Article II of the U.S. Constitution
Section 1
Clause 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
Clause 2. 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.
Clause 3. The Electors
shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for
two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be 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.
Clause 4. 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.
Clause 5. 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.
Clause 6. 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 VicePresident,
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.
Clause 7. The President
shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a
Compensation, which shall neither be encreased 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.
Clause 8. 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."
Section 2
Clause 1. 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 Offences against the United States,
except in Cases of Impeachment.
Clause 2. 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.
Clause 3. 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.
Section 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.
Section 4
The President, Vice President
and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed
from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
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