Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Maria Sotomayor born June 25, 1954) is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace the retiring Justice David Souter. If confirmed, she would be the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice.
Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent and was born in the Bronx. Her father died when she was nine, and she was subsequently raised by her mother. Sotomayor graduated with an A.B., summa cum laude, from Princeton University in 1976 and received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the Yale Law Journal. She was an advocate for the hiring of Latino faculty at both schools. She worked as an assistant district attorney in New York for five years before entering private practice in 1984. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, and her nomination was confirmed in 1992.
Sotomayor has ruled on several high-profile cases. In 1995, she issued a preliminary injunction against Major League Baseball which ended the 1994 baseball strike. Sotomayor made a ruling allowing the Wall Street Journal to publish Vince Foster's final note. In 1997, she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Her nomination was slowed by the Republican majority in the Senate, but she was eventually confirmed in 1998. On the Second Circuit, Sotomayor has heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases and has written about 380 opinions. Sotomayor has taught at the New York University School of Law and Columbia Law School.

The Executive Branch

The president leads the executive branch of the federal government, although he or she delegates much of this authority. The executive branch consists of 15 departments: agriculture, commerce, defense, education, energy, health and human services, homeland security, housing and urban development, interior, justice, labor, state, transportation, treasury, and veterans affairs.

The American President: Legislative and Judicial Responsibilities

The president proposes much of the legislation that Congress approves. The president’s power to veto (reject) legislation also serves as a strong influence on the legislative process. Because it takes a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate to override a presidential veto, Congress often modifies pending legislation to suit the president’s preferences. Aside from the role in proposing and vetoing laws, the president exercises important legislative authority by issuing executive orders that have the force of law. The president also supervises the implementation of laws by directing administrative agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture.

The president appoints federal judges, subject to the approval of the Senate. In addition, the president assumes important judicial and law enforcement powers through executive agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) gathers evidence against perpetrators of federal crimes and the Justice Department seeks indictments and convictions in the courts against wrongdoers. Agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) act as quasi-judicial bodies by holding hearings, issuing regulations, and adjudicating disputes.

The American President: Responsibilities and Powers

In the more than two centuries since the presidency was established, the responsibilities and powers of the office have grown to a point where they almost exceed the capacity of any one individual to manage them. The fact that so few presidents have been elected to two terms—only 15 out of 41 men—and that only 12 have served two full terms shows how difficult the job can be.

The Constitution requires the president to discharge the duties of the office and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. The president is also responsible for the execution of the laws of the United States. In domestic affairs, this means anything from implementing economic, social, and regulatory measures passed by Congress to acting as commander in chief to quell disorder or suppress insurrection. Presidents shape the country’s judicial affairs by appointing federal judges. They influence the country’s domestic, economic, political, and social life by proposing legislation, calling Congress into special session, and vetoing laws passed by Congress that they consider destructive to the national well-being. As commander in chief of the military, the president is also empowered to repel foreign invasion and to fight wars overseas. In times of overwhelming public danger, the president can declare martial law, when the courts are not open or cannot function freely. The Constitution also gives the president the power to grant pardons and reprieves in criminal cases. This power does not require congressional approval, but it cannot be used in cases of impeachment.

In addition to these formal duties, the president is the country’s chief educator who sets standards of taste and culture, using the White House, in Theodore Roosevelt’s words, as a “bully pulpit” to assert moral authority. Presidents are also the leaders of their political party, and they try to advance its agenda.

President of the United States

Chief executive officer of the federal government, leader of the executive branch, and the commander in chief of the armed forces. The president has the power to make treaties with other nations, with the advice and consent of two-thirds of the Senate. The president also appoints, with Senate consent, diplomatic representatives, Supreme Court judges, and many other officials.

The president and vice president are the only government officials in the United States elected by and representing the entire nation. Although the president shares power with Congress and the judiciary, he or she is the most powerful and important officeholder in the country. The president has no vote in Congress but is the single largest source of legislative proposals that become law. As the principal foreign policy maker, the president of the United States has become the world’s most important leader in international affairs.

Exterior of the White House

Today, the main building of the White House houses the presidential living quarters as well as rooms for entertaining and holding official ceremonies. Two wings extend from the main building and house offices where the president and his staff conduct business. The president works in the oval office in the West Wing, meeting heads of state, cabinet members, and other officials; conferring with advisers; reading reports; making decisions; signing laws; and conducting other business. The White House and its grounds occupy 7.3 hectares (about 18 acres).

The White House

It is official residence of the president of the United States, situated at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The White House was built between 1792 and 1800 in a simple neoclassical style. Despite numerous renovations and additions since then, the White House has retained its classically simple style. The White House has been the home of every U.S. president except George Washington, the nation’s first president, who selected the site for the building and supervised its construction. His successor, John Adams, became the first president to occupy the White House in 1800.

Throughout its history the White House has also housed offices where successive presidents have carried out the duties and responsibilities of their position as head of the executive branch of the government. The building’s first official title, from 1810 to 1901, was the Executive Mansion, which reflects its dual purpose as a home and a place of business. At times the White House also has been known as the President’s House, the President’s Mansion, and even the President’s Palace. However, it has always been popularly known as the White House. Theodore Roosevelt made this designation official in 1901, after he had the name engraved on his stationery.

The White House also is a museum of American history and art. The state, or ceremonial, rooms of the White House are open to visitors who make reservations in advance. Although visitors see only seven rooms, the White House remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Washington, D.C.