Executive Branch

Twenty-second Amendment

Passed in 1951, the amendment that limits presidents to two terms of office.

Impeachment

., Formal accusation by the lower house of a legislature against a public official, the first step in removal from office.

Watergate

The events and scandal surrounding a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 and the subsequent cover-up of White House involvement, leading to the eventual resignation of President Nixon under the threat of impeachment.

Twenty-fifth Amendment

A 1967 amendment to the Constitution that establishes procedures for filling presidential and vice presidential vacancies and makes provisions for presidential disability.

Cabinet

Persons appointed by a head of state to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers.

National Security Council (NSC)

An agency in the Executive Office of the President that advises the president on national security.

Council of Economic Advisors (CEA)

A three-member body appointed by the president to advise the president on economic policy.

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Presidential staff the agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.

Veto

Vote against.

Pocket Veto

A bill fails to become law because the president did not sign it within ten days before Congress adjourns.

Line-Item Veto

An executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature.

Clinton v. City of New York

Court found the line-item veto to be unconstitutional as a violation of the Presentment Clause of the Constitution.

Presidential Coattails

The situation occurring when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president.

War Powers Resolution

A law passed in 1973 in reaction to American fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia that requires presidents to consult with Congress whenever possible prior to using military force and to withdraw forces after 60 days unless Congress declares war or grants an extension. Some presidents view the resolution as unconstitutional.

Legislative Veto

The authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power.

"Bully Pulpit"

The nature of presidential status as an ideal vehicle for persuading the public to support the president's policies.

Bureaucracy

A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials.

Pendleton Civil Service Act

Passed in 1883, created a system so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.

Patronage

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support.

Civil Service

Service for the government. Government workers.

Hatch act

A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations.

Independent Regulatory Agency

An administrative agency that is not considered part of the government's executive branch and is not subject to the authority of the president. Independent agency officials cannot be removed without cause.

Federal reserve Board

The 7-member board governing the Federal Reserve System.

Federal Communications Commission

An independent government agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio and television and wire and cable and satellite.

Federal Trade Commission

Established to preserve competition by preventing unfair business practices and investigates complaints against companies.

Securities and Exchange Commission

An independent federal agency that oversees the exchange stocks and bonds.

Government Corporations

A business owned and operated by the federal government.

Independent Executive Agencies

A federal agency not part of a cabinet department, but reports directly to the president.

Policy Implementation

The primary function of the bureaucracy; it refers to the process of carrying out the authoritative decisions of Congress, the president, and the courts.

Administrative Discretion

Authority given by Congress to the federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing laws.

Street-Level bureaucrats

Referring to those bureaucrats who are in constant contact with the public and have considerable administrative discretion.

Deregulation

The lifting of restrictions on business, industry, and professional activities for which government rules had been established and that bureaucracies had been created to administer.

Executive Orders

Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy.

Iron Triangles

The alliance among congressional committees, interest groups, and federal departments/agencies (bureaucracy)

Twelfth Amendment

Beginning in 1804, electors would vote separately for President and Vice President.

Chief Executive

The office of the United States head of state, which is the president.

Signing Statements

Statement issued by the president after he signs a bill wherein he provides his interpretation of the law modifies the intent of Congress.

Appointment Power

The authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position.

Reprieves

A formal postponement of the execution of a sentence imposed by a court of law.

Pardons

Freedom from punishment.

Commander in Chief

The officer who holds the supreme command, the president.

Executive Agreements

Agreements with other countries that do not need Senate approval.

Chief Legislator

The role of the president in influencing the making of laws.

Diplomatic Recognition

The formal acknowledgment of a foreign government as legitimate.

State of the Union Message

An annual message to Congress in which the president proposes a legislative program. The message is addressed also to the American people and to the world.

Veto Message

A message from the president to Congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced within ten days of the bill's passage.

Constitutional Power

Power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution.

Statutory Power

Power created for the president through laws enacted by Congress.

Expressed Power

Power of the president that is expressly written into the Constitution or into statutory law.

Inherent Power

Powers that are not directly stated in the Constitution but belong to the national government.

Emergency Power

An inherent power exercised by the president during a period of national crisis.

Federal Register

A publication of the U.S. government that prints executive orders, rules, and regulations.

Executive Privilege

The power to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security.

Executive Office of the President (EOP)

Created in 1939 to help the president oversee the executive branch bureaucracy.

White House Office

The personal office of the president, which tends to presidential political needs and manages the media.

Chief of Staff

The head of the White House staff.

Administrative Agency

Governmental body formed to carry out particular laws.

Civil Service Commission

Created by Pendleton Act to oversee examinations for potential government employees.

Enabling Legislation

Legislation that gives appropriate officials the authority to implement or enforce the law.

Independent Executive Agency

A federal agency that is not part of a cabinet department but reports to the president.

Spoils System

The system of employing and promoting civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power.

Whistleblower

An employee who exposes unethical or illegal conduct within the federal government.

War Powers Act

Passed by Congress in 1973, the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period in peacetime unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period.

Special Session

A meeting to deal with some emergency situation.

Power to Persuade

A president's ability to convince Congress, other political actors, and the public to cooperate with the administration's agenda.

Honeymoon Period

The time following an election when a president's popularity is high and congressional relations are likely to be productive.