|
Sect. 1
The executive Power shall be vested
in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together
with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct,
a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled
in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United
States, shall be appointed an Elector.
[ The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two persons, of whom one
at least shall not lie an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons
voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to
the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the
Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes
shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be
a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and
have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them
for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in
like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation
from each State having one Vote; a quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two-thirds
of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice
of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But
if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice-President.
] 6 This
paragraph has been superseded by Amendment XII
The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on
which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.
No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this
Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office
who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United
States.
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation,
or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President,
and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President
and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly,
until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased
nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period
any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following
Oath or Affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute
the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States."
Back To Top
|
|
Sect. 2
The President shall be Commander in Chief
of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual
Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive
Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant
Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make
Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice
and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme
Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and
which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers,
as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during
the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Back To Top
|
|
Sect. 3
He shall from time to time give to the
Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall
judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and
in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time
as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the
Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
Back To Top
|