The Power of Position

As positions go, there doesn’t seem to be a more powerful position on the planet than president of the United States. In this position the holder of the office is chief executive officer of the world’s only superpower. The US president is in charge of millions of employees – some 2 per cent of the US labor force. The occupier of office is commander-in-chief of the strongest army on earth. Wherever he travels, he is escorted by the tightest security detail. At all times he is accompanied by the so-called “football ” – a briefcase containing America’s nuclear launch codes. The president negotiates treaties, pardons criminals and can appoint approximately 4000 senior officials with the consent of the Senate. These officials include ambassadors, judges, generals and cabinet ministers. It is hard to imagine a more powerful post in the world today.