The Constitution established the executive branch as a separate branch of the United States government.
Article II assigns executive power to the president of the United States. The president serves as head of state and head of government, directs the executive departments, acts as commander in chief, and participates in the treaty and appointment processes subject to constitutional limits.
Under the Articles of Confederation, there was no separate national executive headed by a president. The Confederation Congress handled national responsibilities through committees and appointed officials, a structure that many leaders believed was too weak to manage national finances, foreign relations, and defense effectively.
The Constitution’s three-branch design divides federal authority among the legislative branch, which makes laws; the executive branch, which administers and enforces them; and the judicial branch, which interprets them. George Washington became the first president when the new constitutional government began operating in 1789.