Presidency and Bureaucracy Review

Formal powers of the president

Veto power, command armed forces, pardoning power, appointment powers, make treaties, veto/ pocket veto, executive order, executive agreements, and convene Congress

Informal Powers of the President

Bully Pulpit, signing statements, setting the legislative agenda, political party leader influence, and crisis management.

Executive orders

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

Executive Agreements

Agreements with other countries that do not need senate approval

Cabinet

Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments, the vice president, and a few other officials selected by the president.

White House Staff

Personnel who run the White House and advise the President. Includes the Chief of Staff and Press Secretary

National Security Council (NSC)

An agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)

A three-member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy.

War Powers Resolution

A law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval.

pocket veto

A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.

Chief of Staff

the person who oversees the operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president

Presidential Approval ratings

A measure of the degree to which the public approves or disapproves of the president's performance in office.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

Bureaucratic Pathologies

Problems shared by all or most federal bureaus or agencies. They include bureaucratic red tape, mission conflict, mission duplication, agency imperialism, and bureaucratic waste.

Cabinet Departments

The fifteen largest and most influential agencies of the federal bureaucracy (e.g., Department of State, Treasury, Justice…) Headed by Secretary or Attorney General (Department of Justice)

Executive Agencies

Federal agencies that are part of the executive branch but outside the structure of cabinet departments. Their heads typically serve at the pleasure of the president and can be removed at the president's discretion.

Independent Regulatory Agency

a government agency responsible for a sector of the economy, making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest. It also judges disputes over these rules.

Government Corporations

A government agency that operates like a business corporation, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.

Civil Service / Merit System

An employment system used by governments that takes merit into account in hiring and promotions

Patronage/Spoils System

a system that rewards the supporters of successful political candidates and parties with government jobs while firing supporters of the opposing party

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

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

Whistleblowers Protection Act

Designed to protect people who come forward with disclosure about improper conduct by public bodies or public sector employees

Iron triangle

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Issue Networks

The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

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.

Implementation

The process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic rules or spending.

Rulemaking

The process by which an administrative agency formally adopts a new regulation or amends an old one.

Administrative Adjudication

a quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties in a manner similar to the way courts resolve disputes

Congressional Oversight

a committee's investigation of the executive and of government agencies to ensure they are acting as Congress intends

Unfunded Mandate

a federal order mandating that states operate and pay for a program created at the national level

Fedeeralist 70

• A single executive ensures vigor, accountability, and quick decision-making.

• Prevents 'dissensions and distractions' that can arise from multiple executives.

• Accountability is easier to assign with one person in charge.

Hatch Act

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics.

entitlement programs

Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need.

nondiscretionary spending

federal spending on programs that are not controlled through the regular budget process

Executive Agencies

An administrative agency within the executive branch of government. At the federal level, executive agencies are those within the cabinet departments.

appointment power

The authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position.

bully pulpit

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

Commander in Chief

term for the president as commander of the nation's armed forces

economic sanctions

Boycotts, embargoes, and other economic measures that one country uses to pressure another country into changing its policies.

Executive privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.

Presidential mandate

an endorsement by votes. Presidents sometimes argue they have been given a mandate to carry out policy proposals.

recess appointment

Presidential appointment made without Senate confirmation during Senate recess

Signing Statements

occasional written comments attached to a bill signed by the president

Treaties

a formally concluded and ratified (by Congress) agreement between countries.

Lame Duck

A person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection

Take Care Clause

The constitutional requirement (in Article II, Section 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws.

Vesting clause

the president's constitutional authority to control most executive functions

Veto

Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature