Understanding the U.S. Constitution: Executive Branch & Amendments

A set of flashcards to help review key concepts related to the Executive Branch of the U.S. government and relevant amendments.

Article II

Part of the U.S. Constitution that outlines the powers and responsibilities of the executive branch.

Natural born citizen

A person who is a U.S. citizen at birth, either by being born in the U.S. or to U.S. citizen parents.

Twelfth Amendment

Changed the electoral process for the President and Vice President, requiring separate ballots for each.

Lame duck period

The period between the election of a new president in November and their inauguration on January 20.

Twenty-second Amendment

Limits the president to two elected terms in office.

Succession

The order in which officials replace one another if a president leaves office due to death, resignation, or incapacitation.

Twenty-fifth Amendment

Establishes procedures for presidential succession and addressing presidential disability.

Executive Orders

Directives issued by the president to manage the operations of the federal government, not explicitly outlined in the Constitution.

Inauguration Day

The day on which the newly elected president is sworn into office, defined by the Twentieth Amendment as January 20.

Electoral College

A group established by the Constitution that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.