Execitive Branch/Buraucracy Buzzwords

Formal (enumerated) powers

Powers of the president specially stated in the Constitution

Informal (inherent) powers

Powers not explicit in the constitution but needed to carry out the enumerated powers (stated powers) in the constitution

Veto

a power of the president to stop a bill from becoming law

Pocket Veto

a way to kill a bill; if the bill arrives on the president’s desk and Congress adjourns within ten days after it comes to them and the president does not sign the bill, the bill dies

Commander-in-Chief

this means the president is in charge of the military

Executive Agreement

a pact (agreement) between the president and another country without need for congressional approval

Executive Order

presidential directives that modify laws or create laws and public policies without approval of congress

Signing Statements

a statement made by the president when he/she signs a bill into law explaining how he/she feels about the law

Appointments

the process by which the president chooses individuals to fill certain cabinet, federal judiciary, ambassador, White House staff, or other administrative positions usually subject to Senate confirmation (approval)

Twenty Second Amendment

the amendment to the Constitution limiting the office of president to two terms of four years or a maximum of 10 years

State of the Union Address

a speech the president is required to give (by the Constitution) at the beginning of the year explaining the current state of the country and outlining their plan for the upcoming year(s)

Bully Pulpit

the term used to describe the immense audience and influence the the President of the United States has when he or she communicates to the world

Regulation

a government rule that guides the operation of a government program; another definition in a different context is when the government intervenes in the economy to promote policy

Fine

monetary (money) penalty a wrongdoer must pay

Iron Triangle

an alliance among an administrative agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee. Each member of the iron triangle provides key services, information, or policy for the others.

Issue Network

a network that includes policy experts, media pundits, congressional staff members, and interest groups who regularly debate an issue

Civil service/competitive service

employees of the government are selected and advanced based on merit not on connections

Merit System

being hired or promoted based on your abilities, not based on your political connections

Political Patronage

is a situation in which a person is rewarded for supporting a particular politician, such as campaigning or voting for them. Political patronage can sometimes include the exchange of money for political support.

Administrative discretion/discretionary authority

congress has given agencies decision-making power in expanding rules to carry out the laws congress has already enacted; Congress does not have the time or expertise to make sure every law is being followed

Rule-making

the process agencies go through to make regulations/rules that are legally binding

Policy Implementation

putting the plan into action

Oversight

the process by which congress reviews the operations of an agency to determine if the agency is carrying out the policies congress intended

Bureaucracy

a large, complex organization of appointed officials; it includes all of the agencies, people, and procedures through which the federal government operates

Bureaucrat

someone who works in the bureaucracy

Cabinet Department

one of 15 high level executive branch organizations that help the president run the country; example: department of defense

Independent Agencies

an executive agency that is not part of a cabinet department; in most cases the president appoints the head of the agency and can remove the head at any time.

Regulatory Commissions

an agency of the executive branch that controls some part of the economy

Government Corporations

a government agency that performs services that a private company probably would not provide

Government by Proxy

federal services are not actually performed by federal employees but by private contractors or state and local employees

Incrementalism

the slow but steady increase in costs of programs over time because of inflation and increases in wages of bureaucrats; another definition is the slow, gradual change in policy rather than sudden sharp change

Deregulation

decreasing the amount of regulation; generally favored more by the Republicans

Executive Privilege

claimed by the president to withhold information because it is in the public’s interest to not know

Line-item Veto

an unconstitutional process for the president to eliminate only parts of bills he/she did not want; it does not happen in the federal government but many states allow governors to have a line item veto

Pardon

a president can wipe away a conviction of someone sentenced for a federal crime