The Constitution simply states the resident must be a natural-born citizen at least 35 years old and must have resided in the United States for at least 14 years. Before Barack Obama, all American presidents had been white males, and except for John F. Kennedy, Protestant. The homogeneity conceals considerable variety. Refer to the button on the right to find more information on each of our 44 presidents. The president serves a four year term and is paid $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment. The most recent raise in salary was approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton. The United States Electoral College is the institution that officially elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. The President and Vice President are not elected directly by the voters. Instead, they are elected indirectly by "electors" who are elected by popular vote on a state-by-state basis. Electors are apportioned to each state and the District of Columbia, and the number of electors in each state is equal to the number of members of Congress to which the state is entitled. There are 538 electors, based on there being 435 representatives and 100 senators, plus the three electors from the District of Columbia. |
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