Learn: US Presidency

Formal powers

Powers expressly granted to the president in the Constitution.

Informal powers

Powers not laid out in the Constitution but used to carry out duties.

Twenty-Second Amendment (156)

Prohibits presidents from being elected more than twice, and only once if that person had assumed the office of the president (due to a death, impairment, resignation, or impeachment) more than two years before the end of a partial term.

treaty (159)

An agreement with a foreign government negotiated by the president and requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate to ratify.

State of the Union (159)

The annual speech from the president to Congress updating that branch on the state of national affairs.

veto (159)

Formal rejection by the president of a bill that has passed both houses of Congress.

pocket veto (159)

An informal veto caused when the president chooses not to sign a bill within ten days, during a time when Congress has adjourned at the end of a session.

pardon (161)

Presidential authority to release individuals convicted of a crime from legal consequences and set aside punishment for a crime.

reprieve (161)

A temporary release due to extenuating circumstances.

executive privilege (161)

A right claimed by presidents to keep certain conversations, records, and transcripts confidential from outside scrutiny, especially that of Congress.

executive agreement (161)

An agreement between a president and another nation that does not have the same durability as a treaty but does not require Senate ratification.

signing statement (161)

Written comments issued by presidents while signing a bill into law that usually consist of political statements or reasons for signing the bill, but that may also include a president's interpretation of the law itself.

Executive order (162)

Policy directives issued by presidents that do not require congressional approval.

War Powers Resolution (166)

A law passed over President Nixon's veto that restricts the power of the president to maintain troops in combat for more than sixty days without congressional authorization.

Impeachment (166)

The process of removing a president from office, with articles of impeachment issued by a majority vote in the House of Representatives, followed by a trial in the Senate with a two-thirds vote necessary to convict and remove.

Twenty-Fifth Amendment (168)

Sets the modern rules for succession and also establishes a process for replacing a vice president who leaves office during his or her term.

Executive Office of the President (169)

A collection of offices within the White House organization designed mainly to provide information to the president.

Chief Executive

Enforces laws and oversees the federal bureaucracy.

Chief Diplomat

Leads foreign policy and manages relationships with other countries.

Chief Legislator

Helps shape laws and Congress's legislative agenda; can veto bills.

Commander in Chief

Leads the U.S. military.

Party Leader & Agenda Setter

Acts as the leader of their political party, promotes the party's goals, and uses informal powers such as executive orders, signing statements, executive privilege, and pardons to advance their agenda.

Twelfth Amendment (notes)

Established that electors vote separately for President and Vice President, rather than casting two votes for President.

Twentieth Amendment (notes)

Moved the start of the presidential term from March 4 to January 20 and established rules for what happens if a president-elect dies or cannot take office.

Twenty-Third Amendment (notes)

Gave Washington, D.C. electoral votes in presidential elections (equal to the number of electors it would have if it were a state, but no more than the least-populated state).

bargaining and persuasion (171)

An informal tool used by the president to persuade members of Congress to support his or her policy initiatives.