They seem to think that you're the President

Emerson: William Emerson, 48th president of these United States. That's what they used to call it before the Civil War, “These United States.” They only started calling it “The United States” after six hundred thousand of its sons tried to define it. They made what it had to be, one nation, whole and indivisible. That's what we're trying to do Jeremiah, make the country whole again.

Jeremiah: How can you be the President if the country didn't vote for you.

Emerson: Well this is what remains of the structure of the United States government. Every four years, like clockwork, we have elections as mandated by the Constitution.

Jeremiah: My guess is you got what, a couple thousand people here? If you elect a president by a handful of people that's not exactly democratic, is it?

Emerson: America's never been a democracy, we're a republic. People elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. Even before the Big Death, elected officials were chosen by an ever smaller percentage of the population. You might say this is the logical conclusion to what was going on before.