AP US Gov Unit 6

advice and consent of the Senate

the Senate's constitutional power to review and approve significant presidential actions

Presidential appointment power

President's authority to nominate federal officials but requires the Senate's "advice and consent"

Presidential emergency power

authorities temporarily granted to the President by Congress (via laws like the National Emergencies Act of 1976) to act swiftly during crises, bypassing normal legislative processes. congress can still pass laws to end the emergency

executive agreement

pact between the U.S. President and a foreign leader that doesn't require Senate ratification (unlike treaties), making it a quicker way to conduct foreign policy for things like trade or security

executive order

formal, written directive from the President carrying the force of law and directing federal agencies and officials to advance policies, requires no Congressional approval (inherent power)

executive action

broad term for directives, like executive orders, proclamations, or memoranda, that presidents use to manage the federal government and implement policy, often acting without Congress, carrying the force of law but subject to judicial review

executive privilege

implied power allowing the President and executive officials to withhold confidential communications from Congress or courts, can be challenged by judicial branch, especially for the administration of justice (ex. United States v. Nixon: forced President Nixon to turn over tapes for a criminal trial)

veto

reject a bill passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law, serving as a key check on the legislative branch

pocket veto

when the President kills a bill by taking no action on it (neither signing nor vetoing) within the 10-day period after Congress sends it, but only if Congress adjourns (ends its session) during that time, cannot be overwritten like a normal veto

Presidential expressed powers

the specific authorities explicitly granted to the President in Article II of the Constitution (ex. being Commander-in-Chief, granting pardons, making treaties (with Senate approval), appointing officials (with Senate confirmation), and requiring written opinions from executive departments)

Presidential inherent powers

those not explicitly listed in the Constitution but are considered necessary for the President to effectively carry out executive duties (ex. actions in foreign policy, emergencies, executive orders, deploying troops)

Presidential implied powers

authorities not explicitly listed in the Constitution but are inferred as necessary for the President to effectively carry out their expressed (enumerated) powers

presidential pardon

fully forgives a federal offense, eliminating legal consequences, but cannot be used in impeachment cases or for state crimes, only federal crimes (conviction still on record because pardon is after conviction)

Presidential amnesty

similar to a pardon, but typically granted to large groups for political offenses, people remain innocent because they are forgiven before a conviction (ex. amnesty to Confederates to heal the division of the US)

presidential reprieve

temporary postponement or delay of a federal criminal sentence or execution

Presidential commutation

reduces or lessens a sentence for a federal crime without erasing the underlying conviction

12th amendment

requiring electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President on distinct ballots. If no majority for president, the House elects from the top three candidates, if no majority for vice president, the Senate elects from the top two candidates

20th amendment

“lame duck amendment” - shifting presidential inauguration to January 20th and congressional sessions to January 3rd, shortening the time outgoing officials (lame ducks) serve after elections

22nd amendment

limits a president to two elected terms in office and a maximum of ten years (ex. president died 2 years into their term and vice president took over. After this incomplete term, the vice president became president for 2 full terms)

23rd amendment

grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections by them electors equal to the number of representatives the smallest state has (currently 3), without making D.C. a state or granting congressional representation

25th amendment

clarifying what happens if a president dies, resigns, or is removed; temporarily transferring power to the Vice President when a president cannot perform their duties

presidential approval rating

a percentage from public opinion polls showing how many Americans approve (like, find acceptable) of the President's job performance

president’s popularity

fluctuating public approval of the President, measured by Approval Ratings

impeachment process

The House brings charges (simple majority), then the Senate holds a trial. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate

Who can be impeached?

President, Vice President, and all Civil Officers of the United States

“lame duck”

an outgoing official (President, Congress member) still in office after an election but before their successor takes over, transition period

“lame duck” period

Can be a time for controversial decisions (pardons, executive orders) or, conversely, for legislative paralysis as the focus shifts to incoming leaders

ad hoc style

method of organizing the president’s staff in which task forces, committees, and informal groups of friends and advisers deal directly with the president, bypassing traditional chains of command, highly flexible and relies on specialized groups formed for a "one-time" or specific purpose rather than a permanent hierarchy

circular style

the president acts as the center of a "hub" with several assistants and cabinet secretaries reporting directly to them, compared to ad hoc it is more permanent, involves individuals vs. mostly groups, and is mostly related to information exchanges

pyramid style

organizes staff with a strong Chief of Staff at the top, directing a clear chain of command where subordinates report up through bosses to the President (indirect communication)

electoral college

consists of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors: its number of Representatives plus its two Senators, 270 votes to win

Presidential requirements to hold office

be a natural-born citizen, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the U.S. for 14 years

impoundment of funds

President's act of delaying or withholding money Congress has already appropriated, a practice restricted by the 1974 Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act (ICA) (now requires Congressional approval)

signing statement

official written comments by the U.S. President when signing a bill into law, used to express views, interpret ambiguous provisions, or state intentions about how the law will be enforced, sometimes even claiming parts are unconstitutional, though they don't alter the law's legal text, critics say it’s like a line item veto

refusal to enforce a law or Supreme Court ruling

executive official (President, Governor) or branch choosing not to implement a judicial decision or statute, often due to political disagreement, asserting executive power, or belief the ruling is unconstitutional, a check on judicial power, the law or ruling isn't automatically voided; it simply isn't enforced

pay and benefits of the president

-$400,000 annual salary

-stays at the White House

-receives medical care

-travel (Air Force One)

-money for entertainment

-lifetime pensions (around $250k/yr)

-lifetime Secret Service protection after office

divided Gov.

different political parties control the Executive (President) and Legislative (Congress) branches

unified gov.

one political party controls the executive branch (the Presidency) and both chambers of the legislative branch (the House and Senate)

gridlock

political stalemate where the inability of opposing parties or branches (Executive & Legislative) to agree prevents significant legislation from being passed, often due to divided government

the “football”

the briefcase containing the codes for the president to authorize a nuclear attack, always kept near the President by a military aide

cadillac one

Presidential State Car, a heavily armored, custom-built limousine (basically a tank)

air force one

call sign for any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President, usually refers to the two highly customized jets used for presidential transport

marine one

call sign for any U.S. Marine Corps aircraft (typically a helicopter) carrying the president, used for short trips

bully pulpit

command public attention, influence policy, rally support, and pressure other branches by speaking out through media (ex. twitter, state of the union)

gaffe

mistake or blunder in speech or action by a politician that attracts significant media attention and public scrutiny, often overshadows their actual governing platforms (ex. Biden perceived as dumb because of his slurred speech)

mid term elections

occur in the middle of a president's four-year term, changes 435 Congress members, determines all the house members and 1/3 of the Senate members

west wing

building in the White House housing the Oval Office and key staff offices (Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, etc.), “nerve center” of the Executive Branch

the “cabinet”

President's advisory body, consisting of the Vice President and heads of the 15 executive departments (like State, Defense, Treasury)

kitchen cabinet

informal group of trusted advisors (friends, political allies, even newspaper editors) a President relies on for advice

national security council

Advises the President on threats and opportunities related to national security and foreign policy

national security advisor

President's top advisor on national security and foreign policy

civil servants

non-political, non-military government employees hired based on merit and qualifications (ex. police officers, teachers)

trustee approach

elected officials use their own judgment and what they believe will serve the best interests of their constituents and the nation, rather than strictly following public opinion

delegate approach

elected officials acting as mouthpieces for their constituents, strictly voting based on the interests of the people who elected them

sunset law

provision within a law that includes a date for the automatic termination of a government program unless the legislature takes formal action to extend it (ex. Lincoln’s executive order (emancipation proclamation) allowed Black men to join the Union military, but didn’t permanently emancipate them)

Congressional reauthorization (sunset law)

reviewing and renewing a program or agency that is subject to a sunset provision (ex. the Office of Homeland Security was initially a temporary executive order that was proven effective, so every president since then has renewed it)

supply side economics

theory arguing that economic growth is best achieved by lowering taxes (mostly for the rich) and reducing regulations (ex. tariffs) to increase the supply of goods (in contrast to demand side economics, it emphasizes supporting businesses and production)

demand side economics

argues that economic growth is best stimulated by increasing the demand for goods by giving consumers more money through tax cuts and government spending (to create jobs, increase incomes, etc.) (in contrast to supply side economics, it emphasizes supporting consumers and demand)

keynesian economics

Keynesian economics is a form of demand-side economics and specifically highlights government intervention through spending and tax cuts, particularly during downturns like the Great Depression