Not only is it interesting to read about our election process from a foreign news agency, but some of the information was actually pretty useful for this pretty informed U.S. voter. Besides, British English is kinda fun – i.e. holiday means vacation.
Check it out here, but below are a few snippits.
What is the vice-president’s role in the campaign?
Vice-presidents run alongside presidential candidates on the party ticket. They have few official governing duties under the Constitution, and it is often joked that the most important day in a vice-president’s career is the day he (or she) is brought onto the campaign. During the campaign, vice-presidential running mates are often tasked with attacking the record and character of the opposing presidential candidate, and this year Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin have embraced that role.
What does the president actually do?
The president is commander in chief of the US military, sets foreign policy and negotiates treaties, oversees dozens of executive agencies and departments, signs bills into law and submits a budget to the US Congress. The president also appoints federal judges including new US supreme court justices. From the White House “bully pulpit”, the president can wield extraordinary influence over legislation.
John McCain was born in the Panama Canal zone. Is he a “natural born citizen”?
The term has been widely interpreted to mean people born in the US, although the Constitution does not define it. Politicians in Washington are in broad agreement, however that McCain is a natural born citizen because he was born on a US military base in a US territory and his father was in the US navy. The Senate in May passed a resolution affirming that McCain is eligible to be president.
How much does the president get paid?
The president is paid $450,000, including a $50,000 per year expense fund.
That does not sound like very much, considering the power and prestige of the job.
The president does not have to pay rent, or for meals and transportation, and takes holiday at Camp David, a retreat in the mountains of Maryland. Also, former presidents make large sums on book deals and speaking fees.
The White House sounds like a pretty neat place to live.
It is. It is one of the most secure places in the entire world. The 200-year old mansion has had several additions and renovations, and every president has put his own stamp on the interior. For the president’s off-hours, the White House features a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theatre and bowling alley.
