The President receives diplomatic representatives from foreign countries. This is largely a ceremonial duty, but it may involve serious consequences. When the independence of a foreign country is in doubt, or when the representative of any nation is personally objectionable to our government, the President may refuse to receive the foreign representative. In case relations between this and a foreign country become strained, or in case the representative of a foreign power is guilty of misconduct, the President may request the withdrawal of, or may even dismiss, the foreign representative. This severance of diplomatic relations may lead to war.
The President has the further power to appoint diplomatic representatives to foreign countries. We send ambassadors to the more important countries, ministers-resident to most countries, envoys extraordinary or ministers-plenipotentiary to several countries, and commissioners for special purposes. In the absence of the permanent diplomatic representative some minor officer takes temporary charge, and is known as the chargÚ d'affaires ad interim. All of the President's diplomatic appointments must be confirmed by the Senate, but the President acting alone may remove any diplomatic officer. Such removal is at the pleasure of the President. The term of office enjoyed by diplomatic representatives is not fixed by law, but due to the influence of the spoils system, it often terminates when a new President assumes office.
Besides diplomatic officers, who are charged with political duties, our foreign service comprises various grades of consuls, or commercial representatives. The President and the Senate likewise choose consular officers, but from lists of persons who have qualified under the merit system. Promotion and removal are determined by Civil Service rules.
518. ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT.—The chief administrative function of the President is to carry into effect the laws of the United States. In the discharge of this duty the President is aided by a large number of subordinate officials, who, directly or indirectly, are responsible to him as head of the administration. Altogether there are more than half a million officials in the executive civil service of the United States.
Over the appointment of these numerous officers the President has a varying measure of control.
He alone appoints a few executive officials, such as his private secretary and the members of his Cabinet. The latter are nominally chosen by the President and the Senate, but in practice the Senate universally approves Cabinet appointments sent in by the President. Officers in this first group may be removed only by the President.
The President and the Senate together select about 12,000 of the more important executive officers. These include diplomatic agents, Federal judges, most military and naval officers, collectors of customs and internal revenues, and many others. In the case of minor positions to be filled within a congressional district, the President usually confers with the Representative from that district, if that Representative is of the President's party. If such Representative is not of the President's party, the candidate for the position is really selected by the Senators from the proper state. [Footnote: Provided, of course, that these Senators belong to the same political party as the President. ] The more important positions in this group are filled by the Senators from the state in which the vacancy exists, the President ratifying such selections as a matter of course. Officers in this second group are removable only by the President.
More than 300,000 of the minor executive positions are now filled by the Civil Service Commission. Persons entering office through the merit system, may be removed only for a cause which will promote the efficiency of the service.
In addition to his administrative duties, the President has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in the case of impeachment. A pardon fully exempts the individual from the punishment imposed upon him by law; a reprieve, on the other hand, is simply a temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence.
519. LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT.—Though primarily an executive officer, the President enjoys important powers over legislation.