Functions Of U.S. First Lady And The Influence On The Presidency

Not legally defined by the Constitution, the office of U.S. First Lady has, moreoften than not, been slighted by scholars and researchers. With the expansion of thepresidency and the evolution of the office itself, this group of women has increasinglybecome controversial, incurring criticisms from all sides.Based on but not limited to previous studies, the author of this thesis summarizesthe major functions of U.S. first ladies as feminine role, ceremonial role, presidentialcampaign helpmate, social advocate and presidential representative. The functions offirst ladies are contributable to four main factors namely historical precedents, historicevents, pre-White House days and relations with the President. The author emphasizesthat most first ladies in modern time perform all the functions discussed and what wesee do not negate what we don't see. It's not accurate to categorize first ladies intotraditional and modern types. It's but a matter of degree and visibility.With the aim to raising people's awareness that the office of First Lady deservesmore scholarly study, the author illustrates the general and major functions of U.S.first ladies and analyzes factors that may have impact on their role-playing. At the endof the thesis, the author calls on the attention on the "hidden power" of the FirstLadyship and concludes that the influence wielded by first ladies on the presidencyare: enhancing the image of the president, rallying support for him, providing femalecomplementarity and serving as a special source for decision-making.