Mr. President (title)
The title "Mr. President" (m.)[1][2] or Madam President (f.) may apply to a person holding the title of president, or presiding over certain other governmental bodies.[3]
Adopted in the 1790s by
History
In the United States
The 1787
Others favored the variant of Electoral Highness or the lesser Excellency, the latter of which was vociferously opposed by Adams, who contended that it was far beneath the presidential dignity, as the executives of the states, some of which were also titled "President" (e.g. the President of Pennsylvania), at that time often enjoyed the style of Excellency; Adams said that the president "would be leveled with colonial governors or with functionaries from German princedoms" if he were to use the style of Excellency. Adams and Richard Henry Lee both feared that cabals of powerful senators would unduly influence a weak executive, and saw an exalted title as a way of strengthening the presidency.[7] On further consideration, Adams deemed even Highness insufficient and instead proposed that the executive, both the president and the vice president (i.e., himself), be styled Majesty to prevent the "great danger" of an executive with insufficient dignity.[6] Adams' efforts were met with widespread derision and perplexion; Thomas Jefferson called them "the most superlatively ridiculous thing I ever heard of", while Benjamin Franklin considered it "absolutely mad".[6]
Washington consented to the demands of James Madison and the United States House of Representatives that the title be altered to "Mr. President."[8][9][10][11] Nonetheless, later "The Honorable" became the standard title of the President in formal address, and "His/Her Excellency" became the title of the President when addressed formally internationally.
Historically, the title was reserved for the incumbent president only, and was not to be used for former presidents, holding that it was not proper to use the title as a courtesy title when addressing a former president.[12][13][14][15][16] According to the official website of the United States of America, the correct way to address a letter is to use "The Honorable John Doe" and the correct salutation is "Mr Doe". [17] Despite that, some sources maintain that living former U.S. presidents continue to be addressed as "Mr. President", both formally and informally, and some contemporary experts on etiquette now maintain that it is entirely appropriate.[18]
In the United States, the title "Mr. President" is used in a number of formal instances as well: for example anyone presiding over the United States Senate is addressed as "Mr./Madame President", especially the Vice President, who is the President of the Senate. Other uses of the title include presidents of state and local legislatures, however only the president of the United States uses the title outside of formal sessions.
In other countries
By the 18th century, the president of a
The
Spousal or female titles
Titles for a president's spouse, if female, have ranged from "Marquise," "Lady" to simply "Mrs." or "Ms."[10] If male the title of the president's spouse may be "Marquis", "Lord", or merely "Mr.".
United States
President George Washington's wife,
In the media
On 8 November 2016, the night of the 2016 presidential election in the United States, images of leaked pre-printed copies of Newsweek magazine showed the magazine celebrating the win of the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, with the cover titled "Madam President". It is common for Newsweek to prepare for the eventuality of either candidate winning, though it was unusual that it was both published and distributed; the cover was pulled from newsstands after it became clear that Donald Trump had secured a majority of electoral votes, winning the election.[21]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-8118-4316-4.
- ^ Safire, William (November 24, 1991). "On Language; Manhandling the Handlers". The New York Times.
- ^ Wood, Lewis (May 13, 1945). "Mr. President Is correct". New York Times.
- ^ Bartoloni-Tuazon, Kathleen (2014). For Fear of an Elective King. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 89.
- ^ a b Bartoloni-Tuazon, Kathleen (2014). For Fear of an Elective King. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 86.
- ^ )
- ^ Bartoloni-Tuazon, Kathleen (2014). For Fear of an Elective King. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. p. 57.
- ISBN 1-4069-2845-3.
- ISBN 978-0-393-04861-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59420-093-9.
- ISBN 978-0-19-516676-7.
- ^ Martin, Judith (January 21, 2009). "Miss Manners by Judith Martin". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^ "Presidents, Vice Presidents, and First Ladies of the United States | USAGov". www.usa.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ^ Martin, Judith (21 October 1992). "Addressing a Former President". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Hickey, Robert. "Is a Former President Addressed as President (name)?". Honor & Respect - The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address. Protocol School of Washington. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ^ Keller, Kerrie (2013-01-05). "Addressing a Former President of the United States". The Emily Post Institute. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
When addressing a former President of the United States in a formal setting, the correct form is "Mr. LastName." ("President LastName" or "Mr. President" are terms reserved for the current head of state.)
- ^ "Presidents, Vice Presidents, and First Ladies of the United States".
- ^ "Forms of Address: How to Address the President". HuffPost. 1 January 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-8050-1751-9.
- Executive Office of the President. 26 February 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
Mrs. Trump added that, "the scents of jasmine and roses fill the air as we give thanks for this great Nation and the glory of renewal."
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-11-17.