The position of First Lady (or First Gentlemen) is not an elected one. With that in mind, the general expectation is that they perform a ceremonial role. During the 20th century, this has grown to include the promotion of causes which are deliberately chosen to avoid political divisiveness. For example, Melania Trump has focused on the prevention of cyberbullying, Michelle Obama fought childhood obesity, and Laura Bush advocated for women’s rights and childhood literacy.
By nature of their marriage to the President of the United States, the First Lady or Gentleman has a difficult line to tread. On one hand, their close association with — and support of — an outspoken political figure will result in some level of unavoidable partisanship. On the other, they are not elected by the populace, and so have no electoral support to provide them with ideological or legislative authority.
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