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Explainer's Summer Reruns: Permanent Vacation?

Chris SuellentropPosted Monday, Aug. 6, 2001, at 6:10 PM ET

It's August, and George W. Bush is taking the month off. Several overworked Slate readers want to know, how much vacation does the president get?

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Explainer answered this question in March, so it looks like he gets to take the day off, too. Click here to read the original answer to the question.

The short answer, for those too worn out by the heat to click the link: The president can take as much vacation as he wants. There's nothing in the Constitution that says he has to work 40 hours a week, and there's no requirement that he work 50 weeks a year. He makes $400,000 whether he works one day or 365. If Bush wants to spend all his time studying Social Security reform, that's his prerogative, and if he wants to spend all his time playing video golf at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, that's his prerogative, too. If the voters don't like the way he spends his time, they won't re-elect him.

Here's another easy one, only because Explainer already did it. The International Monetary Fund has granted a $15 billion line of credit to Brazil. What's the difference between the IMF and the World Bank?

Short answer: The IMF works to prevent financial crises, and the World Bank works to promote economic development. The IMF lends money to countries that are having difficulty meeting their obligations to investors and creditors. The World Bank lends money to less-developed countries for development projects.

Next question?

Photograph of President Bush on the Slate Table of Contents by Ho/Reuters.