Article II
The Executive Branch
Full Text
Section 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...
Section 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 Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
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.
History and Context
Creating the presidency was one of the most fraught and contentious tasks the framers faced. They were haunted by the specter of monarchy and tyranny. How could they create an executive strong enough to enforce laws and act decisively in a crisis, without creating a new King George? After weeks of intense debate, they settled on a single President, elected not by the people directly, but by an Electoral College—a compromise designed to balance popular will with the wisdom of appointed electors. Article II is a model of ambiguity and brevity, a stark contrast to Article I. The framers intentionally left much of the presidency's power undefined, trusting in the character of the men who would hold the office, starting with the man they all knew would be the first: George Washington.