What Are the Duties of the President as Chief Executive?

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    • White HouseThe White House image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com

      Everyone agrees that the president of the United States has a tough and challenging job. The president is the employer of millions of government workers. Some of the entities he manages include the Council of Economic Advisers and the National Security Council. As chief executive of the country, the president has to make sure that all of these entities are doing their job. Some are involved in communicating his agenda to Americans, while others are promoting America's trade and security interests around the world. Here are some of the duties that the president must perform as chief executive.

    Nominate Cabinet Members

    • The president has to select qualified individuals for important positions. Some of the positions he has to fill are secretaries of the following departments: Health and Human Services, Defense, Treasury, Labor and State. One of the most important duties the president has is to keep the country safe. Therefore, he has to nominate directors of the Central Intelligence Agency, Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    Seek Input from His Team

    • Many decisions will be tough for the president to make on his own. This is why he has to rely on and meet with his advisers and Cabinet members. These people are regarded as experts. When they meet with the president, they supply him with vital information. For example, the president may want to withdraw troops from a country. However, he more than likely won't have much expertise in this area. This is where the Secretary of Defense comes into play. This person has the information, such as a time line of when to withdraw troops or whether all of them should leave the country at once. The Secretary of State might be in the meeting to discuss how the troop withdrawal will affect the United States' relationship with the country. By having all of this information, the president is able to make better decisions.

    Push His Agenda

    • The president lays out his agenda before the country during his inaugural address. He may also reveal it during the State of the Union speeches. His agenda serves as the foundation for a majority of the legislation that Congress will deliberate and debate on throughout the president's term. However, it is not easy for the president to pass every part of his agenda. He is likely to face resistance from the opposition party. Therefore, he must negotiate, compromise and build strong relationships with the opposition party as well as with his own party.

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