Is the most powerful elected official in the United States the presidency? The presidential office was created after the War of Independence. America's founding fathers designed the political system so that it did not resemble a parliamentary government and, above all, did not have a king. Instead, there would be an elected official to run the federal government, enforce the laws, and act as commander in chief of the armed forces. The White House was built so that the president and his family could reside there while he served his four-year term; However, to clarify that this is not a parliamentary government, it was deliberately built without a throne and the president would not wear a crown. “To be eligible for the presidency, the candidate must be a citizen born in the United States (or born abroad to two citizen parents); be at least 35 years old; and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years” (History.com: American Presidents). The powers of the U.S. President are outlined in Article II of the Constitution. This stipulates that executive power will be vested in a President of the United States, making him the head of the executive branch of the federal government. Presidential powers include: the power to appoint judges and ambassadors as well as other high-ranking officials, foreign policy powers, presidential war power, veto legislation, grant pardons, issue proclamations and orders, to administer the law and to exercise the functions of commander in chief of the armed forces (Presidential Powers). When the Founding Fathers conceived of the position of president, there was great concern about the power this individual would wield. Out of fear of anarchy and monarchy, they created the system of checks and balances. According to the......middle of document......nfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/preslegpower.htm>.Enotes: Checks and Balances: Three Branches of the U.S. Government. Britannica, Encyclopedia. Presidency of the United States of America. .History.com: American Presidents. .The Free Dictionary.com Presidential powers - .US Constitutional Online: checks and balances. .Wilson, James Q. American Government Brief Version Ninth Edition. Boston: Wadsworth.