# Some of the Duties of the President explained — The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge > Chapter companion for The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge by Calvin Coolidge. ## What happens Coolidge reflects on the immense and indefinable nature of the presidency, emphasizing the importance of delegating tasks to competent subordinates, the burden of final responsibility, and the President's role as both executive and party leader. He discusses the political mind, the need for party solidarity, the defense of constitutional powers, and the humility required in the office. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Burden of the Presidency Coolidge emphasizes the appalling burden of the office, where final decisions are irreparable and the President stands alone at the center. ### Duty and Public Service The President is described as the agent of the people, responsible for executing laws and defending constitutional powers. ### Humility and Self-Awareness Coolidge concludes that any President must realize he is but an instrument in the hands of God, acknowledging a power beyond himself. ## Character check-ins ### Calvin Coolidge Author and narrator; reflects on his experience as President. ### Thomas Jefferson Mentioned regarding his opinion on constitutional warrant for executive action. ## Key lines > Like the glory of a morning sunrise, it can only be experienced⁠—it cannot be told. The true magnitude of the presidency is something that must be felt firsthand, not described. _Coolidge uses a metaphor to convey the ineffable nature of the office._ > It consists in never doing anything that someone else can do for you. The most important rule is to delegate tasks to others whenever possible. _Coolidge advises Presidents to avoid getting bogged down in trivial details._ > He stands at the center of things where no one else can stand. The President occupies a unique and solitary position of ultimate responsibility. _Highlights the isolation and burden of presidential decision-making._ > A power so vast in its implications has never been conferred upon any ruling sovereign. No monarch has ever been given such extensive authority as the U.S. President. _Coolidge underscores the unprecedented scope of presidential power._ > The political mind is the product of men in public life who have been twice spoiled. They have been spoiled with praise and they have been spoiled with abuse. Politicians are corrupted by both excessive flattery and harsh criticism. _Coolidge critiques the artificial nature of the political mindset._ > If it were not for the rules of the House and the veto power of the President, within two years these activities would double the cost of the government. Without procedural safeguards and the presidential veto, organized minority pressures would rapidly inflate government spending. _Coolidge argues for the necessity of checks against special interests._ > He comes to realize with an increasing sense of humility that he is but an instrument in the hands of God. A President eventually understands that his role is guided by a divine power beyond his own efforts. _Coolidge expresses a spiritual perspective on the presidency._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_autobiography_of_calvin_coolidge_se/chapters/vi-some-of-the-duties-of-the-president - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_autobiography_of_calvin_coolidge_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_autobiography_of_calvin_coolidge_se/chapters