The Constitution stipulates a series of legal requirements that every candidate must meet to be president of the United States. Once it is confirmed that the person meets the characteristics, they can postulate their candidacy in the elections.
The profile of aspiring presidents was established since the Constitution was written in 1787, and George Washington became the first American president.
However, Washington itself hesitated to run for the presidency after the Constitutional Convention ended. The "father of the country" of the American Union wanted to retire to Mount Vernon but finally agreed to run.
The head of the Executive Branch is also the Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the one in charge of implementing the laws drawn up by Congress, according to the White House.
When a president dies or is disqualified from serving, it is the vice president who assumes command of the United States, so they must also meet the requirements for the presidency at the time of registration.
This is the profile that candidates for the US Presidency must meet:
- Be over 35 years of age.
- Be a US citizen by birth.
- Have lived in the American Union for a minimum of 14 years.
Donald Trump, the current man in charge, was born in New York City in 1946, while Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942.
Barack Obama, president between 2009 and 2017, was born in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The applicant must campaign with a political party and be elected as a candidate through the primary elections. The nominee is named at a national convention and that person appoints a running mate, who will be the vice president of the country if the election is won.
How much does the president earn?
From the salary increase that Congress endorsed to take effect in January 2001, the chief executive earns $ 400,000 a year.
In addition, the president receives free accommodation at the White House, as well as transportation in the Marine One helicopter and the Air Force One presidential plane. In addition, the presidents stay on the government payroll with a pension of about $ 200,000 a year.
The chief executive has an annual expense account of $ 50,000, a travel account of $ 100,000 and another $ 19,000 for entertainment.
The president's salary cannot be changed during his term, in accordance with the Constitution.