As head of the executive branch of government, Presidents oversee federal agencies and departments that execute and enforce laws. They appoint cabinet-level department officers, as well as federal judges—including Supreme Court justices—with Senate approval. They are also commander in chief of the armed forces. They have formal and informal powers at their disposal, manifested in large military budgets, the presence of US troops worldwide and intelligence-gathering organizations.
Unlike Congress, the executive branch has no legislative or bicameral branches and is primarily responsible for carrying out lawmaking. This has given the President considerable prerogatives, which have sometimes provoked a national debate about the proper limits of presidential power.
The nation’s first president, George Washington, established many of the norms that come to define the presidency. His leadership has been credited with major legislation such as Social Security, Medicare and the Civil Rights Act. More recently, President Obama passed comprehensive veterans benefits reform, replaced NAFTA with a United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, launched the Space Force, and achieved the most significant criminal justice reform in half a century. He also invested $2 trillion in a complete rebuild of our military, eliminated tax breaks for the wealthy, lowered prescription drug prices, and secured our borders.
A Montclair State President must embrace, embody and champion the University’s collective values, while communicating Montclair State’s strengths, priorities and character to external audiences. A successful President will be fluent in current and emerging topics that are relevant to higher education such as changing university financial models, enrollment trends and intercollegiate athletics.
About the Author
