<P> Presidents in the countries with a democratic or representative form of government are usually elected for a specified period of time and in some cases may be re-elected by the same process by which they are appointed, i.e. in many nations, periodic popular elections . The powers vested in such presidents vary considerably . Some presidencies, such as that of Ireland, are largely ceremonial, whereas other systems vest the president with substantive powers such as the appointment and dismissal of prime ministers or cabinets, the power to declare war, and powers of veto on legislation . In many nations the president is also the commander - in - chief of the nation's armed forces, though once again this can range from a ceremonial role to one with considerable authority . </P> <P> In almost all states with a presidential system of government, the president exercises the functions of head of state and head of government, i.e. the president directs the executive branch of government . When a President not only is head of state, but also head of government, is this, in Europe known to be a President of Counsel From the French Présidente du Conseil, used 1871 - 1940 and 1944 - 1958, as the Third and Fourth French Republics . In the United States has the President always been both Head of State and Head of Government and has always had the title of President . </P> <P> Presidents in this system are either directly elected by popular vote or indirectly elected by an electoral college or some other democratically elected body . </P> <P> In the United States, the President is indirectly elected by the Electoral College made up of electors chosen by voters in the presidential election . In most states of the United States, each elector is committed to voting for a specified candidate determined by the popular vote in each state, so that the people, in voting for each elector, are in effect voting for the candidate . However, for various reasons the numbers of electors in favour of each candidate are unlikely to be proportional to the popular vote . Thus, in five close United States elections (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016), the candidate with the most popular votes still lost the election . </P>

When the constitution was first adopted how many terms could a president serve