A President's Life

By Wednesday, November 3, 2004, campaign ads will disappear from television screens, and, if voting systems run smoothly, Americans may have a clear sense of who will be sitting in the President's chair next year.

No matter who takes the seat for the next four years, the President will face many challenges, with crowds of people and piles of issues competing for his attention 24/7.

To get an idea of what the American President's job is like, this week's lesson will put you in the hot seat for a day to get an overview of the president's daily schedule and responsibilities. You'll also discover how supporting positions help the president get his job done.

President for a Day

Let's begin by looking into what exactly this job entails. What are the types of issues and people the president must deal with every day and through the years?

To find out, visit The Democracy Project to take your turn as President For A Day.

Apply for the job, and choose your activities from the time you wake up until you get to sleep. (If the site seems to not be responding, Refresh or Reload the page in your browser.)

Click FACT at the bottom of each activity list before choosing one of the activities and moving on with your schedule.

Which of those activities related to domestic issues, and which to foreign affairs or personal well-being? About how much time do you think each of those activities would take? What factors would most influence the president's choices at any given time?

Now that you've got the general idea about what the president's day is like, let's dig a little deeper into these daily responsibilities by visiting AmericanPresident.org at the University of Virginia. Here, explore the Presidency in Action.

Discover the ins and outs of Domestic Policy, Economic Policy, Legislative Affairs, and National Security.

How do each of these areas relate to the president's responsibilities? How have these areas -- and the offices within them -- changed over multiple presidencies? In what ways do the offices of these areas interact with each other?

Next, take a look at how Presidential Politics plays a role in the president's life, and how he must take charge of Administration of the Government and Administration of the White House.

In what ways have congressional laws shaped the administration of the government? In what ways has the president shaped it? How do the different staffs help free up the president's time?

If you have time, check out this site's Presidency in History section. You can browse By Era or By Last Name. Choose one or more presidents to learn more about each of them, their First Lady, Cabinet, Staff & Advisers, and Key Events that occurred during their term.

In what ways did the supporting staff, as well as the First Lady, help contribute to each president's success and daily functioning?

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Newspaper Activities

Watch Targetnewspaper for news about who will likely be given the job as President for the next four years. Has the President-elect announced any changes to the White House staff? What about other key positions in his Cabinet or other executive offices? Has he said he will change how any of the government administration is structured? What are his priorities in attending to different policy areas, both domestic and foreign? In what ways do his actions and decisions help American citizens?