Ap Gov- Chapter 5: Presidents

Representative Democracy

A system of government in which citizens elect representatives, or leaders, to make decisions about the laws for all the people

Executive Office of the President

The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the Office of Management and Budget, the Council of Economic Advisors, and several other units

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

The office that prepares the president’s annual budget proposal, reviews budgets and programs of the executive departments, supplies economic forecasts, and conducts detailed analysis of proposed bills and agency rules

National Security Council (NSC)

An office created in 1947 to coordinate the president’s foreign and military policy advisors. Its formal members are the president, vice president, secretary of state, and secretary of defense, and it is managed by the president’s national security advisor

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)

Has 3 members, appointed by the president. They help the president make policy on inflation, unemployment, and other economic matters

Executive Agencies

Independent agencies

Federal regulatory agencies that are independent, thus not fully under the power of the president. Ex. Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission

Acting Appointments

Presidential Honeymoon

The period of about 100 days when a newly elected president takes office and the opposing party, media, etc. will not be politically critical of him

Veto message

A message from the president to congress stating that he will not sign the bill it has passed. Must be produced within 10 days of the bill’s passage.

Pocket Veto

Divided Government

Unified Government

Direct Democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Faithless Electors

Members of the United States Electoral College who do not cast their electoral votes for the people they have pledged to vote for

Pyramid Structure

A president’s subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff

Circular Structure

A method of organizing a president's staff in which several presidential assistants report directly to the presidents

Ad Hoc Structure

Several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters

Cabinet

Persons appointed by a head of state to head executive departments of government and act as official advisors

Executive Privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security (US V Nixon)

United States V. Nixon

The President does not have absolute privilege against production of relevant information in a criminal investigation, and against the judiciary branch. Check on the president’s power

Impoundment

War Power Act (1973)

Required Nixon and any future president to report to Congress within 48 hours after taking Military action, it further provided that Congress would have to approve any military action that lasted more than 60 days

Independent Counsel Law

Law that allows the attorney general to appoint an individual to investigate high-profile members of the federal government when suspected of wrongdoing

Lame Duck

An outgoing official serving out the remainder of term, after retiring or being defeated for reelection

Presidential Succession Act of 1947

Designated order of succession should a president die in office or resign; after Vice President, the order is: Speaker of House; President Pro Tem of the Senate; Secretary of State;  followed by all other cabinet secretaries in the order in which their departments were created

12th Amendment

Brought about by the Jefferson/Burr tie, stated that presidential and vice presidential nominees would run on the same party ticket. Before that time, all of the candidates ran against each other, with the winner becoming president and second-place becoming vice president

22nd Amendment

Passed in 1951, after FDR’s three terms the amendment that limits presidents of two terms of office

25th Amendment

Adopted in 1967 to establish procedures for filling vacancies in the office of president and vice president as well as providing for procedures to deal with the disability of a president

Impeachment

The political equivalent of an indictment in criminal law, prescribed by the Constitution. The House of Representatives may impeach the president by a majority vote for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes or Misdemeanors.” (The Senate confirms if he should be removed from office)

Bully Pulpit

The president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

Inherent Power

A power of the president derived from the statements in the Constitution that the “executive power shall be vested in a president “ and that the president should “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”; defined through practice rather than through law. (Like Congress Enumerated Power)

Executive Orders

Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the bureaucracy

Approval Ratings

The percentage of survey respondents who say that they “approve” or “strongly approve” of the way the president is doing his job. Reflects positively/negatively on Congress’ decisions

Imperial Presidency

Term used to describe a president as an “emperor” who acts without consulting Congress or acts in secrecy to evade or deceive Congress

Rule of Propinquity

The closer (physically) you are to the president, the more influence you have over the president and the decisions he makes. Also, those in the room with the president at the time decisions are made have the most influence (Ex. The First Lady)

Bureaucracy

System of managing government through departments run by appointed officials

Patronage

(Politics) Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support

Spoils System

The practice of rewarding supporters with government jobs. Jackson made this practice famous for the way he did it on a wide scale

Pendleton Act (1883)

Authorized a bipartisan civil service commission to make appointments to federal jobs through a merit system on the basis of performance on an examination

16th Amendment

Amendment to the United States Constitution (1913) gave Congress the power to tax income

Discretionary Authority

The extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws

Competitive Service

The government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

The office in charge of hiring for most agencies of the federal government, using elaborate rules in the process

Excepted Service

Appointed of officials not based on the criteria specified by OPM

Merit System

Hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications, rather than patronage

Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

Recognized that many high level positions in the civil service have important policy making responsibilities and that the president and his cabinet officers ought to have more flexibility in recruiting, assigning, and paying such people

Hatch Act (1933, 1993)

1993: Prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain political activities (I.e. running partisan elections, making or soliciting political contributions) 1993: Allows most federal employees to take an active part in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns

Whistleblower Protection Act (1989)

Created the office of Special Counsel to investigate complaints from bureaucrats that were punished after reporting to Congress about waste, fraud, or abuse in their agencies

Issue Network

Relationships among interest group, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern

Authorization Legislation

Legislation that originates in a legislative committee stating the maximum amount of money that an agency may spend on a given program, and permission on whether to put a plan into action at all

Appropriations

The amounts of money approved by Congress in statutes that each unit or agency of government can spend

Committee Clearance

The right of committees to disapprove of certain agency actions

National Performance Review

Called the plan to reinvent government led by VP Al Gore; Make it easier for pres and cabinet secretaries to run bureaucracy; efficiency accountability and consistent policies

Citizens United V. FEC

Citizens United has often been credited for the creation of Super PACs–political action committees that make no direct financial contributions to candidates or parties but instead spend money on advertising, and can in turn accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, and unions.