What's the difference between a president and a king?
Countries worldwide vary in their government systems, with the heads of governments going by various titles.
Nine-year-old Miles was visiting the Little Free Library on the path by Prairie Park pond when he asked about the difference between presidents and kings.
Had he known there were other titles, he may have also asked about queens, premiers, chancellors, prime ministers, sheikhs, sultans and emperors. And that doesn't even cover all the monarchs in the world.
Back to our question, which has a fairly complicated answer if we delve into differences in executive powers and administrative structures.
So, let's go with something simple: a president is elected to a four-year term, while a king inherits his title as a birthright.
Additionally, a president can serve an additional four years if reelected, but after that, it's time to say goodbye to the pretty white house on Pennsylvania Avenue so a new president can move in. Why? Because here in the U.S., we have an 8-year term limit for presidents.
Not so for a king, also known as a monarch, who can serve in his position until he dies or decides to step down through a process called abdication. When a king abdicates his position, it's usually because he no longer wants to be king or can no longer physically perform his duties.
To be a candidate for president, a person must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old and have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. If a person meets those requirements, they can start the long, challenging process of trying to become a presidential candidate.
Becoming a king doesn't involve these steps. If you are the eldest son of a king or queen, you're next in line for the position once the king or queen dies or steps down. In some cases, this involves many years of waiting.
In the U.S., the president is the head of state and government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He also appoints the vice president, secretary of state and the heads of federal agencies.
There are many responsibilities connected with his job, including implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress.
Kings used to have many similar responsibilities, but for the majority of modern kings in the world, that has changed. Many of them hold ceremonial roles and leave the laws and policies to government systems similar to ours.
Resources: whitehouse.gov, wisegeek.com, and royal.uk
Did you know?
The presidential election takes place every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The next one will take place Nov. 3, 2020.
The oldest monarch in all history is 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Our ninth president, William Henry Harrison, was in office for only 32 days. He died from pneumonia or typhoid, which he may have gotten while giving his inauguration speech in the rain.