US GOV Unit IV (Executive Branch)

natural born citizen
35 years old
resident of US for 14+ years

requirements to be president

candidate

a person seeking election for an office

primary elections

preliminary elections held to demonstrate citizens' candidate preferences for each political party

national convention

events held by each party to choose the pres/VP nominees for the general election

nominee

the person chosen by a political party to be their official candidate in the general election

closed primaries

primaries in which voters must be registered with one party and may vote only for candidates from that party

open primaries

primaries in which voters may choose to vote in the primary for either party

crossover voting

when a person who supports one party votes in the primary of the other party, either because of a candidate's views or to try to split the vote in the other party

open

type of primary held in Arkansas

caucuses

public elections held by each party (alternative to primaries)

delegates

representatives from each party who choose the nominee

party platform

formal statement of the party's position on current issues

superdelegates

party leaders and officeholders who are uncommitted delegates at a party convention

balancing the ticket

term for choosing a vice presidential nominee who will make the presidential nominee more electable

general election

the main presidential election in November

swing state

a state where elections tend to be very close between party candidates

date of Election Day

Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November

exit polls

surveys taken of voters as they leave polling places to help project election results

Electoral College

the group of electors chosen by each state's legislature who choose the president/VP

number of Senators + number of Representatives

calculation of a state's electoral votes

23rd Amendment

amendment that granted 3 electoral votes to Washington, D.C.

270

minimum number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency

winner take all

states in which the electors are allotted based on the winner of the popular vote in that state

faithless electors

Electoral College electors who vote for a candidate other than the one they are pledged to represent

December

month in which the Electoral College votes

•Candidate announces plan to run for office
•Candidate begins preliminary campaigns to win support
•Each state holds primaries/caucuses
•Each party holds a national convention where delegates choose the party nominee
•General election campaign begins
•Election Day: Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November
•Electoral College votes in December
•Presidential inauguration: January 20

8 steps to becoming president

lame duck

an outgoing official serving out the remainder of a term, after retiring or being defeated for reelection

20th Amendment

amendment that moved Inauguration Day from March to January

chief executive

role of the president that involves administering/enforcing laws through federal agencies or departments

commander in chief

role of the president that involves managing the armed forces

War Powers Act

limits presidential use of troops (deployments must be approved by Congress within 60 days)

covert operations

activities unknown to the public and possibly Congress

chief diplomat

role of the president that involves foreign policy/international relations

executive agreement

written understanding between pres. & another head of state to do something (can be reversed by later presidents)

legislative leader

role of the president that involves working with Congress and influencing laws

chief of state

The role of the president as ceremonial head of the government

party leader

role of the president as head of their political party

executive order

a rule/command issued by the president that has the force of law

22nd Amendment

amendment that limited presidents to 2 terms in office

president of the Senate & assuming the presidency if the president dies/resigns/is removed/becomes incapable of performing duties

2 jobs of the vice president

25th Amendment

amendment that establishes the line of presidential succession

bureaucracy

administrative system in which agencies staffed mostly by nonelected officials perform tasks

•Executive Office of the President
•Cabinet departments
•Independent administrative agencies

3 main levels of executive bureaucracy

Executive Office of the President

offices/agencies that develop/implement the president's programs & policies

cabinet

departments that help the president with constitutional duties

secretaries

individuals that lead cabinet departments & report to the president

independent executive agencies

government organizations that fall outside of cabinet departments, with specific functions

administrative law

bureaucratic regulations/procedures that have the force of law

foreign policy

a nation's plan for achieving its objectives in its interaction with other countries

national security

goal of protecting the nation and its citizens/property abroad

alliance security

goal of supporting foreign allies to maintain our alliances

international stability

goal of fostering peace/cooperation in external conflicts

economic development

goal of assisting developing economies, creating markets for US goods, offering economic relief/aid

•National security
•Alliance security
•International stability
•Economic development

4 major US foreign policy goals

National Security Council

organization that provides the president with info/guidance regarding national security issues

State Department

cabinet department in charge of international relations; manages embassies/consulates

embassies

gov't offices in foreign capitals

Department of Defense

cabinet department that maintains American security, oversees the armed forces; includes Joint Chiefs of Staff; headquarters at the Pentagon

Joint Chiefs of Staff

group of highest-ranking military officers in the US that advise the president

Department of Homeland Security

cabinet department that addresses terrorist threats/attacks on American soil

Central Intelligence Agency

government agency that gathers intelligence/information on foreign countries

diplomacy

foreign policy that involves managing international relations through U.S. representatives in foreign countries (and vice versa)

foreign aid

money provided to promote stability in other nations

sanctions

measures taken against a nation to influence its actions

treaties

formal agreements between nations or groups of nations

multinational organizations

bodies established to allow nations to work collectively on certain issues

United Nations

forum for nations to negotiate issues of peace, conflict, & human rights

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement