The Many Hats of the President



The Many Hats of the President

Name:________ Period:___

Chief of the Executive Branch

As the nation’s Chief Executive, the President oversees the major offices of the U.S. government and makes sure its laws are being followed. The President also appoints advisers who make up what’s known as the President’s Cabinet. These advisers handle everything from defense to education and work very closely with the President. The President also picks federal judges and Supreme Court Justices, who must be approved by the Senate.

Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard all follow the orders of the President. It is his or her job to defend the nation during war, and to keep the nation strong during peacetime. He or she can send troops into action in emergencies, but cannot declare war against another country without the approval of Congress.

Chief of State

The President is the most important representative of our country. He or she travels all over the U.S. and the world, giving speeches and meeting with officials. On a typical day, the President may call the Super Bowl winners to congratulate them and invite world leaders to dinner at the White House.

Chief Diplomat (Director of Foreign Policy)

The President decides how the United States will interact with other nations. This role includes deciding whether or not to make agreements with other nations, sending money to countries that need help, and meeting with representatives from other nations.

Chief of Party (Political Party Leader)

The President plays a key role in shaping his or her political party’s positions on the issues. Presidents also use their influence to raise money for their political party, and they support other members of the party who are running for office.

Guardian of the Economy

After the Great Depression of the 1930s, Presidents took on a greater role in watching over America’s economy. Presidents establish economic programs to make sure Americans have jobs. They encourage Congress to raise or lower taxes.

Chief Policy Maker (Legislative Leader)

Presidents can recommend laws to Congress. They also have the right to veto, or reject, laws that Congress passes. Congress can override a veto by a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate.

The Many Hats of the President

Read each scenario and determine which hat the President wore when he executed his power.

1. On November 12th, 2009 President Barack Obama took a 10 day journey to Asia The purpose of this trip was to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the region, renew old alliances, forge new partnerships, and make progress on issues that matter to the American people. Which hat was Obama wearing during his 10 day trip?

2. President Grover Cleveland in his first term (1885-1889) received a controversial bill approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, he chose to "reject" the bill. IN fact, Cleveland "rejected" more bills in this first term than all preceding presidents combined. Which hat was Cleveland sporting?

3. Once in office, Bill Clinton quickly set about starting the reforms he had promised during his campaign. To achieve his vision of change, Clinton put together the most racially diverse and gender-balanced cabinet in U.S. history. Those hand picked by Clinton were Henry Cisneros as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ron Brown Secretary of Commerce, Jocelyn Elders as Surgeon General, and Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers. Which hat was Clinton wearing while making these official changes?

4. North Korean people are starving. They are in desperate need of food and other supplies. They have asked the United States for help. They also have several weapons that could be used against us if they fell into the wrong hands. If Obama decides to send food and aid in the interest of keeping North Korea on our side, which hat would he be wearing?

5. Richard Nixon was part of the Watergate Affair which involved such criminal acts as burglary, illegal wiretapping, perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and misuse of campaign funds. Gerald Ford, Nixon's successor, "excused" him which allowed him to be immune from prosecution. Which hat did Ford have on?

6. George Bush Sr. experiences during WWII contributed to his strong interest in foreign affairs. During his presidency, terrible memories about WWII resurfaced when he felt it necessary to send troops to Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. When he executed this plan to aid Kuwait and bombard Saddam Hussein, which hat was he wearing?

Now that you have become familiar with the many ‘hats’ of the president you will be assigned one president to research to see how he wore some of these hats.

My President: _________________________________.

One action or decision this President was well known for: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which ‘hat’ does this represent? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you know? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Another action or decision this President was well known for: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which ‘hat’ does this represent? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How do you know? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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