In other countries, there are other names for the leader or head of government (president, chancellor, emperor, king).

Some have more than one leader, like England which has a Queen and a Prime Minister. However, having just one leader has its advantages. For example, there is a unifying factor which unites the state. The democratic framework can be used to assess a presidency: the political culture, assertiveness in foreign policy, decisiveness in domestic affairs, historical accounts of presidential ascendancy, among others. Democracy. We look at two things when analyzing democracy: whether it has "optimal, substantive meaning" vs. "minimal, procedural meaning." Substantive focuses on the spirit of democracy, to listen to the voices of the people. Procedural focuses on the requirement of the democratic process, i.e. there is a shallow basis in branding oneself as democratic. For example, having the indelible ink during elections as a status symbol that says one is politically active. Having a substantive democracy goes beyond the procedures of the democratic process. People Power, Downfall of Dictatorship & Democratic Transition Aquino: restoration of democracy Ramos: sustaining of democracy Estrada: questionable backgrounds Arroyo: public accountability The parameters to evaluate the presidency, regardless of who the president is, are: assertiveness in foreign policy, decisiveness in domestic affairs, prosperous national surroundings, high motivation, and orientation to one's job. Assertiveness in foreign policy is important because "no man is an island." The country and therefore the president has to realize that it is not separated from other countries. The affairs of other countries affect the state of the nation. The president has to be conscious of these factors. For example, establishing good relationships with other countries ensures that nationals can get work abroad. Another example is the work ban implemented by Taiwan for the killing of their fishermen, until the Philippines had apologized for the incident. Decisiveness in domestic affairs: stability in the president's decision helps the satisfaction of the people, which matters a lot in developing countries, especially by rating boards. In addition, arbitrary decisions means an unstable government which will affect our credibility in other countries' eyes. This decisiveness is in direct relation with foreign policies. Additionally, some decisions may cause instability within the nation itself, e.g. Erap's decision to wage war against Mindanao. Prosperous national surroundings means that the president is conscious about the affairs of every corner of his nation, not just isolated in one country and his own mind. Orientation to one's job is how suited the president is to the job. This affects the credibility of the president in the people's eyes, especially if the president seems like he can't do the job properly, e.g. Estrada's background. Dictatorship. The people's trust in the government had to be restored coming from Marcos and Martial Law. The 1987 Constitution was formed in response to these events. Extents and limits of executive power were put in place. Qualifications for the presidency were implemented. The president must be duly elected. Both the president and the vice president had six year terms. Aquino. Her term was borne out of the dictatorial regime of Marcos. Cory was the perfect image to be catapulted into the presidency because she symbolized everything that Marcos took from the people. She made sure to gain the support of the people. Ramos. His job was to sustain the democracy that was gained from Aquino's term. The people expected a lot from him because he had to prove himself trustworthy as he was a military man. He was a key figure in the Marcos regime but he defected and defended Aquino from seven coup attempts. People have always been wary because he could have always turned back to the dark side. Additionally, his supporters wanted to have a Charter Change so he could extend his term, but Ramos made sure that he did not rally for this notion, He had flaws, but he was still morally right. Estrada. As opposed to Ramos' moral standing, Estrada was the opposite, yet he had the biggest margin ever won by a political candidate. Still, his background and his morals was questionable, which was critical in his short stint in power.

Executive Power. There are extents and limits to the executive power. There are qualifications of the president. President must be duly elected. Both the President and the Vice President have 6 year terms. Qualifications o Must be at least 40 years old o Natural-born citizen o Literate o Registered voter o Resident for at least 10 years, upon start of term Duly elected o The President has to go through all the processes required by the state, including election and oathtaking. o We don't need a set percentage of the total number of votes, i.e. requiring 50% of the votes. As long as the candidate has most votes, he or she will win. 6 years o This is without re-election so only one six-year term is allowed. o 1973 Constitution: 4 years with re-election was allowed. This was amended because of the trials of martial law. o As opposed to 8 years, a President may become too comfortable with their tasks. There might be a tendency to abuse this power and the benefits. The six years are mean to check against this abuse. Direct Constitutional Mandates. There are six. President will be the sole executive in the Philippine government. He or she has control over all executive departments (also called line agencies), or all the departments under the government, like DOTC, DepEd, DOJ, etc. o Control means that he or she has the power to appoint the heads of these agencies. President has the power to appoint heads of line agencies, ambassadors, heads of the armed forces, etc. However, he is tempered by the power of the Commission on Appointments and there are limits on midnight appointments. o This is important because it is in the discretion of the President to appoint whomever he or she pleases. o However, there is a limit. These appointments have to be approved by the Congress and the Senate (or the Commission on Appointments). o Midnight appointments are appointments made right before the President's term ends. The danger is that these appointees will make decisions that are in favor of the former President, instead of the current one. President has fiscal and budgetary power. o The President proposes the budget needed by all the line agencies. He or she convenes with all the heads, negotiates their budgets, and proposes the budget, for approval by the Congress. After deliberation will the proposal become an act. President is commander in chief of all armed forces of the Philippine (but has only a limited period to suspend several civilian privileges). o Writ of habeas corpus: defendant may not defend himself or herself against prosecution or charges of criminal liability; suspension was still a privilege in the 1973 Constitution. o Now, martial law has to be declared with the approval of the Congress and functions of the different branches of the government must be untouchable or independent. President has to have public disclosure of his or her health condition. o This is because a sick President may affect his or her judgment, e.g. Marcos during martial law. o And the people has to be readied for the ascension of the Vice President should the President die.