The image chosen for analysis is the seal of the president of the United States of America. The seal of the president of the United States of America is an image not representing the individual holding the office of the presidency at any given time but a bigger representation of the institution of the presidency of the United States of America. The presidential seal is therefore a very important image to all American citizens. The following essay describes and discusses the seal of the president of the United States of America in detail. It discusses the relevance of this seal to the institution of the presidency as well as to the American people. It also discusses what the seal of the president of the United States of America stands for and what it represents.
The seal of the president of the United States of America was selected for this analysis because of its importance and relevance not only in America but all over the world (Banting, p.38). This is an image that commands respect out of all people who lay their eyes on it even people who do not know what it means and what it represents. The seal was also chosen because of its symbolism. The seal is symbolic of the presidency as an institution and not an individual. With the seal in mind it does not really matter who is in the oval office. The seal creates an allure of the presidency being a body much bigger than the person who is currently president of the United States. Even when people lose confidence in a sitting president the seal serves to remind them that the presidency is much bigger than the president. It represents the autonomy and power of the institution of the presidency and is thus very important to every American citizen. The seal commands respect to say the least. When an individual turns on their television set and the seal of the president of the United States appears the person finds himself or herself paying close attention to what will happen next. The person immediately knows that the president is about to give an address and this captures their every attention. That is how powerful this seal is.
The seal of the president of the United States of America is truly a part of American history. This is because the seal dates back as far as 1850 though the exact date in which it started being used is unknown. It is possibly that the seal predates the previously stated date of 1850. The design of the seal in use today however dates back to 1877 and was the brainchild of Rutherford Hayes. This means that the seal is a representation of American history both past and present. Originally the seal was used as the official signatory for white house invitations. This image meant that an individual was privileged enough to visit the residence of the president of the United States of America (Banting, p.41). This means that originally this image was representative of the white house and not the president or the presidency in particular. Thus initially this image represented the sanctity of the residence of the president of the United States of America. The white house has been a symbol of American unity for a very long time. Many citizens visit the American capital just to have a glimpse of the white house. The white house is part of the greatest American heritage. The fact that the presidential seal used to symbolize the white house makes it that much more significant and indeed part of American history.
The presidential seal looks very American in its design. The current seal of the president of the united states of America is defined and elaborated in executive order 10860.this executive order was made by president Dwight Eisenhower back in 1960.the current seal has been in effect since July of the same year. The presidential seal is also known as the coat of arms of the president of the United States of America. The seal is a rather simple image but very deep in terms of its symbolism and symbolic significance. The shield consists primarily of the bird that represents America, the eagle. The eagle is the animal representative of the American people and it is thus only appropriate that it appear on the presidential seal of the president of the United States of America. The seal also dawns the national colors which are the red white and blue. The seal thus greatly resembles the flag of the United States of America. The seal is circular in shape and of course has the writings seal of the president of the United States. These writings make the seal very specific and unique. It is thus distinguishable from any other seal that represent other entities of administration in the United States of America. The seal also has the stars which it borrows from the national American flag (Anthony, p.79). The seal also has a shield which is colored white and red just like some sections of the flag of the United States of America. In the seal the words seal, president and United States stand out. This is perhaps so as to increase the significance of the seal and make it easily identifiable even from a distance as the seal of the president of the United States of America.
The seal might appear very simple in design and perhaps just a representation of the institution of the presidency of the United States ofAmerica. This assertion could not be any further from the truth. The seal is very rich in symbolism and goes way beyond the institution of the presidency. The shield has fifty stars (Anthony, p.104). These fifty stars are very significant as they represent all the fifty states of the United States of America. These stars appear in a circular manner and surround the eagle. This pattern is also very symbolic in itself. It symbolizes that the institution of the presidency has an obligation to all of the fifty states. It also symbolizes that the institution of the presidency is representative of all of the fifty states that make up the United States of America. As a result a sitting president has an obligation to serve all of the fifty states and devote equal attention to all of the fifty states with absolutely no state being left behind or discriminated against. The seal also has clouds to which the eagle is in very close proximity. This is very symbolic to the American people. It is symbolic of the success of the American people as a nation. The fact that the eagle is about to touch the clouds shows just how far the United States of America has gone in terms of development and success (Patterson, p.64). The shield on the presidential seal has thirteen stripes. These thirteen stripes are far from random. They represent the thirteen original states which make up the United States of America. This is in a way paying tribute to the original states that paved the way for the formation and development of this great country.
There are also thirteen clouds on the presidential seal. These thirteen clouds serve the same purpose as the thirteen stripes on the shield. They represent the thirteen states that originally make up the United States of America. The eagle in the seal is grasping an olive branch in its right leg and arrows in its left leg. The olive branch is representative of peace and unity. The fact that the eagle is grasping the olive branch in its right leg shows that primarily the United States of America is a peaceful country and has inclinations towards peace. The primary aim of the United States of America is to pursue and by all means preserve peace not only on its own soil but all over the world. The right leg of the eagle is grasping arrows. These arrows are symbolic of the potential for war of the United States. The fact that these arrows are in the left leg of the eagle denotes that the United States of America is not primarily inclined towards war. War is an option on the table for the United States of America but only in situations which demand it and where it is completely unavoidable. The arrows also represent the military prowess of the United States of America. They stand out as a warning to any person who would want to threaten the peaceful nature of the United States (Patterson, p.80). They serve as a warning that the United States has the capacity and capability to strike back at any enemy.
The seal of the president of the United States of America appears on modes of transportation which the president uses. This is perhaps to notify the public that the commander in chief is en route and thus they should clear the way (Dobbs, p.62). The seal also appears at the center of the ceiling of the oval office. This is very symbolic in its placing as it towers over the president as he does his day to day activities. The presidential court of arms is also a part of the presidential seal and perhaps the main and most outstanding art. The presidential court of arms can be found in various places and institutions that tend to assert the influence of the institution of the presidency. An example is the Kennedy half dollar and the presidential service badge which is normally issued exclusively to military personnel. The presence of this image on the attire of military personnel is very significant. It serves as a reminder that the president is the commander in chief of all the armed forces and the armed forces can only act on orders coming from thee resident and no one else.
The presidential seal is a very important image to all American citizens. It is representative of the institution of the presidency and is a symbol of the sovereignty of the institution of the president since all presidents are democratically elected by the American electorate.
Works Cited
Banting, Erinn. Flags and seals. New York: Weigl Publishers, 2004. Print.
Britannica, inc. The American presidency. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011. Print.
Dobbs, Charles. Triangles, Symbols, and Constraints the United States, the Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China, 1963-1969.. Lanham: University Press of America, 2010. Print.
Kaufman, Burton Ira. The post-presidency from Washington to Clinton. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2012. Print.
McDonald, Forrest. The American presidency: an intellectual history. Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2010. Print.
Patterson, Richard Sharpe. The eagle and the shield: a history of the great seal of the United States. Washington: Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, Dept. of State : for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 2003. Print.
Salzmann, Mary Elizabeth. Presidential seal. Edina, Minn.: Abdo Pub., 2007. Print.
Weber, John. An illustrated guide to The lost symbol. New York: Pocket Books, 2009. Print.
Anthony, mark. Coat of arms, seal, and flag of the President of the United States. New York: U.S. G.P.O. :, 1945. Print.
