President of the United States

The President must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for fourteen years. The office is filled every four years by the Electoral College, and the term begins at noon on January 20 under the Twentieth Amendment. Before taking office the President-elect recites the oath prescribed word for word in Article II, to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, the only oath whose text the Constitution itself specifies. Since the Twenty-second Amendment of 1951, no one may be elected more than twice, or more than once if they served over two years of another President's term.

The office carries a salary of 400,000 dollars a year, set in 2001, plus an expense allowance, the White House as residence, Camp David, Air Force One, and Secret Service protection for life. Constitutionally the President is commander in chief of the armed forces, may require written opinions from department heads, grants pardons, makes treaties with two thirds of the Senate, nominates judges and officers with Senate consent, receives ambassadors, recommends legislation, signs or vetoes bills, and must take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

A presidency ends at the close of the term, by death, by resignation, or by removal after impeachment by the House and conviction by two thirds of the Senate. Eight presidents have died in office, four of them assassinated. Richard Nixon is the only one to resign. Three presidents have been impeached, Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump twice, and none convicted. When the office falls vacant the Vice President becomes President. Forty-five people have held the office across forty-seven presidencies, Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump having each served non-consecutive terms.