section_path: Leadership roles/Head of party
section_name: Head of party
paragraph_text: Head of party
  
  The president is typically considered to be the de facto head and spokesperson of their political party. With the advent of binding primaries in most states, presidential nominees typically enjoy the support of a majority or plurality of their party's voters. Since the entire House of Representatives and at least one-third of the Senate is elected simultaneously with the president, candidates from a political party frequently have their electoral success intertwined with the performance of the party's presidential candidate. The coattail effect, or lack thereof, will also often impact a party's candidates at state and local levels of government as well. However, there are often tensions between a president and others in the party, with presidents who lose significant support from their party's caucus in Congress generally viewed to be weaker and less effective. Also, because the United States is not a parliamentary system, presidents' parties do not necessarily enjoy majorities in one or more houses of Congress, nor in the governorships or state legislatures of many states.