President of Aumarea
| President of the United Federation | |
|---|---|
| Executive Office of the President | |
| Style | Mr President (informal) His Excellency (formal) |
| Type | Head of State Head of Government |
| Abbreviation | POTUF |
| Member of | Cabinet |
| Residence | Presidential Palace |
| Seat | Kosa Federal District |
| Appointer | Electoral College |
| Term length | Four Years |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Aumarea |
| Precursor | Continental President |
| Inaugural holder | Luke Knight |
| Formation | 3 March 2023 |
| First holder | Luke Knight |
| Deputy | Vice President |
The President of the United Federation of Aumarea (POTUF), sometimes just the President of the United Federation or President of Aumarea, is the head of state and head of government of the United Federation of Aumarea. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It is the highest office in the United Federation.
Article II of the Constitution establishes the executive branch of the federal government and vests executive power in the president. The power includes the execution and enforcement of federal law and the responsibility to appoint federal executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers.
The president also plays a leading role in federal legislation and domestic policy-making. As part of the system of separation of powers, Article I, Section VII of the Constitution gives the president the power to sign or veto federal legislation. The president can also direct and shape legislation using executive orders.
The president is indirectly elected through the Electoral College. They serve for four year renewable terms, along with the vice president.
History
The presidency was de facto established on 3 March 2023, however was not used until after the ratification of the Constitution which de jure created the office. The Presidency of the Continental Congress was used prior to the adoption of the constitution on 12 March 2023.
Legislative Powers
Article I, Section I of the Constitution vests all lawmaking power in Congress and the president, cabinet and other federal officers are constitutionally banned from sitting as members of congress simultaneously with holding office. Nevertheless, the presidency exerts significant power over legislation.
Signing and Vetoing Bills
The president's most significant legislative power is the ability to veto or sign it into law any bill passed by congress. While Congress can override a presidential veto, it requires a two-thirds vote of both houses, which is usually very difficult to achieve except for widely supported bipartisan legislation.
Once a bill has been presented by Congress, the president has three options:
- Sign the legislation within ten days, excluding Sundays—the bill becomes law.
- Veto the legislation within the above timeframe and return it to the house of Congress from which it originated, expressing any objections—the bill does not become law, unless both houses of Congress vote to override the veto by a two-thirds vote.
- Take no action on the legislation within the above timeframe—the bill becomes law, as if the president had signed it, unless Congress is adjourned at the time, in which case it does not become law (a pocket veto).
Setting the Agenda
Constitutionally the president has large influence over the congressional agenda. Presidents can heavily influence the agenda through events such as the "State of the Federation" address where the president can raise what they want congress to address and how they want congress to address it.
The president can be involved in crafting legislation by suggesting, requesting, or even insisting that Congress enact laws he believes are needed. Additionally, he can attempt to shape legislation during the legislative process by exerting influence on individual members of Congress. The president can also theoretically write legislation provided it is introduced by a congressman as the constitution does not address these types of situation.
Promulgating Regulations
Some laws enacted by Congress do not address every possible detail, and either explicitly or implicitly delegate powers of implementation to an appropriate federal agency. As the head of the executive branch, presidents control a vast array of agencies that can issue regulations with little oversight from Congress.
Convening and Adjourning Congress
To allow the government to act quickly in case of a major domestic or international crisis arising when Congress is not in session, the president is empowered by Article II, Section III of the Constitution to call a special session of one or both houses of Congress.
Executive Powers
The president is head of the executive branch of the federal government and is constitutionally obligated to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed".
Administrative Powers
Presidents are responsible for making a large number of political offices. Cabinet ministers, ambassadors and various other officers are among the presidential appointments made with Senate confirmation. Presidents also have the ability to dismiss officers, though it can be curtailed by Congress if the president unrightfully tries to dismiss executives of independent regulatory agencies.
The president is helped in their administration by personal staff who are organised into the Executive Office of the President.
The president also possesses the power to manage operations of the federal government by issuing various types of directives and orders, such as presidential proclamation and executive orders. When the president is lawfully exercising one of the constitutionally conferred presidential responsibilities, the scope of this power is broad.
