The 43 Presidents
When the United States won its independence from England, there was no leader in the country. The Articles of Confederation set up the union of the thirteen original states. In the first few years, each of the states operated independently but didn't work well together. A need for a strong central government became obvious to the founding fathers. In 1787, delegates from the thirteen states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Constitutional Convention. The men who attended this convention went to develop a government that would control the thirteen states as one. It was here that the Constitution of the United States was created. The constitution set up three branches of government: the legislative branch (Congress), the judicial branch (the Court system), and the executive branch (President). The President is the "chief executive" of the country and his job is to see that the laws passed by Congress are carried out. The President is the most powerful person in the country. In November of this year, Americans will vote for a new President. President George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, will run for re-election, and the Democrats will nominate someone to run against President Bush. Right now it looks like it will be Senator John Kerry who will run against President Bush.
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