AP Gov Vocab Unit 3 Quiz

"advice and consent"

terms in the Constitution describing the US Senate's power to review and approve treaties and presidential appointments

"lame-duck" presidency

a president who is president during a time period in which they have been voted out of office

"power of the purse"

The constitutional power of Congress to raise and spend money. Congress can use this as a negative or checking power over the other branches by freezing or cutting their funding.

12th Amendment

separation of votes for President and Vice President

20th Amendment

Commencement of Terms; Sessions of Congress; Death or Disqualification of President-Elect; "Lame-duck" amendment; begins on Jan 20th

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms.

25th Amendment

(1) Succession of VP if president dies or become incapable to do his job.(2) if there is no VP, president must appoint one, and congress must approve

adjudication

A proceeding in which an administrative law judge hears and decides issues that arise when an administrative agency charges a person or a firm with an agency violation.

administrative discretion

Authority given by Congress to the Federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws.

bureaucratic discretion

bureaucrats' use of their own judgement in interpreting and carrying out the laws of Congress

ambassadors

a top diplomat appointed to represent the United States with that foreign nation

AMTRAK

The government-funded passenger rail service (train service) that operates in the United States.

appointment power

the authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position. Positions filled by presidential appointment include those in the executive branch and the federal judiciary, commissioned officers in the armed forces, and members of the independent regulatory commissions

Article II

Executive Branch

battleground states

A state that is likely to be so closely fought that the campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there.

bully pulpit

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

bureaucracy

A large organization that is structured hierarchically to carry out specific functions.

bureaucratic implementation

The actions taken by the bureaucracy in service of its mission of executing the laws of the United States.

cabinet

An advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions. The cabinet includes the heads of fifteen executive departments and others named by the president

cabinet department (executive departments)

One of the 15 departments of the executive branch (State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Energy, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs).

chief diplomat

the role of the president as head of the executive branch of the government

chief executive

the role of the president as head of the executive branch of the gov't

chief legislator

The role of the president in influencing the making of laws.

civil service

A collective term for the body of employees working for the government. Generally, civil service is understood to apply to all those who gain government employment through a merit system.

civil servant

a person who works for a government

civil service system

the practice of hiring government workers on the basis of open, competitive examinations and merit

coattail effect

The influence of a popular candidate on the electoral success of other candidates on the same party ticket. The effect is increased by the party-column ballot, which encourages straight-ticket voting.

commander in chief

the role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the US and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service

committee hearings

sessions where a committee listens to the testimonies of people who are interested in the bill; congress has a responsibility to assure that the agencies and departments charged w/ carrying out law are in fact doing so and doing so fairly

compliance monitoring

making sure the firms and companies that are subject to industry regulations are following those standards and provisions

congressional appropriation

any money designated by Congress for a specific purpose by a state or federal legislature and provides the legal authority needed to spend or obligate the U.S. Treasury

congressional authorization

A formal declaration by a legislative committee that a certain amount of funding may be available to an agency.

Congressional Budget Office

provides the Congress with objective, nonpartisan, and timely information, analyses, and estimates related to federal economic and budgetary decisions

Congressional override

The power of Congress to pass legislation over a president's veto

veto override

reversal of a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress

congressional oversight

essentially a check and balance on the agencies themselves and competes w/ the president for influence over them

constitutional power

a power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution

formal powers

defined in Article II; specifically defined in Constitution

Council of Economic Advisors

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

Department of Defense

Cabinet-level agency in charge of the armed forces and military policy. HQ \= The Pentagon. (Secretary Panetta)

Department of Education

This Department promotes national education and works to keep America competitive and to make sure that education is available to everyone

Department of Homeland Security

US federal agency created in 2002 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism

Department of Justice

responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice

Department of State

Chief executive-branch department responsible for formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy.

