<P> Pardons can be controversial when they appear to be politically motivated . President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of White House staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby . </P> <P> Under the Constitution, the president is the federal official that is primarily responsible for the relations of the United States with foreign nations . The president appoints ambassadors, ministers, and consuls (subject to confirmation by the Senate) and receives foreign ambassadors and other public officials . With the Secretary of State, the president manages all official contacts with foreign governments . </P> <P> On occasion, the president may personally participate in summit conferences where heads of state meet for direct consultation . For example, President Wilson led the American delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 after World War I; President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Allied leaders during World War II; and every president sits down with world leaders to discuss economic and political issues and to reach agreements . </P> <P> Through the Department of State and the Department of Defense, the president is responsible for the protection of Americans abroad and of foreign nationals in the United States . The president decides whether to recognize new nations and new governments, and negotiate treaties with other nations, which become binding on the United States when approved by two - thirds of the Senate . The president may also negotiate executive agreements with foreign powers that are not subject to Senate confirmation . </P>

The president of the us does not have the power to