What does first lady do?

Answer 1

It really varies. The "First Lady" is the wife of the President-- and it should be noted that the expression did not really come into common use until the early 1900s, although we can find some examples of its occasional use as far back as 1843. Historically, the role of the First Lady was to be the unofficial hostess in the White House. But there have been a number of First Ladies who did a lot more with the role than wearing beautiful dresses and hosting lavish parties.

Throughout American history, some First Ladies have been very traditional: they stayed in the White House, out of the media spotlights, raising the kids and being the hostess when the president held a party, or they appeared (always elegantly dressed) at events where the president needed his wife by his side. But other First Ladies, especially in the modern era, have been more active and more public. Lou Henry Hoover, a Republican and the wife of Herbert Hoover, was a former businesswoman and the first presidential wife to speak on the radio; she also did publicity for the Girl Scouts and was a major advocate for scouting. Eleanor Roosevelt, a Democrat and the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, sometimes campaigned for Democratic candidates; she also supported various causes (including equal rights for minorities), wrote a newspaper column about current issues, and also had her own radio program.

There has been a longstanding belief that the First Lady should not have her own career, and so far, even the presidential wives who worked outside the home (Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, and others) gave up their jobs to focus on volunteer work and hosting important social events. Many First Ladies have become well-known for their charitable endeavors, and some have even been considered more popular than their husband the president.

Answer 2

Unless she has a separate job she does not do much. She is simply just the presidents wife hopefully supporting him along the way.