Chief of State

Ceremonial Duties and Functions

As chief of state, presidents preside over functions that range in tone from the solemnity of the inauguration to the informality of a White House barbecue. They greet foreign ambassadors, dedicate monuments, pin medals on war heroes, buy Girl Scout cookies, visit schools, throw out the first ball on opening day of the baseball season, and hold state dinners for foreign heads of state. National ceremonies have much the same [Page 57]purpose for the country as religious rituals have for a church: the development and admiration of shared symbols and sentiments that comfort, motivate, and unify people.

Constitutional Ceremonial Duties

The Constitution obliges presidents to take an oath of office, periodically inform Congress about the state of the Union, and receive “Ambassadors and other public Ministers.” Because these constitutional ceremonial duties firmly designate the president as leader of the nation, the first U.S. president, George Washington (1789–1797), and his successors could safely assume the role of chief of state. Both the oath of office ceremony and State of the Union address physically place the president in front of other government officials and focus the nation's attention on the president's opinions and recommendations.

The president's duty to receive ambassadors implies that foreign governments are to regard the president as the official representative of the United States. Because the international community sees the president as chief of state, domestic chief of state responsibilities cannot be assumed gracefully by anyone but the president.