Domestic Policy

• Domestically, the president commands what is known as the "bully pulpit." While not an official power, this means that the president is the chief spokesperson for the government and the country. The president can announce a speech and command the attention of all U.S. news outlets and many international ones. From this position, the president can have a significant impact on the domestic political debate. More directly, the president can convene special sessions of Congress to discuss important matters, can veto legislation and delivers the annual State of the Union which is usually the launching point for the government's work during the year. The president also has broad powers to issue executive orders, which serve as laws unless they are contradicted by Congress.
  
  

Foreign Policy

• If the president is the chief spokesperson for the United States at home, this is doubly so internationally. For many people around the world, the president might be the only person in American government they know or hear about regularly in their local media. If you live outside the U.S., the president is the right person to pay attention to. The Constitution gives the president the exclusive power to negotiate and make treaties. These treaties must be approved by Congress but they must begin with, and the terms are set by, the president.
  
  

Military

• Congress has the sole power to declare war but the president is the commander in chief of the the U.S. military. That means that, in consultation with generals and key advisers, the president sets strategy and directs the actions of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. This includes direction during wartime and military action that does not require a formal declaration of war.
  
  

Government

• In addition to all of the other powers mentioned above, the president has significant influence over the rest of the government. The president appoints the heads of all government departments, foreign ambassadors, members of the Cabinet, justices of the Supreme Court and many lower court federal judges. All of these appointments must be approved by Congress. However, in the case of judges especially, a president's influence can last long after their term in office ends.