The fifty-eighth United States Presidential Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
The United States has been a representative democracy since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. The process, complicated and sometimes confusing, has evolved to ensure universal suffrage to all men and women who are U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older. Free and fair elections are the keystone of any democracy. When voters elect representatives, they elect the leaders who will shape the future of their society. This is why elections empower ordinary citizens: They allow them to influence the future policies of their government, and thus, their own future.
President of the United States
The President of the United States is the head of state of the U.S., the chief executive of the federal government, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The United States was the first nation to create the office of President as the head of state in a modern republic. The President must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for 14 years. Click here to learn more.
Current President
The 44th and current President of the United States is Barack Hussein Obama. He was sworn in for his second four-year term on January 21, 2013.
Reading Materials
- Elections in Brief (PDF 2 MB – Get Adobe Reader)
- Outline of U.S. Government (PDF 12 MB – Get Adobe Reader)
- Selecting the Presidential Candidates (PDF 2 MB – Get Adobe Reader)