Department of the Treasury

Collects, borrows, spends, and prints money

Department of Transportation

Manages the nations highways, railroads, airlines, and sea traffic

Department of Veterans Affairs

Directs services for armed forces veterans

Diplomatic recognition

the formal acknowledgment of a foreign government as legitimate

discretionary authority

The ability of a bureaucracy to choose courses of action and make policies not spelled out in advance by laws.

electoral college

A group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and the District of Columbia; this group officially elects the president and vice president of the United States. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state's representatives in both chambers of Congress.

electors

A member of the electoral college, which selects the president and vice president. Each state's electors are chosen in each presidential election year according to state laws.

emergency powers

An inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis.

Environmental Protection Agency

an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

executive agreement

an international agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state

Executive Office of the President

an organization established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to assist the president in carrying out major duties

executive order

a rule or regulation issued by the president that has the effect of law. these can implement and give administrative effect to provisions in the Constitution, to treaties, and to statutes

executive privilege

The right of executive officials to withhold information from or to refuse to appear before a legislative committee

expressed powers

A power of the president that is expressly written into the Constitution or into statutory law.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The arm of the US Justice Department that investigates violations of federal law, seeks to protect America from terrorist attacks, gathers crime statistics, runs a comprehensive crime laboratory, and helps train local law enforcement officers.

federal bureaucracy

agencies and the employees of the executive branch of government

federal elections commission

a federal agency that oversees the financing of national election campaigns

Federal Register

a publication of the US government that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations

Federalist \#70

states that it is easier and more effective to have a singular executive rather than a plural one

government corporation

an agency of government that administers a quasi-business enterprise. These corporations are used when activites are primarily commercial

Government in the Sunshine Act

A law that requires all committee-directed federal agencies to conduct their business regularly in public session.

Hatch Act

An act passed in 1939 that restricted the political activities of government employees. It also prohibited a political group from spending more than $3 million in any campaign and limited individual contributions to a campaign committee to $5,000.

Head of State

the role of the president as ceremonial head of the government

honeymoon period

the time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive

impeachment

An action by the House of Representatives to accuse the president, vice president, or other civil officers of the United States of committing "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

imperial presidency

a powerful executive position guided by a weaker Congress

independent executive agency

A federal agency that is not part of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president.

agencies

a unit of the executive branch regulating a certain area

independment regulatory agency

an agency outside the major executive departments charged with making and implementing rules and regulations

commission

an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.

informal presidential powers

pot'l powers interpreted to be inherent in the office, to achieve policy goals. National figure-head, crisis manager (rally effect), agenda-setter (bully pulpit), diplomat-in-chief (executive agreements)

inherent powers

a power of the president derived from the states in the Consitution that "the executive power shall be vested in the president" and that the president should "take care that the laws be faithfully executed;" defined through practice rather than through law

iron triangle

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

issue network

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

kitchen cabinet

an informal group of advisers to whom the president turns for counsel and guidance

legislative veto

ability of congress to override a presidential decision

line-item veto

an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature; would empower an executive to eliminate a line of spending from an appropriations bill

linkage institutions

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

merit system

hiring people into government jobs on the basis of their qualifications

NASA

an independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight

National Security Council

An office created in 1947 to coordinate the president's foreign and military policy advisers. 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 assistant.

Office of Management and Budget

established the budgeting process w/ Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. An office that prepares the president's budget and also advises presidents on proposals from departments and agencies and helps review their proposed regulations.

Office of Personnel Management

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

pardon

A declaration of forgiveness and freedom from punishment

patronage

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support (rewards to loyal party leaders w/ fed jobs)

Pendleton Act

reform measure that established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the Civil Service Commission

Civil Service Reform Act

altered how a bureaucrat is dismissed, limited preferences for veterans in hopes of balancing the genders in federal employment, and put upper-level appointments back into the president's hands

pocket veto

president's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it for 10 days

policy agenda

a set of issues that are significant to people involved in policymaking

policy tsar

A high-ranking member of the Executive Office of the President appointed to coordinate action in one specific policy area.

political machine

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity

proportional system

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election; sends candidates from both parties at a proportion

quasi-legislative

a characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them legislative powers to issue regulations

quasi-judicial

a characteristic of independent regulatory agencies that gives them judicial power to interpret regulations they create

red tape

complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done

reprieve

a temporary relief or delay