Foreign Affairs
The president is constitutionally granted broad diplomatic powers, including to issue executive orders directing the federal government to recognise states. The president, with senate confirmation, can also create treaties and receive and credit ambassadors.
Commander-in-Chief
One of the most important of executive powers is the president's role as commander-in-chief. The president is granted the powers of commander-in-chief over any armed forces congress raises as well as any state militias that are raised. The president has ultimate responsibility for the direction and disposition of the military.
Judicial Privileges
The president has the power to nominate and appoint associate justices to the Supreme Court. With senate confirmation, the president can also appoint the Chief Justice.
Executive privilege is granted to the president and allows the president to withhold from disclosure any communications made directly to the president in the performance of executive duties. The state secrets privilege also allows the president and the executive branch to withhold information or documents from discovery in legal proceedings if such release would harm national security.
Leadership Roles
Head of State
As head of state the president represents the United Federation's government to its own people, and represents the nation to the rest of the world. As a national leader, the president also fulfills many less formal ceremonial duties. A lot of the president's image comes from their role as head of government The modern presidency holds the president as one of the nation's premier celebrities.
Head of Party
The president is typically considered to be the political chief of their party. Since the entire Senate and at least one-third of the House of Delegates is elected simultaneously with the president, candidates from a political party inevitably have their electoral success intertwined with the performance of the party's presidential candidate
Incumbency
Vacancies and Succession
The vice president becomes president upon the removal from office, death, or resignation of the president. In the event of a double vacancy, Congress may allow the House Speaker to succeed as president or for a presidential election to be called.
Declarations of Inability
The president may temporarily transfer the presidential powers and duties to the vice president, who then becomes acting president, by transmitting to the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate a statement that he is unable to discharge his duties as president. The president resumes his or her powers upon transmitting a second declaration stating that he is again able to carry on serving as president.
Removal
The constitution allows for the president, as well as other public ministers and federal officers to be removed from office by impeachment for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors".
In presidential impeachment trials the House of Delegates has to have a two thirds majority in favour of an impeachment trial. After a motion has passed for impeachment, the senate tries the president with the chief justice presiding.
Selection Process
Eligibility
Article II, Section I, Clause 5 of the constitution sets three qualifications for holding the presidency. To serve as president one must:
- Be a Citizen of the United Federation
- Been a Resident of the UF for at Least a Year
- Be at Least 18 Years Old
To succeed the presidency or transition from an office such as President of the Continental Congress, the age requirement is not enforced.
The constitution also bars anyone from holding office having been impeached, convicted and disqualified from holding further public office.
Campaigns and Nominations
Presidential campaigns begin before each party's presidential primaries - where members may nominate themselves and a running mate for candidacy. The party then votes on which ticket they will nominate for the presidency.
Nominees from the two largest political parties participate in debates.
Election
The president is appointed by the Electoral College through indirect election. Each state carries a certain number of electoral college votes which is determined by the number of delegates they have in the House of Delegates + 2 for their two senators. The electoral college decides who gets each state's votes but they typically make that decision based on which candidate won an overall majority of the votes in each state.
The candidate who gets an absolute majority if the electoral college votes wins the election. If nobody wins the needed majority the Congress can cast additional votes to allow a candidate to win and a president to be elected.
Inauguration
Before executing the powers of the office, a president is required to recite the presidential Oath of Office, found in Article II, Section I, Clause 8 of the Constitution. This is the only component in the inauguration ceremony mandated by the Constitution:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United Federation, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United Federation."
Presidents typically swear their oath with one hand upon a religious text and have added "so help me God" to the end of the oath. The president is also typically sworn in by the Chief Justice.
Customs
Some customs are associated with the Aumarean presidency. For example, even after leaving office ex-presidents may still be addressed as "Mr/Madam President". As well as this, due to their functions as commander-in-chief, the incumbent president is always saluted by members of the armed forces.
List of Presidents
| № | Name | Party | Term | Vice President | Length in Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Knight | Federalist | 12 March 2023 - Incumbent | Vacant | 1 year, 39 days |