The President of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the world. He must lead a strong nation and make sure that laws are put into effect . He is the commander of the army and can send American soldiers to war. The President also decides which relationships America has with other countries. He is the Head of State and meets with leaders of other nations.

 

To become president, a person

  • must be at least 35 years old
  • must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years
  • must be born in the United States

A president serves his country for four years. He can also be elected a second time. Until 1951 US presidents were able to hold office for more than eight years. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, was elected four times and was president from 1933 to 1945.

If Congress finds out that a president has done something wrong, he can be removed from the White House.

 

A President's Job

The President is the head of the executive branch of government. When the Senate and the House of Representatives want a new law to be passed , they send a bill to the President. If he agrees , he signs the bill, and it becomes a law .

However, if the President does not like it he doesn’t have to sign it. This is called a veto. The bill goes back to Congress and if two thirds of all members vote against the veto, it becomes a law .

 

The Cabinet

The President does not rule the country alone. The Cabinet is a group of people who get together and give the President information on many things. The President himself chooses them, and they meet at least once a week. They are experts in many fields like defence , the environment , education and others.

President Biden's cabinet

President Biden's cabinet, July 2021
Image: Vjmlhds, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons



Words

  • agree = to say yes
  • bill = plan for a new law that is discussed in Congress
  • commander = person in control of a group of soldiers
  • Congress = representatives of the people; the group of people who pass laws in the United States
  • defence = everything that a country needs or uses in order to protect itself from an attack
  • elect = to choose someone by voting for them
  • environment = nature; the world around us
  • executive branch = part of the government that makes sure that people follow the law
  • head = leader
  • Head of State = highest official in a country
  • hold office = to be president
  • laws = rules of a country
  • make sure = to check and see if something has been done
  • put into effect = here: they should be followed and obeyed
  • relationship = here: how you deal with others
  • remove = to replace a person
  • serve = here: to work for
  • sign = to put your name on a document