans all have different sets of values and beliefs. Candidates in elections are aware of this and market themselves to match yours as much as possible to get your vote. A lot of times, candidates overdo these plans or say their plans in a way that makes it seem like they will indefinitely be able to do the claim when in reality, it’s not possible or not as reachable as they make it sound.

You can find this year’s election candidates’ campaigns by searching their names and going to their campaign pages.

Remember that a campaign promise is just that. It is not a guarantee that their initiatives will go through since US Presidents don’t write laws. If a candidate says something in a way you’re not sure of, go research that issue and find out if they would truly have the power to change it. 

When and How to Register to Vote

To register to vote, you must be at least 18 years old, have not committed any felonies, and be a United States citizen.

There is in fact a deadline for being able to register – October 21st, 2024 for this year’s.

You can register online, in person at a local election office, or by mail. If you choose to mail, you have less time as it has to be received by the 21st.

To vote you can go to a polling place or mail in (aka, an absentee ballot – normally for people in the military or abroad).To find your local polling place, use these links: 1 & 2.