Chapter 12/13 vocab

ap gov

constitutional authority (presidential)

Powers derived from the provisions of the Constitution that outline the president's role in govt

statutory authority (presidential)

Powers derived from laws enacted by Congress that add to the powers given to the president in the constitution

vesting clause

Article II, Section 1 of the constitution, which states: "The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America," making the president both the head of government and the head of state

head of government

One role of the president, through which he or she has authority over the executive branch

head of state

One role of the president, through which he or she represents the country symbolically and politically

appointment power

the president's ability to name ambassadors, senior bureaucrats, and federal judges, subjects in some cases to senate confirmation

recess appointment

selection by the president of a person to be an ambassador or the head of a department while the senate is not in session, thereby bypassing Senate approval. Unless approved by a subsequent Senate vote, recess appointees serve only to the end of the congressional term

executive orders

proclamations made by the president that change government policy without congressional approval

executive agreement

an agreement between the executive branch and a foreign government, which acts as a treaty but does not require Senate approval

bargaining

negotiation between the president and members of congress over budgets and the details of legislative proposals

state of the union

an annual speech in which the president addresses congress to report on the condition of the country and to recommend policies

pocket veto

a presidents ability to veto a piece of legislation by taking no action on it (possible only when congress in not in session)

executive privilege

the right of the president to keep executive branch conversations and correspondence confidential from the legislative and judicial branches

executive office of the president (EOP)

the group of policy-relate offices that serve staff to the president

cabinet

the group of 15 executive department heads who implemented the president's agenda in their respective positions

unilateral action (presidential)

any policy made and acted upon by the president and presidential staff without the explicit approval or consent of congress

unitary executive theory

the idea that the vesting clause of the constitution gives the president the authority to issue orders and policy directives that cannot be undone by congress

signing statement

a document issued by the president when signing a bill into law explaining his or her interpretations of the law, which often differs from the interpretation of Congress, in an attempt to influence how the law will be implemented

presidential approval rating

the percentage of americans who think that the presidents is doing a good job in office

going public

a president's use of speeches and other public communications to appeal directly to citizens about issues the president would like the House and Senate to act on

bully pulpit

the president's ability to speak directly to the American public in support of his policy agenda and decisions

bureaucracy!

the system of civil servants and political appointees who implement congressional or presidential decisions; also known as the administrative state

political appointees

people selected by an elected leader, such as the president to hold a government position

civil servants

employees of bureaucratic agencies within the government

regulation

a rule that allows the government to exercise control over individual and corporations by restricting certain behaviors

notice-and-comment procedure

a step in the rule making process in which proposed rules are published in the federal register and made available for debate by the general public

state capacity

the knowledge, personnel, and institutions that the govt requires to effectively implement policies

red tape

excessive or unnecessarily complex regulations imposed by the bureaucracy

standard operating procedures

rules that lower level bureaucrats must follow when implementing policies

problem of control

a difficulty faced by elected officials is ensuring that when bureaucrats implement policies they follow these officials' intentions but still have enough discretion to use their expertise

principal agent game

the interaction between a principal (such as the president or congress) who needs something done and an agent (such as bureaucrats) who is responsible for carrying out the principal's order

office of management and budget

an office within the EOP that is responsible for creating the president's annual budget proposal rules, and performing other budget related tasks

independent agencies

government offices or organizations that provide govt services and are not part of an executive department

budget maximizers

bureaucrats who seek to increase funding for their agency whether or not that additional spending is worthwhile

turkey farms

agencies to which campaign workers and donor can be appointed in reward for their service because it is unlikely that their lack of qualifications will lead to bad policy

bureaucratic drift

bureaucrats tendency to implement policies in a way that favors their own political objectives rather than following the original intentions of the legislation

oversight

congressional efforts to make sure that laws are implemented correctly by the bureaucracy after they have been passed

police patrol oversight

a method of oversight in which members of congress constantly monitor the bureaucracy to make sure that laws are implemented correctly

fire alarm oversight

a method of oversight in which members of congress respond to complaints about the bureaucracy or problems of implementation only as they arise rather than exercising constant vigilance

regulatory capture

a situation in which bureaucrats favor the interests of the groups or corporations they are supposed to regulate at the expense of the general public

federal civil service

a system by the 1883 pendleton civil service act in which bureaucrats are hired on the basis of merit rather than political connections